Free equipment inspection checklist
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Free equipment inspection checklist (PDF). Periodic plant inspection of guards, controls, hydraulics, engine, fluids and attachments.
Commercial Director
Key takeaways
- An equipment inspection checklist is the periodic, comprehensive plant inspection: deeper and less frequent than the daily equipment pre-start check.
- It covers guards and safety devices, controls, hydraulics, engine and fluids, attachments and compliance against AS 4024 machinery safety requirements.
- The WHS Regulations 2011 Part 5.1 require plant to be inspected by a competent person and faults rectified before the equipment is used.
- Use this hub for scheduled monthly, quarterly or statutory inspections and the matching pre-start for the daily before-use check.
Updated 4 June 2026
How to use: download the PDF, print or complete digitally on any device.
- PDF format, ready to print or fill on screen
- Use as-is or customise to suit your operation
- Go digital in MapTrack for photos, alerts and audit trails
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What is a equipment inspection checklist?
An equipment inspection checklist is a comprehensive, periodic inspection document used to assess the condition, safety and compliance of plant and equipment at scheduled intervals rather than before every single use. It is the hub a maintenance team, workshop or HSE coordinator uses for monthly, quarterly or statutory inspections, going beyond the quick daily check to examine guards and safety devices, controls and instrumentation, the hydraulic system, the engine and fluids, attachments and underbody, and the compliance documentation for each machine. It suits any item of mobile or fixed plant that does not have a more specific inspection form, from generators and compressors to excavators, loaders and workshop machinery.
This checklist is deliberately broader than the daily equipment pre-start checklist. The pre-start is the operator's before-use go or no-go check; this periodic inspection is the deeper review that catches wear, fatigue and creeping defects a daily check is not designed to find, and it builds the maintenance and compliance history behind each asset. Supervisors use it to plan servicing, prove due diligence and decide whether plant stays in service. In MapTrack, periodic equipment inspections are scheduled per asset with automatic reminders, and the results, readings and defect photos attach to the equipment record alongside its service history. Under the Australian WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulations 2011, Part 5.1, a person conducting a business must ensure plant is inspected by a competent person and any faults rectified before use, while AS 4024 (Safety of machinery) defines the guarding, emergency stop and safety system requirements verified during each inspection.
Learn more about maintenance and work orders in MapTrack.
Benefits of using this equipment inspection checklist
- Periodic depth: a scheduled comprehensive inspection finds wear, fatigue and corrosion that a fast daily pre-start is not designed to detect.
- One form for mixed fleets: a generic hub covers any item of plant without a specific inspection form, keeping standards consistent across the yard.
- Machinery safety: dedicated guard, emergency stop and isolation checks verify the AS 4024 safety functions that protect operators from moving parts.
- Maintenance evidence: each periodic inspection builds the documented service and compliance history auditors, insurers and regulators expect to see.
- Defect prioritisation: recording severity and an action against each fail lets workshops triage repairs and keep unsafe plant out of service.
- Lower downtime: catching hydraulic, fluid and structural issues at a scheduled interval prevents the unplanned breakdowns that stop a job.
- Compliance visibility: tracking registration, inspection due dates and operator competency against each asset surfaces gaps before they become breaches.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you move your checklists from paper to MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
- Ability to share forms digitally.
- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
- Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
- Electronic signatures.
- Edit forms later without reprinting.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
- Trigger work orders automatically when a fault is logged during an inspection.
- Track service intervals by hours, kilometres or calendar date in one place.
- Attach supplier invoices and parts receipts to each maintenance record.
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“Bloody amazing! We used to spend 1-2 days a week tracking and managing our generators alone.”
Steve McAllister
Asset Coordinator, Saunders International
What to include in a equipment inspection checklist
This equipment inspection checklist covers 10 key areas:
- Asset details: equipment type, asset or fleet ID, make and model, serial number, hour or meter reading, site and inspection date.
