Equipment checks for facilities
Building equipment checks, from the scissor lift to the eyewash on the wall.
CheckBadges gives each lift, ladder, floor scrubber, generator, extinguisher round and eyewash station in your buildings a QR sticker. Staff and contractors scan it with their own phone and do its check in the browser, with no app or login. Problems email you with photos straight away, and every check is filed by item with who did it and when, ready to print for an inspector.
What pre-use checks have to handle
Different items, different schedules
Ladders before the first use each shift, extinguishers monthly, plumbed eyewash weekly, lifts before use. Each item gets its own checklist, and its history shows when it was last checked.
Tags that show a date, not a check
A punched tag says someone was there. A scanned check records each answer, who gave it and when.
Contractors on your equipment
Cleaning crews run your scrubbers and contractors borrow your lifts. They can scan and report a problem without an account.
Spread across buildings
A sticker per item files every check under that item, whichever building or floor it's in.
Life-safety gear nobody looks at
An AED with a red status light or an eyewash with no flow is only found by looking. A short scanned check makes someone look, and emails you when they find something.
Records for the inspector
Print an item's checks for a fire marshal or auditor, or export a CSV of every check in a date range.
How facilities teams run equipment checks with QR codes
Each item gets a QR sticker where whoever checks it will stand: on the lift's control box, the ladder's side rail, the eyewash cabinet, the generator's enclosure door. Scanning opens that item's checklist in the phone's browser. A problem needs a note and can carry up to three photos.
A Monday on a three-building campus:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | The day porter scans the ride-on scrubber before the lobby run: battery charge, squeegee, brushes, no leaks. |
| 8:15 a.m. | An electrician from a contractor scans the scissor lift in building B and does the pre-start. No account needed. |
| 9:00 a.m. | The building engineer flushes the plumbed eyewash in the chiller room and scans it: flow good, water clear, caps on. |
| 9:20 a.m. | In building C, the engineer scans the floor 2 extinguisher round and marks the unit by the stairwell as a Problem: gauge in the red. Photo attached. |
| 9:20 a.m. | You get the email. The extinguisher round shows red on the dashboard until it's swapped. |
| 2:00 p.m. | The fire protection vendor replaces the unit. You mark the problem fixed with a note. |
Which inspections the rules call for
Facility equipment falls under several OSHA general industry rules, consensus standards and manufacturers' instructions, each with its own frequency:
| Item | Rule or standard | What it calls for |
|---|---|---|
| Ladders | 1910.23(b)(9) | Inspected before initial use in each work shift; defective ladders tagged "Dangerous: Do Not Use" and removed from service |
| Portable fire extinguishers | 1910.157(e) | Visually inspected monthly; annual maintenance check, with the date recorded |
| Eyewash stations | 1910.151(c) and ANSI Z358.1 | Quick-drench facilities where corrosives are used. ANSI Z358.1, the consensus standard OSHA points employers to, calls for plumbed units to be activated weekly |
| Vehicle-mounted aerial devices | 1910.67(c)(2)(i) | Lift controls tested each day prior to use |
| Scissor and boom lifts | Manufacturer and ANSI A92 | A pre-start inspection before each shift's use, as the manuals and the ANSI A92 standards describe |
| AEDs, generators, scrubbers | Manufacturer | The manual's routine checks; standby generators also have testing schedules under your fire and life-safety codes |
This summarizes the rules; your local fire code and insurer may ask for more. The detail is in fire extinguisher inspection requirements and ladder inspection requirements.
One sticker per item, or one per round
You choose what counts as a "machine". A sticker on each extinguisher gives each unit its own history, and each counts toward your plan. A sticker per floor ("Building C, floor 2 extinguishers") with a checklist naming each unit by location turns a monthly round into one scan per floor and costs one machine. Lifts, scrubbers and generators are worth a sticker each; ladders and extinguishers can go either way.
What you get
- An email when something's wrong, with photos, to everyone on your alert list: you, the building engineer, the safety manager.
- A warning on the item for the next person who scans it, until it's marked fixed.
- Today's checks at a glance, and a history for every item, printable for an inspector or exportable as CSV.
