Equipment checks for manufacturing
Pre-use checks on every machine on the floor, from presses to forklifts.
CheckBadges gives each press, saw, crane, hoist and forklift in your plant a QR sticker that opens its own pre-use checklist. Operators scan it with their phone and answer in about a minute, with no app or login. Problems email maintenance with photos and warn the next shift, and every check is kept by machine for audits, ready to print or export as CSV.
What pre-use checks have to handle
Guards that go missing
Machine guarding is required by 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1). A "guard in place and working" question before every run catches the one that came off on night shift.
Presses with weekly checks
Mechanical power presses need an inspection and test at least weekly of the clutch/brake, antirepeat and single-stroke mechanisms, with certification records (1910.217(e)(1)).
Shift handovers
When third shift finds a leak, first shift should know before they start. The next operator to scan the machine sees the open problem.
Cranes, hoists and slings
Overhead crane hooks and hoist chains get a daily visual inspection under 1910.179(j), and slings are inspected each day before use under 1910.184(d).
Audits that want evidence
Customer audits and ISO 45001 auditors ask to see that planned checks happen. Filter by machine and date, then print or export.
Operators without a company login
Plenty of line operators have no work email or device. Scanning needs only a phone camera; turn on PINs and each check is signed with the operator's name.
How plants run machine pre-use checks with QR codes
Each machine gets a QR sticker next to its controls, and the operator scans it at the start of the shift or before the first run. Their phone opens that machine's checklist: guards, e-stops, interlocks, leaks, and anything the manufacturer's manual lists. They answer and submit in about a minute.
A day shift at a fabrication plant with 20 machines:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 6:55 a.m. | The press operator scans press 2: guards in place, light curtain tested, two-hand controls working, no leaks. |
| 7:02 a.m. | The crane operator scans the 5-ton bridge crane and checks the hook latch, hoist chain and pendant controls. |
| 7:05 a.m. | At the band saw, the operator marks the blade guard as a Problem: "adjustable guard won't lock". A photo goes with it. |
| 7:05 a.m. | Maintenance and the supervisor get the email. The saw shows red on the dashboard, and the operator moves to the other saw. |
| 9:40 a.m. | Maintenance fixes the guard and marks it fixed: "replaced lock knob". The warning clears. |
| 3:00 p.m. | Second shift's saw operator scans it, sees no open problem, and does the check. |
The rules behind machine checks in manufacturing
OSHA's general industry rules don't contain one pre-use checklist rule for all machines; several standards each require part of it:
| Equipment | Rule | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Any machine | 1910.212(a)(1) | Guarding against point-of-operation hazards, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks |
| Mechanical power presses | 1910.217(e)(1) | Periodic and regular inspections, plus an inspection and test at least weekly of the clutch/brake, antirepeat and single-stroke mechanisms, with certification records |
| Woodworking saws | 1910.213(s)(1) | Dull, badly set or improperly tensioned saws removed from service immediately |
| Forklifts | 1910.178(q)(7) | Examined before being placed in service, at least daily |
| Overhead cranes | 1910.179(j) | Frequent inspections at daily to monthly intervals; hooks and hoist chains inspected visually every day |
| Slings | 1910.184(d) | Inspected each day before use by a competent person |
Two points trip plants up. First, the press certification records must include "the signature of the person who performed the inspection." CheckBadges signs a check with the operator's typed name or, with PINs on, their PIN; there's no drawn signature, so ask your safety team whether that suits your program. Second, a pre-use check isn't lockout/tagout: servicing a machine where it could start up or release stored energy follows 1910.147.
This summarizes the rules and isn't legal advice. More in OSHA equipment inspection requirements.
Audits, ISO 45001 and customer requirements
Audits want evidence that the checks you planned happen, on the machines you said, by the people you trained. ISO 45001 doesn't prescribe a checklist format, so the evidence is whatever you can produce. With CheckBadges, every check is filed by machine with the operator's name and time. Each submitted check keeps its own copy of the questions, so when you improve a checklist next year, last year's records still show exactly what was asked. Print any check, or export a date range as CSV.
