Excavator Pre-Use Checklist

Educational checklist examples for safety, equipment and operational tasks — what a checklist covers, who uses it and how it connects to forms, inspections and training. Informational only — template examples to adapt, not official documents or legal advice; completing a checklist does not guarantee compliance and employers remain responsible.

What an excavator pre-use checklist is

An excavator pre-use checklist is a check before operating an excavator, confirming the undercarriage, hydraulics, attachment and quick-hitch and the cab’s safety devices are sound, because excavators work near people, services and excavations.

This is an educational overview with a simplified example. It is not an official template, and completing it does not authorise anyone to operate an excavator — operating one requires separate, often legally required training and the employer’s authorisation.

Purpose

• Confirm tracks/tyres, hydraulics and the structure are sound and leak-free.
• Check the bucket or attachment and the quick-hitch are secure and locked.
• Confirm cab devices — seat belt, mirrors/cameras, horn, lights and beacon.
• Record the check and the exclusion and segregation arrangements before use.

Who completes it

• The trained, authorised operator, before use.
• Defects, especially a quick-hitch fault, stop use until resolved.
• The employer decides who is authorised to operate and which attachments.
• Thorough examination and servicing are separate, competent-person tasks.

When it is used

• Before each shift or first use that day.
• After an attachment change or a move to a new area.
• When a fault, leak or warning appears during use.
• On the frequency the employer sets.

Typical items

• Machine ID/type, attachment, operator, date and shift.
• Tracks/tyres, hydraulics and structure sound; no leaks.
• Bucket/attachment and quick-hitch secure and locked; safety pin in place.
• Cab: seat belt, mirrors/cameras, horn, lights, beacon; exclusion zone planned.
• Defects found and action taken (e.g. out of service, reported).
• These are example items only — adapt them to the machine, attachment and your risk assessment.

Common mistakes

• An incorrectly engaged quick-hitch so the attachment can detach.
• Working near people without segregation or a banksman.
• Operating near buried or overhead services without checks and controls.
• Skipping the cab and visibility-aid checks.

Document workflow

An excavator pre-use checklist sits alongside the operator’s training and authorisation records and the machine’s examination log. The task risk assessment and any service or excavation permits are completed before, the check is used with the lifting and forklift attachment checks where the machine lifts, and a failed check is completed after with a defect report and removal from service.

See the related documents below for what is commonly completed before, used with and completed after an excavator check.

Retention (high level)

Completed checks are typically retained for a period the employer sets, alongside examination and maintenance records. Specific retention periods vary by jurisdiction and type of work.

This page does not state a required period — confirm retention with the applicable law and the official authority.

Completing and sharing as a PDF

Pre-use checks are often recorded and stored as PDFs alongside the machine’s records. Exporting to PDF supports the record; it does not make the check official or guarantee compliance.

Employer checklist

• Ensure operators are trained and authorised for the machine and attachments.
• Plan segregation of people and machines and the exclusion zone.
• Make sure defective machines are removed from service.
• Keep pre-use, examination and maintenance records together.

Operator notes

• Confirm the quick-hitch is properly engaged and pinned before use.
• Keep people out of the working area; use the banksman.
• If something fails, do not use the machine; report it.

Country considerations

Requirements for excavator inspection, examination, operator competence and work near services vary by country, and the official authority differs. This page is general and high-level — not a statement of any country’s law and not a guarantee of validity.

Confirm current requirements with the official authority for your country and a qualified professional.

Who is responsible

The employer is responsible for safe plant use, operator competence and authorisation, segregation, examination and for compliance. This page is an educational overview with a template example; it does not authorise anyone, does not replace training and does not transfer responsibility.