Two kinds of inspection
Most requirements fall into one of two groups, and they're tracked differently:
- Before each use or each shift — done by the person using it, usually not written down every time. What you track is the failures: the item that was found damaged and pulled from service.
- Periodic, documented — monthly, every six months, yearly — often by a competent or qualified person, with a record or certificate. These have a due date, and a lapsed date is what an auditor or investigator looks for.
The checklist
| Equipment | What's required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal fall arrest systems (harnesses, lanyards, SRLs) | Inspected before each use for wear, damage and deterioration; defective components removed from service. Many companies add a documented periodic inspection. | OSHA 1926.502(d)(21) |
| Portable fire extinguishers | Visual inspection monthly; maintenance yearly; hydrostatic testing at intervals set by extinguisher type. | OSHA 1910.157(e); NFPA 10 |
| Cranes and derricks | Inspection by a competent person each shift and monthly; an annual comprehensive inspection by a qualified person. | OSHA 1926.1412(d)–(f) |
| Aerial lifts / MEWPs (scissor and boom lifts) | Pre-use inspection; a frequent inspection and an annual inspection by a qualified person, on the intervals the ANSI A92 standards and the manufacturer set. | ANSI A92 standards; manufacturer's manual |
| Portable ladders | Inspected by a competent person for visible defects periodically and after any occurrence that could affect safe use. | OSHA 1926.1053(b)(15) |
| Scaffolds | Inspected by a competent person for visible defects before each work shift and after any occurrence that could affect structural integrity. | OSHA 1926.451(f)(3) |
| Rigging slings | Inspected by a competent person each day before use; damaged slings removed from service. | OSHA 1926.251(a)(6) |
| Rubber insulating gloves | Electrically tested before first issue and at least every six months; sleeves and blankets at least every twelve months. | OSHA 1910.137, Table I-5 |
| Forklifts (powered industrial trucks) | Examined before being placed in service, at least daily (after each shift when used around the clock). | OSHA 1910.178(q)(7) |
Also commonly on contractors' lists, usually from the manufacturer or the insurer rather than a single regulation: calibration of gauges, scales and test meters; annual DOT inspection of trucks and trailers; and service at engine-hour intervals on generators, compressors and lifts.
Setting up tracking that holds up
- List every item individually. "Six harnesses" can't be inspected; harness #1 through #6 can. Each needs its own number on a tag.
- Record the last inspection and the next due date per item. Keep the certificate or inspection form with it — a scan or photo is fine.
- Set the interval by category where the rule is the same for every item of a kind (all ladders yearly), so a new item doesn't get missed.
- Get warned before, not after. A list that shows what's due in the next 30 days lets you book the inspector instead of scrambling.
- Make it easy to pull an item from service. The person who finds the frayed lanyard should be able to flag it on the spot, so the next crew doesn't pick it up.
- Be able to show it. When an auditor, insurer or inspector asks, you want one list: every item, its last inspection, its status. Not a filing cabinet.
Doing this in FlowNext
Each item carries its next inspection date, set from the certificate you upload or from a category interval. The office gets a morning email when something comes due within 30 days or goes overdue; crews can mark an item out of service from its tag; and the inspection compliance report lists everything by status, with a PDF to hand over. More on inspection tracking.