How to set up QR code equipment checklists

How QR code equipment checklists work

Each machine gets its own QR code sticker. When an operator points a phone camera at it, the phone opens that machine's pre-use checklist as a web page. They answer the questions and submit, and the check is saved against that machine with the time and who did it. Because the sticker identifies the machine, nobody has to choose it from a list or copy its number onto a sheet, which is where paper and shared forms usually go wrong.

It works for anything that's checked before use: forklifts, scissor and boom lifts, loaders, vehicles, generators, ladders, fire extinguishers. The built-in camera apps on current iPhones and Android phones read QR codes, so operators don't need a scanner app.

What you need before you start

You need five things, and you probably have most of them already:

• A list of your machines, each with a name or asset number an operator can read on the machine itself.
• A checklist for each type of machine, starting from the daily checks in the manufacturer's operator manual.
• A printer and label stock. An ordinary printer and weatherproof labels cover most sites.
• Phones for operators. Their own phones work; so does a shared phone kept with the machine.
• One or two people to receive problems, usually the supervisor and whoever arranges repairs.

Two ways to build it

You can build QR checklists from general tools or use a tool made for the job. The trade-off is setup time against what happens after a check is submitted.

With two or three machines and time to tinker, Google Forms works; our Google Forms equipment checklist guide shows how. Inspection apps suit larger teams that want maintenance work orders and offline mode, and whose operators will install an app and log in. The steps below apply whichever you pick.

How to set it up, step by step

Eight steps take you from a list of machines to checks arriving every morning:

1. 1List your machines. Give each a short, unique name that's written on it, like "Forklift 3" or "Scissor lift SL-02", and note the make and model so you can find its manual.
2. 2Choose a checklist for each type. Group machines that share a manual, then start each group's checklist from the manufacturer's daily checks or one of our free checklists.
3. 3Edit the checklist. Put items in walkaround order, say what a pass looks like, keep it to 10–25 items, and add a reading like the hour meter.
4. 4Print the stickers. One code per machine, with the machine's name printed beside it, on label stock that suits where it'll live.
5. 5Stick them where the operator stands. On the mast or dash of a forklift, beside the platform controls of a lift, inside the cab of a loader. Test-scan each one in place.
6. 6Show operators how in two minutes. Scan, look at each item, describe and photograph any problem, submit. Do the first one together at the machine.
7. 7Decide who gets problem alerts. Choose who's told, who decides whether the machine runs, and who marks it fixed.
8. 8Review the checks every day. See which machines were checked, read any problems, and close them out once they're fixed.

Choosing and editing checklists

A checklist operators finish honestly is short and specific to the machine. Our guide on how to write a pre-use inspection checklist goes into detail, and the free checklist maker lets you edit and print one. The essentials:

• One checklist per machine type, not per machine. Ten forklifts of the same model share a checklist; a propane truck and an electric truck don't.
• OK or Problem for most items, with N/A only for parts that not every machine has.
• A number for readings like the hour meter or odometer, which gives you a usage history for free.
• A note and a photo for every problem, so whoever reads it knows what's wrong without walking out to look.

Printing and placing stickers

Put the sticker at eye level where the operator stands before starting, on a clean, flat spot away from heat and pressure washing. A code the size of a business card scans easily from arm's length. Paper labels are fine indoors; outdoors, use polyester label stock or laminate them. Print the machine's name in plain text beside the code so people can tell which machine it belongs to without scanning.

The free QR code label maker prints labels for any link, and how to label equipment with QR codes covers materials, sizes and placement for each kind of machine.

Training operators in two minutes

Operators need to know four things, and you can show them at the machine:

• Scan the sticker with the phone camera and tap the link that appears.
• Look at each item before answering. Mark Problem for anything that isn't right, describe it and add a photo.
• If anything is a problem, don't use the machine until a supervisor says so, and tag it if your site uses tags.
• Submit before starting work. The check isn't done until it's sent.

Do the first check together, then watch them do the second. That's the training.

Handling problems and reviewing checks

A reported problem is only useful if someone acts on it. Before day one, decide who is told straight away, who decides whether the machine can run, who can release it after repair, and how the next operator will know about a problem found at the end of a shift. That last one is where paper fails: a defect written on Monday's sheet doesn't stop Tuesday's operator. A system that shows open problems to whoever scans the machine closes the gap. See what to do when equipment fails inspection.

Then spend five minutes at the start of each day on three questions: which machines were used without a check, which problems are open, and which have been fixed. Ask about missing checks the same day. Fixing reported problems quickly, and telling the operator who found them, is the best way to keep checks honest; more in how to get operators to do pre-use checks.

Setting it up with CheckBadges

CheckBadges is built for exactly this. Start a demo with your real machines, with no signup or card: pick a starter checklist (forklift, scissor and boom lift, excavator and loader, vehicle pre-trip or general) or any of our free checklists, edit it, and print stickers eight to a letter page. Operators scan with their own phone's camera and do the check in the browser with no app, account or password. They type their name once, or use their own 4-digit PIN if you turn PINs on.

Problem items need a note and can carry up to 3 photos. A check with problems emails your alert list immediately, the machine shows red on your dashboard, and every operator who scans it sees the open problem until you mark it fixed. The dashboard shows which machines were checked today; every check is filed by machine with the operator's name and time, prints as a clean record, and exports to CSV. A lost or damaged sticker is reissued in one click and the old one stops working.

It's free for up to 3 machines with every feature; Pro is $9 a month for the first 3 machines plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that, with unlimited operators and checks; 10 machines on Pro cost $19.50 a month. What it doesn't do: it needs a data connection when a check is submitted, it doesn't send reminders about missed checks (the dashboard shows them), and it has no maintenance work orders. More on the QR code equipment checklist page.