Equipment checks for schools
Shop and makerspace safety checks students can do before the machine starts.
CheckBadges puts a QR sticker on each table saw, drill press, lathe and welder in your CTE shop or makerspace. A student or teacher scans it with a phone or a shop tablet and does that machine's check in the browser, with no app or login; PINs sign each check with a name. Problems email the teacher at once and warn the next class until fixed.
What pre-use checks have to handle
Students can't install apps
School devices are locked down and phones may not be allowed. A scan opens a web page, and a shop tablet by the door works if phones stay in bags.
Six classes, one table saw
A blade guard removed in second period is still off in sixth. The next student who scans the saw sees the open problem.
The teacher answers for it
If someone is hurt, the first question is when the machine was last checked. Every check has a name and a time.
Guards, blades and e-stops
Machines must be guarded (1910.212(a)(1)) and dull or badly set saws removed from service (1910.213(s)(1)). A check before use finds both.
Safety gear in every lab
Extinguishers need a monthly look, plumbed eyewash a weekly flush, AEDs a glance at the status light. Each can have its own sticker.
Student data
You decide what students type: a first name and initial, or a student number. Check your district's policy before students use it.
How a school shop runs machine checks with QR codes
Each machine gets a QR sticker beside its switch, and whoever is about to use it scans it first. The phone or tablet opens that machine's checklist: guard in place, riving knife and anti-kickback pawls fitted, blade sharp and tight, e-stop working, cord and plug undamaged, area clear. It takes about a minute, and the teacher can see every check as it comes in.
A day in a high school woodshop with 12 machines:
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7:40 a.m. | Before first period, the teacher scans the table saw, jointer and bandsaw and checks each one. |
| 9:15 a.m. | In second period, a student scans the drill press on the shop tablet, enters their PIN and finds the chuck key on a lanyard missing. Problem, with a photo. |
| 9:15 a.m. | The teacher and the CTE director get the email. The drill press shows red on the dashboard. |
| 11:00 a.m. | A fourth-period student scans the drill press, sees the open problem, and tells the teacher before starting. |
| 12:10 p.m. | The teacher finds the key, marks the problem fixed with a note, and the warning clears. |
| 3:30 p.m. | The teacher checks the dashboard: which machines were checked today and by whom. |
Rules that apply in school shops
OSHA's rules protect employees, such as teachers, aides and custodians, not students. Public school staff are covered only in states with an OSHA-approved State Plan, since "State and local government workers are not covered by federal OSHA." For students, the duty comes from your district's policies and your state's CTE safety guidance. Either way, OSHA's general industry rules are the benchmark most shops use:
- Machine guarding, 1910.212(a)(1): guarding against point-of-operation hazards, nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks.
- Woodworking saws, 1910.213(s)(1): dull, badly set or improperly tensioned saws removed from service immediately.
- Tools, 1910.242(a): the employer is responsible for the safe condition of tools and equipment.
- Fire extinguishers, 1910.157(e): visually inspected monthly, with an annual maintenance check.
- Eyewash, 1910.151(c): required where people may be exposed to corrosive materials, such as battery acid in an auto shop. ANSI Z358.1 calls for plumbed units to be activated weekly.
This summarizes the rules; check your state plan and district policy.
Phones, tablets and PINs
Choose whatever your school allows. Where students may use phones, they scan with their own camera. Where they can't, keep one tablet with a camera in the shop. On a shared tablet, turn on operator PINs: each student gets a 4-digit PIN that signs the check with their name, so every check on the shared tablet is signed by the student who entered the PIN. Wrong PINs are rate-limited. Or keep it teacher-only: you check every machine before first period, and students report problems to you.
What you get
- An email the moment a check finds a problem, to you and anyone else on the alert list, with photos.
- A warning for the next student who scans that machine, until you mark it fixed.
- A dated record for every machine, with names, printable for an administrator or inspector and exportable as CSV.
What it costs
CheckBadges is free for up to 3 machines, which is enough to pilot on the table saw, the jointer and the bandsaw. Pro is $9 a month for your first 3 machines, plus $1.50 a month for each machine after that, so a 12-machine shop is $22.50 a month and a 30-machine CTE center is $49.50 a month. Students are unlimited.
When CheckBadges isn't the right fit
CheckBadges doesn't track who's passed the safety test for each machine; keep training records elsewhere. It can't lock a machine until the check is done. It needs Wi-Fi or a cell signal. And if your district requires a signed student data privacy agreement for any tool students use, settle that first, or keep checks teacher-only until you have.
Free checklists for schools
Print them, or put each one on a QR sticker so operators fill it in on their phone.
- Free checklistTable saw inspection checklistFree table saw inspection checklist for woodshops and school shops: blade guard, riving knife, anti-kickback pawls, fence, blade, push sticks and switch.
- 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 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 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 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.
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 school woodshop safety checklist include?
For each machine: guards in place and adjusted, blade or bit sharp and secure, emergency stop and switch working, cord and plug undamaged, dust collection on, and the area clear. Add the checks in each machine's manual, and keep each list short enough that students actually do it.
Does OSHA apply to students in school shops?
No. OSHA protects employees, not students, and public school employees are covered only in states with an OSHA-approved State Plan. Student safety in shops is governed by district policy and state CTE guidance, which usually follow the same machine guarding principles.
Can students do equipment checks without a phone?
Yes. Keep one tablet with a camera in the shop and turn on operator PINs so each student's check is signed with their own name. Or have the teacher check every machine before the first class.
Can CheckBadges track which students passed their machine safety test?
No. CheckBadges records equipment checks, not training or certifications. Keep safety test records in your gradebook or a separate log.
Keep reading
- Table saw inspection checklistFree table saw inspection checklist for woodshops and school shops: blade guard, riving knife, anti-kickback pawls, fence, blade, push sticks and switch.
- Checklists without an appHow to get operators to do equipment checks without installing an app: paper, a shared tablet, Google Forms, or QR stickers that open the check in the browser.
- Write a pre-use checklistHow to write a pre-use inspection checklist: start from the manual, follow the walkaround, say what a pass looks like, keep it to 10–25 items and test it.
- Out-of-service tag makerPrint DANGER – DO NOT OPERATE and OUT OF SERVICE tags for defective equipment. Fill in the machine, problem and date, or leave blanks. Free, no signup.
- Free inspection appA free inspection app for equipment: every feature free for 3 machines with unlimited operators and checks. No time limit, no card, no app for operators.
- 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 machine in the shop 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.