Equipment inspection form
A general-purpose inspection record for equipment whose inspection frequency comes from its own standard or its manufacturer — with the out-of-service decision built in.
Regulatory status General practice. There is no general OSHA equipment-inspection standard; duties attach to specific equipment. This form is a record, not a prescribed format.
There is no single standard that says "inspect your equipment". The duty attaches to the equipment: powered industrial trucks at least daily, ladders before use each shift, slings before each shift, extinguishers monthly, cranes on frequent and periodic schedules. This form does not tell you which applies to you — the table further down shows where to look — it gives you somewhere consistent to record the result.
Type into the form below, then print — what you enter prints with it. Or print it blank and fill it in by hand. Nothing you type is saved, sent to EHSTEC, or stored on this device; refresh the page and it is gone.
Equipment inspection
1 · Equipment
2 · Inspection points
| # | Inspection point | OK | Defect | N/A | Notes |
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3 · Outcome
Equipment inspection form — ehstec.com/resources/equipment-inspection-form · Published 23 September 2026. No general OSHA equipment-inspection standard exists; frequency and records come from the equipment's own standard or manufacturer. Customize before use.
Where the frequency actually comes from
| Equipment | Frequency | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Powered industrial trucks | Before being placed in service and at least daily; after each shift if used round the clock | 1910.178(q)(7) |
| Ladders | Before initial use in each work shift | 1910.23(b)(9) |
| Slings | Each day or shift before use | 1910.184(d) |
| Portable fire extinguishers | Visual monthly; maintenance annually | 1910.157(e) |
| Overhead and gantry cranes | Frequent and periodic inspection schedules | 1910.179(j) |
| Everything else | As the manufacturer specifies, or as your own risk assessment determines | not OSHA |
That last row is most of the equipment in most workplaces, and it is why the frequency field on the form asks for the source as well as the interval. "Monthly" is a habit; "monthly, per the manufacturer's manual section 4" is a decision somebody can check.
What this form does not do
- It does not tell you what to inspect. The points come from the manufacturer's manual or the applicable standard. A generic list would be wrong for most equipment and dangerous for some.
- It is not a substitute for a required equipment-specific record where one exists — for example the annual extinguisher maintenance date under 1910.157(e)(4).
- It does not make the inspector competent. Some inspections must be done by a qualified or competent person, which is a matter of training and experience.
- It is not a maintenance record. Inspection finds; maintenance fixes.
Sources
- OSHA — 1910.178(q)(7) — powered industrial trucks examined at least daily
- OSHA — 1910.23(b)(9) — ladders inspected before initial use in each work shift
- OSHA — 1910.184 — slings, including inspection each day or shift before use
- OSHA — 1910.179 — overhead and gantry cranes, including inspection schedules
- OSHA — 1910.157(e) — portable fire extinguisher inspection, maintenance and testing
This is a form, not legal advice
Nothing here is endorsed, approved or reviewed by OSHA. Which inspections your equipment requires, how often, and what records must be kept depend on the equipment and the standards that apply to you. See our editorial standards for how this content is written and reviewed.
Inspections attached to the asset, not to a person's memory
The weakness of a paper equipment inspection is that the sheet and the machine drift apart. In EHSTEC an inspection is scheduled against the asset itself, its history stays with it, a defect becomes a corrective action with an owner and a due date, and an out-of-service decision is visible rather than written on a tag that falls off. See how equipment inspections work in EHSTEC.