What you get
- Problem emails to maintenance and supervisors the moment a check is submitted, with notes and photos.
- A warning for the next operator until maintenance marks it fixed, with a note of what was done.
- Today at a glance: which machines have been checked today, and which have open problems.
- History by machine, filterable by problems and dates, printable, and exportable as a row per check or per answer.
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 a plant with 20 machines pays $34.50 a month, and 60 machines is $94.50 a month. Every operator on every shift is included.
When CheckBadges isn't the right fit
If you need a CMMS, with preventive maintenance schedules, work orders, parts and labor tracking, CheckBadges isn't one; see pre-use inspection vs preventive maintenance and CheckBadges vs MaintainX. It has no integrations or API (CSV export only), no SSO, and it can't interlock a machine so it won't start until the check is done. It also needs Wi-Fi or a cell signal on the floor.
Free checklists for manufacturing
Print them, or put each one on a QR sticker so operators fill it in on their phone.
- Free checklistForklift inspection checklistFree forklift inspection checklist for the OSHA daily pre-shift check: 30 visual and operating checks with what a pass looks like. Print it or use QR codes.
- Free checklistOverhead crane inspection checklistFree overhead crane daily inspection checklist from OSHA 1910.179: hook, latch, rope or chain, pendant, e-stop, upper limit switch and brakes. Print or use QR.
- Free checklistRigging and sling inspection checklistFree rigging and sling inspection checklist: wire rope, chain and synthetic slings, shackles, hooks and eyebolts, with OSHA 1910.184 removal criteria.
- Free checklistPower tool inspection checklistFree power tool inspection checklist for corded, cordless and air tools: cords, plugs, guards, switches, blades, batteries and hoses. Print it or use it by QR.
- Free checklistWelder inspection checklistFree welder inspection checklist for arc and oxy-fuel rigs: leads, work clamp, electrode holder, cylinders, regulators, hoses, flashback arrestors, fire safety.
- Free checklistAir compressor inspection checklistFree air compressor inspection checklist: drain the tank, then check the safety valve, gauge, hoses, fittings, belt guard, oil and auto shutoff before use.
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
What should a machine pre-use checklist include in manufacturing?
Start with the daily checks in the machine's manual, then add guards in place and working, emergency stops, interlocks and light curtains tested, controls, leaks, and the condition of the work area. Keep it to what an operator can check in a minute or two so it actually gets done.
How often do mechanical power presses have to be inspected?
Under 29 CFR 1910.217(e)(1), regularly and periodically, and at least once a week for the clutch/brake mechanism, antirepeat feature and single-stroke mechanism. The employer must keep certification records with the date, the signature of the person who did the work and the press's identifier.
Does a pre-use check replace lockout/tagout?
No. A pre-use check confirms the machine is safe to run. Lockout/tagout under 29 CFR 1910.147 is the procedure for servicing and maintenance where unexpected start-up or stored energy could injure someone.
Can CheckBadges replace our CMMS?
No. CheckBadges does pre-use checks: a QR sticker per machine, problem alerts and a history of checks. It doesn't schedule preventive maintenance, manage work orders or track parts. Many plants use it next to a CMMS and export checks as CSV.
Keep reading
- Pre-use inspection appA pre-use inspection app for plant and equipment: operators scan a QR sticker and do the pre-start check on their phone, with no app or login. Defects email you.
- OSHA equipment inspection rulesHow often OSHA requires forklifts, lifts, scaffolds, cranes, slings, ladders, harnesses and extinguishers to be inspected, by whom, and which need records.
- Crane inspection requirementsOSHA crane inspections: shift checks by a competent person, documented monthly inspections kept 3 months, and annual ones by a qualified person kept 12 months.
- Inspection record keepingHow long to keep equipment inspection records, rule by rule: DVIRs 3 months, crane monthly 3 and annual 12, extinguisher upkeep 1 year. And what to record.
- 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.
- vs MaintainXCheckBadges vs MaintainX: how operators do pre-use checks, whether they need an app or login, and what 10, 25 or 50 machines cost. Checked October 2026.
Check every machine on the floor 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.