Guides
Daily machine inspection: the walk-around before the shift
By Claude Piché, founder · Updated September 21, 2026
A daily equipment inspection is the operator’s walk-around before placing the machine in service — not the Friday RSS tour, and not a tower-crane logbook.
Who inspects, and when
The operator (or your designated person) walks around before the shift and after an event. The RSS does not recapture the excavator for the operator.
Daily means each day the machine works. A loaned machine needs a named signer in the prevention program, not a coffee-break agreement.
One list per machine
Excavator, forklift, aerial lift, loader, mobile crane share themes but miss different items. Use the equipment-inspection hub. Start with today’s machine.
Excavator, forklift and MEWP lists are the usual SME entry points. The manufacturer manual still outranks a generic checklist.
Outside, cab, function test
Structure, tracks or tires, leaks, bucket or forks, lights, travel alarms. Then cab. Then a low-effort test in a clear zone.
A critical item ticked without looking helps nobody. Tag out an unsafe machine. CSTC 2.20 if someone enters the danger zone.
Lines, trenches, people
The walk-around is a good moment to notice overhead lines and unmarked trenches. Legal sheets hold the distances. The checklist asks if you looked.
Daily MEWP checks do not replace structural inspections under CSTC 2.15.
Internal record, not a stamp
Timestamps support LSST 51 diligence. They do not prove the site complies. Tower-crane logs and SAAQ circle checks stay separate.
OK Sécurité is not CNESST-certified. Cite the regulation sheet when a legal threshold is in play.
Build the habit
Two to five minutes, same list, invite the crew. Start with the three machines working this week.
Open the inspection hub, then excavator / forklift / lift, on a real shift.
How-to for daily equipment inspections in Québec. Lists draw on the CSTC / RSST and do not replace the manufacturer manual. OK Sécurité is not certified by the CNESST. Confirm with your prevention program. For information only — this is not legal advice. OK Sécurité is an independent company with no affiliation to the CNESST: we are not mandated, endorsed or certified by it. Where there is any discrepancy, the official text published by Légis Québec or the CNESST prevails.
Sources
Informational only. Confirm obligations with your prevention program and:
- CNESST — Mesures spécifiques pour les chantiers de construction
- Safety Code for the construction industry (CSTC) and Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (RSST)
Official rules (French)
Related checklists
Three lists to start the fleet:
Common questions
- Does the daily check replace the tower-crane log?
- No. The CSTC points to the Z248 log. The checklist records the shift.
- Must the RSS recapture every machine?
- No. The operator walks their machine. The RSS targets gaps.
- One list for the whole fleet?
- Poor idea. Use the equipment hub and today’s machine list.
- Do I pay to inspect?
- The free path includes the lists. PDF and photos are Premium when you need a file.