Free checklist · Construction equipment
Heavy equipment daily inspection checklist (free, printable)
A daily heavy equipment inspection is the walkaround and function test an operator does before each shift: tires or tracks, attachments and pins, hydraulics and fluid levels, then the seat belt, ROPS, mirrors, gauges, brakes, steering, horn, backup alarm and lights. Use this checklist for any machine, or start from the machine-specific ones for excavators, loaders, dozers, skid steers and telehandlers.
- How often
- Before each shift
- The rule
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)
- Items
- 28 checks
- Takes
- About 7 minutes
By the CheckBadges team · Updated
Layout
Heavy equipment daily inspection checklist
Before each shift
| Item | OK | Problem | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walkaround (attachments down, engine off) | |||
| Tires or tracksNo cuts, bulges or low tires; tracks tensioned, no broken shoes | |||
| Wheel nuts or track hardwareEvery nut and bolt present and tight | |||
| Frame and structureNo cracks, bends or broken welds | |||
| Bucket, blade or attachmentNo cracks; teeth, edges and bolts secure | |||
| Pins, bushings and keepersAll in place, no excess play; greased per the manual | |||
| Coupler or attachment lockLocked, indicator shows engaged, safety pin in | |||
| Hydraulic cylinders and hosesNo leaks, scored rods, chafing or bulges | |||
| Leaks under the machineNo fresh oil, coolant, fuel or hydraulic oil on the ground | |||
| Guards, covers, steps and handholdsGuards in place; steps and handholds clean and secure | |||
| Fluids and engine compartment | |||
| Engine oil levelBetween the marks; no fresh leaks | |||
| Coolant levelAt the mark, checked cold | |||
| Hydraulic oil levelIn range, with the machine in the manual's check position | |||
| Air filter restriction indicatorNot in the red | |||
| Belts and cooler coresBelts tight, not cracked; cores clear of dirt and debris | |||
| Fuel level | ☐ Full ☐ 3/4 ☐ 1/2 ☐ 1/4 ☐ Low | ||
| Cab and operator station | |||
| Cab, ROPS and FOPSNo cracks, bends or missing bolts | |||
| Seat beltLatches and retracts; webbing not cut | |||
| Windows, mirrors and camerasGlass not cracked; mirrors and cameras clean and adjusted | |||
| Fire extinguisherMounted, gauge in the green, pin in place | |||
| Hour meter reading | ________ hours | ||
| Function tests (engine running) | |||
| Gauges and warning lightsAll warnings clear after start-up | |||
| SteeringResponds smoothly both ways | |||
| Service brakesStop the machine firmly | |||
| Parking brakeHolds the machine | |||
| Hydraulic controls and lockoutSmooth; the lockout disables them; nothing drifts | |||
| Backup alarmSounds in reverse, audible over site noise | |||
| HornWorks | |||
| LightsWork lights, beacon and road lights work | |||
Problems found and action taken:
If anything is a problem, don't use the machine: tag it out and report it. Free checklist from checkbadges.com — put it on a QR sticker and operators can fill it in on their phone.
