Plant pre-use check sheet
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Pick the machine, fill in the ID, site and operator, print a one-page weekly check sheet with the daily PUWER checks and a defect log.
What the law requires
PUWER 1998 regulation 5 requires work equipment to be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. Regulation 6 requires inspection where deterioration could lead to danger. For mobile plant that means the operator's daily pre-use check - the walk-round, the functions, the safety devices - and a weekly sheet is the simplest way to record it. Separately, lifting equipment (excavators used for lifting, telehandlers, MEWPs) needs a LOLER thorough examination every 12 months, or every 6 months where it lifts people, and the report should be with the machine.
Using the sheet
One sheet per machine per week. The operator checks each item before first use, ticks or crosses, initials the day, and writes any defect in the box below with who it was reported to. A defect that affects safety takes the machine out of use until it is fixed - tag it, tell the supervisor, do not let the programme override it. The supervisor signs the sheet at the end of the week and it goes in the plant file. Our LOLER lifting plan guide covers the examination and planning side.
FAQs
Is a daily plant check a legal requirement?
PUWER 1998 regulations 5 and 6 require work equipment to be maintained and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger. For mobile plant the accepted way to meet that is an operator pre-use check at the start of each shift, recorded on a sheet like this one.
How often does an excavator need a thorough examination?
If it is used for lifting - and most site excavators are - LOLER requires a thorough examination at least every 12 months, with the report kept available. Excavators used only for digging fall under PUWER inspection rather than LOLER.
How often does a MEWP need a thorough examination?
Every 6 months, because it lifts people (LOLER regulation 9), plus the daily pre-use check by the operator.
What do I do if the check finds a defect?
If it affects safety, the machine comes out of use: tag it, report it and record it on the sheet. Minor defects that do not affect safety are recorded and fixed at the next service.
Get the documents ready-made
The sheet covers the daily check. The plant file needs more - the thorough examination register, the operator competence record, the lifting plan for when the excavator lifts.
Plant register, pre-use checks for every machine type, LOLER examination tracker, operator competence matrix and plant RAMS, all editable Word.
See the Plant PackBuilt by Pro Site Docs from the HSE guidance and regulations named on the page. Published 3 September 2026. It is a planning aid, not a substitute for a competent person's assessment of the actual work.
Templates for this
Keep reading
General guidance only. This article explains how the rules generally work in UK construction. It is not advice for your specific site, task or project, and it is not legal advice. Your own risk assessment, method statement and arrangements must be prepared and checked by a competent person for the actual work being done.