- Inspection type: scheduled interval (monthly, quarterly, annual) or statutory inspection, and the competent person performing it.
- Guards and safety devices: fixed and interlock guards, emergency stops, isolation points, ROPS or FOPS, seatbelt, warning decals.
- Controls and instrumentation: steering, brakes, levers, switches, gauges, warning lights, horn and reversing alarm.
- Hydraulic system: cylinders, hoses, fittings, oil level and condition, leaks, and smooth full-range operation.
- Engine and fluids: oil, coolant, fuel, exhaust, air filter, belts, battery condition and any leaks under the machine.
- Attachments and underbody: attachment security and rating, pins and lock, tyres or tracks, undercarriage and structure.
- Structural condition: chassis, welds, mounts and protective structures for cracks, deformation or corrosion.
- Compliance and documentation: registration, last and next inspection, service records, operator competency and keys.
- Declaration and sign-off: confirmation the inspection was completed, defects recorded and unsafe plant withdrawn from use.
How to use this equipment inspection checklist
- Define the inspection scope and interval before you start.: Confirm which asset you are inspecting and whether this is a scheduled monthly, quarterly or statutory inspection rather than a daily pre-start. Record the equipment type, asset or fleet number, make, model, serial number and current hour or meter reading so the result attaches to the correct asset and interval.
- Isolate the plant and inspect guards and safety devices first.: Where the inspection requires access to moving parts, isolate and lock out the energy source. Check fixed and interlock guards are present and secure, test emergency stops and isolation points, and confirm ROPS or FOPS, the seatbelt and warning decals are intact, in line with AS 4024 machinery safety requirements.
- Examine controls, hydraulics, engine and fluids in turn.: Test steering, brakes, levers, gauges and warning devices, then operate the hydraulics through full travel watching for drift or leaking hoses and cylinders. Check oil, coolant, fuel, the air filter, belts and battery, and look under the machine for leaks. Use sight, sound and feel for abnormal wear or vibration.
- Inspect attachments, tyres or tracks and the structure.: Confirm any attachment is secure, correctly rated and pinned, then check tyres or tracks and the undercarriage for wear and damage. Examine the chassis, welds, mounts and protective structures for cracks, deformation or corrosion that would affect the safe operation of the machine under load.
- Mark each item Pass, Fail or N/A and log defects with severity.: Record a result for every item. For each fail, write a clear defect description, location and severity, and withdraw the plant from service for critical defects such as failed guarding, brake faults or structural cracks. Assign the rectification action and responsible person so the repair is tracked to closure rather than forgotten.
- Confirm compliance, sign off and store the record.: Check registration, service records and operator competency are current and the next inspection date is set. Sign and date the form, then file it against the asset's maintenance history. In MapTrack, submit the periodic inspection so it attaches to the equipment record with readings and defect photos and triggers the next scheduled inspection.
In MapTrack, you can schedule and track maintenance digitally. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.
Get the free templateEnter your email above to download the full equipment inspection checklist as a PDF.Back to download formHow often should you complete this checklist?
Use this checklist for periodic inspections on a set frequency rather than every use. Common intervals are monthly or quarterly for general plant, with statutory inspections at the cadence the relevant standard or manufacturer specifies, and an annual comprehensive review for most assets. Always complete a fresh inspection after a major repair, after a machine has sat idle, or before it moves to a new site. Run the matching equipment pre-start checklist daily for the before-use check. In MapTrack, periodic inspections are scheduled per asset with reminders so nothing falls due unnoticed.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- WHS Act 2011 - primary duty to ensure plant is safe and without risks to health (Section 19)
- WHS Regulations 2011, Part 5.1 - Management of risks of plant (inspection by a competent person before use)
- AS 4024 - Safety of machinery (guarding, emergency stop and safety system requirements)
Need to schedule and track maintenance digitally?
Register every asset in MapTrack, attach digital forms, and get a complete history of every inspection, service and compliance record.
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