Pre-use checks, routine maintenance and defect reporting
The daily walk-round
PUWER requires work equipment to be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair, and the operator's daily check is the front line of that duty. A systematic walk-round, always in the same order, covers: levels and leaks (engine oil, coolant, hydraulic oil, fuel), condition of tyres and wheel nuts, hydraulic hoses and rams for chafing or weeping, the skip and its locking pins, articulation pins, ROPS/FOPS structure for cracks or unauthorised welding, seat and seat belt condition, mirrors, lights, beacon and horn, wipers, fire extinguisher, decals and the security of caps and covers. Then start up and check instruments, steering and both service and parking brakes before moving off.
Reporting defects
Record the check on the daily sheet or logbook, sign it and pass it on. Defects fall into two practical groups: stop-use defects (brakes, steering, tyres, structural damage, hydraulic leaks under pressure) where the machine is taken out of service and tagged, and monitor-and-report defects which are logged and scheduled. Only carry out repairs you are trained and authorised to do; anything else goes to the workshop. The machine must not be operated with a known safety-critical defect, and the defect must be reported to the supervisor, not just mentioned to a colleague.
Traps
- Faults found on the check are the operator's to report, not necessarily to repair.
- A slow hydraulic weep is a defect, not normal.
- Never leave a machine running unattended, even briefly, to "keep it warm".
Rule of thumb
If you would not let a colleague drive it, it does not move - tag it, log it, report it.