What to check on a machine, item by item
Walkaround (attachments down, engine off)
- Tires or tracks — No cuts, bulges or low tires; tracks tensioned, no broken shoes
- Wheel nuts or track hardware — Every nut and bolt present and tight
- Frame and structure — No cracks, bends or broken welds
- Bucket, blade or attachment — No cracks; teeth, edges and bolts secure
- Pins, bushings and keepers — All in place, no excess play; greased per the manual
- Coupler or attachment lock — Locked, indicator shows engaged, safety pin in
- Hydraulic cylinders and hoses — No leaks, scored rods, chafing or bulges
- Leaks under the machine — No fresh oil, coolant, fuel or hydraulic oil on the ground
- Guards, covers, steps and handholds — Guards in place; steps and handholds clean and secure
Fluids and engine compartment
- Engine oil level — Between the marks; no fresh leaks
- Coolant level — At the mark, checked cold
- Hydraulic oil level — In range, with the machine in the manual's check position
- Air filter restriction indicator — Not in the red
- Belts and cooler cores — Belts tight, not cracked; cores clear of dirt and debris
- Fuel level (Full / 3/4 / 1/2 / 1/4 / Low)
Cab and operator station
- Cab, ROPS and FOPS — No cracks, bends or missing bolts
- Seat belt — Latches and retracts; webbing not cut
- Windows, mirrors and cameras — Glass not cracked; mirrors and cameras clean and adjusted
- Fire extinguisher — Mounted, gauge in the green, pin in place
- Hour meter reading (reading, in hours)
Function tests (engine running)
- Gauges and warning lights — All warnings clear after start-up
- Steering — Responds smoothly both ways
- Service brakes — Stop the machine firmly
- Parking brake — Holds the machine
- Hydraulic controls and lockout — Smooth; the lockout disables them; nothing drifts
- Backup alarm — Sounds in reverse, audible over site noise
- Horn — Works
- Lights — Work lights, beacon and road lights work
How often heavy equipment has to be inspected
Inspect each machine before every shift it's used, and follow the daily checks in its operator's manual. On US construction sites, these rules add up to that:
| Rule | What it says | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1926.20(b)(2) | "Frequent and regular inspections" of equipment by competent persons | All construction equipment |
| 1926.20(b)(3) | Equipment that doesn't comply must be tagged, locked out or removed | All construction equipment |
| 1926.602(a) | Seat belts, brakes, a horn, and a reverse alarm or signaler | Scrapers, loaders, tractors, bulldozers, off-highway trucks, graders and similar |
| 1926.601(b)(14) | Checked "at the beginning of each shift": brakes, tires, horn, steering, coupling devices, seat belts, controls, safety devices | Motor vehicles on off-highway jobsites, not equipment covered by 1926.602 |
| 1926.1412(d) | A competent person's visual inspection each shift | Cranes and derricks |
None of these hands you a checklist. The operator's manual does: its maintenance schedule lists the daily checks for that model. Heavy equipment inspection requirements covers the rules in more depth.
Which checklist for which machine
Each type of machine adds its own checks to this list:
| Machine | Checks to add | Checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Excavator | Undercarriage, quick coupler and safety pin, swing, lockout lever | Excavator |
| Skid steer or track loader | Seat bar interlock, lift arm support, quick-attach wedges | Skid steer |
| Wheel loader | Articulation joint, steering lock bar, tires and rims | Wheel loader |
| Backhoe loader | Stabilizers, seat swivel lock, boom lock, brake pedal latch | Backhoe |
| Bulldozer | Undercarriage, blade and ripper, decelerator, final drives | Bulldozer |
| Telehandler | Load chart for the attachment, frame leveling, steering modes | Telehandler |
| Mobile crane | Competent person's shift inspection, wire rope, load charts | Mobile crane |
| Dump trucks and pickups | Brakes, tires, lights, horn, body and load | Vehicle |
How to do the walkaround
A good walkaround follows the same route every day:
- Park on level ground with buckets, blades and forks lowered, the parking brake on, controls in neutral and the engine off.
- Look under the machine for fresh leaks before anything else.
- Walk round once, low and slow: tires or tracks, frame, attachment, pins, cylinders and hoses.
- Open the doors for the fluids, filter indicator, belts and cooler cores.
- Climb in with three points of contact, then check the seat belt, ROPS, glass and mirrors.
- Start it and test in a clear area: gauges, steering, brakes, every hydraulic function, the lockout, horn, backup alarm and lights.
- Record the hour meter, note anything wrong and sign.
