The OSHA pre-use inspection, by equipment type
OSHA requires the equipment that fails most on a jobsite — forklifts, vehicles, lifts, cranes, and scaffolds — to be inspected before it is used, and taken out of service the moment a defect turns up. The duty and its cadence differ by equipment; this tool loads the right checklist for the type you pick and prints a dated record with a clear pass or tag-out-of-service result.
| Equipment | Inspection basis | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Forklift / powered industrial truck | 29 CFR 1926.602(c)(1)(vi) (ANSI B56.1-1969) | Before being placed in service, at least daily (after each shift if used round-the-clock) |
| Motor vehicle (construction) | 29 CFR 1926.601(b)(14) | At the beginning of each shift |
| Aerial lift (boom-type) | 29 CFR 1926.453 (ANSI A92.2) — extensible/articulating boom platforms, aerial ladders, vertical towers | Before each use / each shift, per manufacturer |
| Scissor lift (mobile scaffold) | 29 CFR 1926.451 and 1926.452(w) — a scissor lift is a mobile scaffold, not an aerial lift | Before each use / each shift, per manufacturer |
| Crane (construction) | 29 CFR 1926.1412(d) | Each shift, by a competent person, before or during first use |
| Scaffold | 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3) | By a competent person before each work shift, and after any event affecting structural integrity |
| Other powered equipment / tools | 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2), 1926.300–.304, manufacturer instructions | Before use, per manufacturer and the competent-person duty |
Find a defect, tag it out
Every standard here carries the same rule: a unit that fails the inspection comes out of service until it is repaired. An unsafe forklift is tagged, locked out, or physically removed (29 CFR 1926.20(b)(3)); a vehicle’s defects are corrected before it is placed in service (29 CFR 1926.601(b)(14)); a damaged scaffold is repaired, replaced, braced, or removed until fixed (29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3)). Mark any item a Defect and the record prints a tag-out-of-service result with the governing citation.
Scaffolds need a competent person
A scaffold inspection is not just any pre-use check: 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3) requires a competent person — someone who can identify scaffold hazards and has the authority to correct them — to inspect it before each work shift and after any event that could affect its structural integrity. Fall protection is required on scaffolds at 10 feet (1926.451(g)). Record who inspected it and when.
Frequently asked questions
How often does OSHA require a pre-use equipment inspection?
It depends on the equipment. On a construction site a forklift (powered industrial truck) must be examined before being placed in service, at least daily — after each shift if used round-the-clock. The construction route is 29 CFR 1926.602(c)(1)(vi), which requires industrial trucks to meet ANSI B56.1-1969 for design, construction, stability, inspection, testing, maintenance and operation; 1926.602(d) imports 1910.178(l) for operator training only. A construction motor vehicle must be checked at the beginning of each shift (29 CFR 1926.601(b)(14)). A scaffold must be inspected by a competent person before each work shift and after any event affecting its structural integrity (29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3)). Cranes are inspected each shift by a competent person (29 CFR 1926.1412(d)), and aerial lifts before each use per 29 CFR 1926.453 and the manufacturer.
What do you do if the inspection finds a defect?
Remove the unit from service and tag it out until it is repaired — do not place it in service. Every standard here carries that rule: an unsafe forklift is tagged or locked out, or physically removed from its place of operation (1926.20(b)(3)), a vehicle's defects are corrected before use (1926.601(b)(14)), and a damaged scaffold is repaired, replaced, braced, or removed from service (1926.451(f)(3)). The tool prints a 'tag out of service' result whenever any item is marked a defect.
Who can inspect a scaffold?
A competent person — someone who can identify existing and predictable hazards and has authority to correct them, with knowledge of scaffold strength and structural integrity. 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3) requires that competent-person inspection before each work shift and after any occurrence that could affect the scaffold's integrity.
Is a written inspection record required?
The standards require the inspection itself; a dated record is how you prove it happened and demonstrate good faith if a citation ever lands. For forklifts, OSHA also requires operators to be trained to conduct the inspection. Keep the record with the unit's file — this tool downloads one you can print or store.
Does this replace the manufacturer's inspection?
No. The checklist scope is drawn from the cited OSHA standard so you cover the regulatory items, but you must also follow the manufacturer's operator manual, which may list additional or equipment-specific checks. Use both.
Sources & verification
- 29 CFR 1926.602(c)(1)(vi) — powered industrial truck inspection in construction (ANSI B56.1-1969)
- 29 CFR 1926.601(b)(14) — motor vehicle pre-shift check
- 29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3) — scaffold inspection by a competent person
Regulatory facts verified 2026-10-05. Checklist scope is drawn from the cited standards; follow the manufacturer’s operator manual for the full inspection. General guidance, not legal advice. State-Plan states may impose additional requirements.
Forklift classes & inspection →Scaffold safety requirements →Weekly site inspection →Crane lift plan →