What it costs
CheckBadges is free for up to 3 machines. Pro is $9 a month for your first 3 machines, plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that, so 30 stickered items is $49.50 a month and 80 is $124.50 a month. Staff and contractors who scan are unlimited.
When CheckBadges isn't the right fit
CheckBadges doesn't remind anyone that the monthly round is due; the dashboard shows what was checked today, but nothing nags. It isn't a CMMS: no work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, vendor management or parts. It needs a data connection, and basements and mechanical rooms are often dead zones, so check where your phones have signal or Wi-Fi first. If you need work orders, see CheckBadges vs UpKeep.
Free checklists for facilities
Print them, or put each one on a QR sticker so operators fill it in on their phone.
- Free checklistFire extinguisher inspection checklistFree monthly fire extinguisher inspection checklist and form: access, gauge in the green, pin and seal, hose, damage, label, weight and annual maintenance tag.
- Free checklistLadder inspection checklistFree ladder inspection checklist for step and extension ladders: rails, rungs, feet, spreaders, locks, labels and rope. OSHA requires a check before each shift.
- Free checklistEyewash station inspection checklistFree eyewash station inspection checklist: weekly activation, clear access, dust caps, clear flushing fluid, tepid water, signs and self-contained unit expiry.
- Free checklistAED inspection checklistFree AED inspection checklist: ready indicator, pads sealed and in date, battery in date, spare pads, rescue kit, cabinet alarm and signs. Follow your manual.
- Free checklistScissor lift inspection checklistFree scissor lift pre-use inspection checklist: guardrails, gate, controls, emergency stop and lowering, pothole guards, tilt alarm and tires. Print or use QR.
- Free checklistGenerator inspection checklistFree generator inspection checklist for portable and towable units: fuel, oil, coolant, leaks, exhaust and CO, grounding, GFCI outlets, cords and controls.
Set it up in three steps
- 01
Add your machines
Name your business, list your machines and pick a starting checklist. No signup, sales call or card — make an account once you like it.
- 02
Stick on their QR codes
Every machine gets its own sticker. Print them on label paper and put each one where operators look before they start.
- 03
Operators scan and check
Phone camera, tap, answer, submit: about a minute. A problem emails you and warns the next person to scan that machine.
Frequently asked questions
How often should facility safety equipment be inspected?
Under OSHA general industry rules, ladders before their first use in each work shift and portable fire extinguishers visually every month, with an annual maintenance check. ANSI Z358.1 calls for plumbed eyewash units to be activated weekly. Lifts get a pre-start inspection before use, and AEDs and generators follow their manufacturer's schedule.
Do monthly fire extinguisher inspections have to be recorded?
OSHA's 1910.157(e)(3) requires the employer to record the date of the annual maintenance check and keep it for a year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less. The monthly visual inspection has no recording requirement in OSHA's text, but your fire code or insurer may require one.
Can one QR code cover several fire extinguishers?
Yes. Make one machine per floor or area with a checklist that names each extinguisher by location, and the monthly round is one scan per floor. Use a sticker per extinguisher when you want a separate history for each unit.
Will CheckBadges remind us when inspections are due?
No. The dashboard shows which items were checked today and which have open problems, but CheckBadges doesn't send reminders for missed or upcoming inspections. Put the monthly round on your team's calendar.
Keep reading
- Fire extinguisher inspection rulesOSHA requires a monthly visual check and an annual maintenance check of portable fire extinguishers, with the annual date recorded. Who does what, and when.
- Ladder inspection requirementsOSHA requires ladders to be inspected before first use each shift in general industry, and periodically by a competent person in construction. What to check.
- QR codes for equipmentQR codes on equipment can open a manual, asset details or a pre-use checklist. How to choose, static vs dynamic codes, durable labels, and codes that log checks.
- Digital equipment checklistA digital equipment checklist replaces paper inspection sheets: operators scan a QR sticker and check on their phone, problems email you, and every record is filed.
- vs UpKeepCheckBadges vs UpKeep: how operators do pre-use checks, whether they need an app or login, and what 10, 25 or 50 machines cost. Checked October 2026.
- WarehousesWarehouse forklift checklists on a QR sticker per truck. Operators and temps scan with their phone, no app or login. Problems email you and warn the next shift.
Check every lift, ladder and extinguisher with one scan.
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.