The defects that take a machine out of service
These keep any machine parked until they're repaired:
| Defect | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Brakes or steering not working properly | Loss of control of a machine weighing several tons |
| Seat belt damaged or ROPS cracked | Rollover protection only works with a belted operator inside an intact structure |
| Attachment coupler not locked | The bucket or attachment can fall on someone |
| Hydraulic hose leaking or bulging | Oil injection injuries and sudden loss of a function under load |
| Backup alarm or horn not working | People on foot can't hear the machine coming; OSHA requires them on earthmoving equipment |
| Hydraulic lockout not disabling the controls | A bumped lever moves the machine or attachment unexpectedly |
| Cracked boom, frame or attachment welds | Cracks grow under load until something breaks |
What to do when something fails
Park it, tag it, report it, and don't run it until it's repaired. On construction sites, equipment that doesn't comply "shall either be identified as unsafe by tagging or locking the controls to render them inoperable or shall be physically removed from its place of operation" (1926.20(b)(3)). Print an out-of-service tag for the controls, take the key, and follow what to do when equipment fails inspection.
Keeping the record
OSHA's construction rules don't require daily machine checks to be written down, but a dated record of who checked each machine is the only way to show inspections happen. Keep the machine's unit number, date, hour meter, operator and any problems found and fixed. Equipment inspection record keeping covers what to keep.
Paper gets harder with every machine and every site. A heavy equipment inspection app built on QR stickers puts each machine's own checklist in its cab: CheckBadges files every check under the right machine, emails you problems with photos, and shows which machines haven't been checked today.
Skip the clipboard
Put this heavy equipment inspection checklist on a QR sticker.
- Operators scan the sticker with their own phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- Anything marked Problem emails you right away, with photos, and warns the next operator.
- Every check is saved by machine with who did it and when. Print one or export a CSV.
Free for 3 machines. Every item above is already filled in — edit anything. No card.
Machine 1
Heavy equipment inspection checklist
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a daily heavy equipment inspection?
A walkaround with the engine off (tires or tracks, frame, attachment, pins, hydraulics, leaks and fluid levels), a check of the operator station (seat belt, ROPS, glass, mirrors), and function tests with the engine running (gauges, steering, brakes, hydraulic controls, horn, backup alarm and lights), plus the daily checks in that machine's manual.
Who is responsible for daily heavy equipment inspections?
The employer is responsible for making sure they happen; the operator usually does them. On construction sites, OSHA requires frequent and regular equipment inspections by competent persons the employer designates (29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2)), so operators need training on what a pass looks like.
Do heavy equipment operators need to be certified by OSHA?
OSHA has no general certification for earthmoving equipment operators: 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(4) says only employees qualified by training or experience may operate equipment. Crane operators (1926.1427) and forklift and telehandler operators (1910.178(l)) have their own certification and evaluation rules.
How long should heavy equipment inspection records be kept?
OSHA sets no retention period for daily machine checks, because it doesn't require them to be written down. Keep them long enough to show a pattern and to answer questions after an incident; your insurer, client or company policy may set a period.
Is a daily inspection the same as preventive maintenance?
No. A daily inspection is the operator's quick check that the machine is safe to use today; preventive maintenance is scheduled service by hours or months, such as oil and filter changes, usually done by a mechanic. Daily hour meter readings keep the service schedule accurate.
Keep reading
- Heavy equipment inspection appA heavy equipment inspection app for daily walkarounds: operators scan the QR sticker on an excavator, loader or dozer and check on their phone. No app or login.
- Heavy equipment inspection rulesOSHA has no single heavy equipment inspection schedule. Jobsite vehicles are checked each shift, unsafe machines tagged out, and the manual sets daily checks.
- ConstructionConstruction equipment inspections on a QR sticker per machine. Operators and subs scan with their own phone, no app or login. Defects email you with photos.
- The best construction equipment inspection apps in 2026The best construction equipment inspection apps of 2026: daily checks on loaders, lifts and excavators, whether crews need an app, and what each costs a month.
- Pre-use inspection vs preventive maintenanceA pre-use inspection is the operator's daily check for defects; preventive maintenance is scheduled servicing by a mechanic. How they differ and work together.
- Excavator inspection checklistFree excavator daily inspection checklist: undercarriage, boom and bucket, quick coupler, fluids and cab checks, in walkaround order. Print it or use QR codes.
Do your machine checks by QR code.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.