Inspecting your machines is just like brushing your teeth!

Think of this process as you would brushing your teeth – it should happen at least once a day, it should follow a standard pattern and it should be thorough.

And just like oral hygiene, with the right tools in place, it doesn’t have to be a chore.

A regular cadence of assessment is the best way to identify hazards BEFORE they could contribute to a workplace injury. It also helps to provide a comprehensive and accurate record of ‘due diligence’.

A daily pre-start check should include basic mechanical and fluid checks and also ensure safety features are present and functional, and that the machine has not suffered any damage that may impede the ability of the operator to use it safely.

A visual pre-start check should typically cover such things as:

• Fluids (Fuel/Oil/Water)

• Tyres and/or Tracks

• Guards

• Screens & Mirrors

• Lights & Beacon

• Seat & Seat Belt

• Gauges

• Horn/Warning Devices

• Hydraulics

• Brakes

The condition of your machinery can change within a single shift due to wear and tear, structural damage or component failure.

Pre-starts are usually a paper form or a digital (smart phone or tablet). It is preferable that the check is specific to each piece of plant and equipment.

Any faults that are noted should be escalated to a supervisory staff member who can make the decision as to whether the machine can be used or if it needs to be repaired prior to further use.  It’s important to develop and use a protocol for escalation once a fault is identified otherwise the pre-start just another useless piece of paper.

A record of the pre-start check should be kept with the machine, or in the case of digital checks, be available at the machine.

At Plant Assessor, we are all about using the power of the internet to make machinery safety simpler and more effective, hence we have developed an industry leading digital pre-start system.

To learn more about how to ensure safe plant with a daily inspection process, please contact us.