Pre-use inspection, preparation and shutdown of plant equipment
This domain tests the routine that proves a machine is fit to work before you touch a control and is left in a safe state when you walk away - the PUWER-driven daily check, start-up, function test and shutdown sequence.
Core rules
- PUWER 1998 reg. 6 - work equipment exposed to conditions causing deterioration must be inspected at suitable intervals, after installation and before first use, and after alteration or a report of damage. The manufacturer's daily check is the minimum, not the whole system.
- Walk-round before start - leaks under the machine, hose chafe, cracked glass, tyre damage or track tension and missing track shoes, missing pins and quick-hitch retaining devices, ROPS/FOPS damage, mirrors, cameras, beacon, horn, reverse and slew alarms, seat belt, fire extinguisher, spill kit, load chart and manual in the cab.
- Levels on level ground, engine off - engine oil, coolant, hydraulic oil, fuel, AdBlue, plus greasing to schedule.
- Function test under no load - brakes, steering, every hydraulic service through full travel, no drift, no abnormal noise; warm up at low idle.
- Shutdown - level firm ground, attachment lowered to the ground, controls neutral, park brake on, idle down before stopping, isolate, remove the key, lock the cab, refuel only at the designated point.
Worked example
During the walk-round you find the quick-hitch locking pin replaced by a bent nail. You do not start the machine: you record the defect, tag the controls out of service, tell the supervisor and keep the key. Reasoning: a detached bucket has killed operators, and a non-standard pin gives no assurance that the hitch is locked, so the machine is unserviceable until an authorised fitter fits the correct part.
Traps that cost marks
- Signing a check sheet for a machine you did not examine, or copying yesterday's sheet.
- Checking fluids with the engine running or the machine on a slope, giving false readings.
- Leaving the attachment raised or the key in the cab at shutdown.
- Recording only major defects, so minor ones go unmonitored.