Pre-Use Inspection, Function Testing, and Maintenance Checks
The pre-use inspection is a documented, model-specific routine performed by the operator before every shift; function testing proves the safety devices actually work.
Three inspection tiers
- Pre-start walk-around (operator, each shift): tires and wheels, cracks and weld condition, hoses and cables, pins and keepers, guardrails and gate, lanyard anchor points, placards and capacity chart, fluid levels, battery charge, fire extinguisher, manual in its holder.
- Frequent inspection (per manufacturer, often daily or quarterly): structural, hydraulic, and electrical items logged by a qualified person.
- Periodic/annual inspection: by a qualified technician per manufacturer; for insulated booms, the electrical (dielectric) test at least every 12 months under A92.2.
Function tests, with the platform empty
Start at ground controls: emergency stop, horn, tilt/level alarm, overload alarm, outrigger and pothole-protection interlocks, brakes, steering, drive speeds, lift/lower, extend/retract, jib, rotation, and auxiliary/emergency lowering. Then repeat from the platform. Confirm the gate self-closes and latches and that controls return to neutral when released.
Worked example
A scissor lift starts and drives, but the pothole protection bars stay retracted when the platform is raised. The interlock is doing its job: the machine is not safe to elevate. Tag it out, remove the key, record the defect, and report it - do not "help" the bars up or bypass the switch.
Traps
- Signing the checklist from the cab without touching the controls.
- Testing emergency lowering only after a failure occurs.
- Ignoring a faded or missing capacity decal; without it the machine's rating is unverified.
- Calling a bucket truck inspected without checking the boom's dielectric test date and liner condition.