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A hired equipment safety checklist is the set of checks a business completes when it hires plant or equipment for a project: choosing suitable equipment, confirming its condition and documents on delivery, checking operators are competent, running daily pre-starts during the hire, and recording its condition when it goes back. It protects workers and helps settle damage disputes with the hire company.
Hiring Project Equipment Safely: A Practical Checklist
Hiring plant lets you get the right machine for the job without owning it, but it also means working with equipment your team doesn’t know well. Both the hire company and the hirer have safety duties. This guide covers what to check before you hire, on delivery, during the hire and at off-hire, and how to keep records that protect your people and your bond.
Key points
- Hire companies and hirers both have WHS duties for hired plant.
- Choose equipment that suits the task, the site and the operators.
- Check condition, documents and manuals on delivery, with photos.
- Run daily pre-starts and report defects to the hire company.
- Record condition at off-hire to avoid damage disputes.
Who is responsible
Under WHS laws, businesses that supply plant, including hire companies, must make sure it’s safe, provide information on safe use, and inspect it between hires. The business that hires the plant has duties as the person with management or control of it at the workplace: using it safely, making sure operators are competent and licensed where required, maintaining it during the hire as agreed, and managing the risks on site. Some plant, such as certain cranes, must also be registered. Check with your state or territory regulator for the rules that apply to you.
Before you hire
- Match the equipment to the task: size, capacity, reach and attachments.
- Check the site: ground conditions, access, overhead power lines and space to operate.
- Assess the risks: include the hired plant in your risk assessment or SWMS.
- Confirm operator competency: high risk work licences where required, plus familiarisation on the specific model.
- Agree responsibilities: who does servicing, daily checks and breakdown repairs during the hire.
On delivery
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Condition | Damage, leaks, tyres or tracks, guards and panels, with photos from all sides |
| Safety devices | Alarms, lights, seatbelts, ROPS/FOPS, emergency stops working |
| Documents | Operator’s manual, service records, registration where required, hire company risk information |
| Hours and fuel | Hour meter reading and fuel level recorded |
| Attachments | Correct attachments supplied, quick hitch and locking devices working |
Managing hired equipment
- Inspect on delivery. Record condition, hours and documents with photos before first use.
- Familiarise operators. Make sure each operator knows the controls and safety features of that model.
- Run daily pre-starts. Check the equipment every shift, as you would your own. See our excavator pre-start checklist.
- Report defects fast. Take unsafe equipment out of service and notify the hire company.
- Keep it secure. Lock and store equipment safely at the end of each day.
- Inspect at off-hire. Record condition, hours and fuel with photos before the equipment goes back.
Hired equipment checks on the phone
With DIGI CLIP, site teams complete delivery inspections, daily pre-starts and off-hire checks on a phone, with photos. Each form is location- and time-stamped. Defects create actions in the Action Log, so they’re reported, fixed and closed out with evidence, and delivery and off-hire photos are ready if there’s a question about damage. Comparing options? Our inspection app buyer's guide sets out the criteria that matter.
Illustrative scenario: a delivery inspection
A civil contractor takes delivery of a hired 5-tonne excavator. The leading hand completes a delivery check in DIGI CLIP and photographs a cracked mirror and existing dents on the counterweight. The mirror is noted as a defect and an action goes to the site manager to get it replaced by the hire company, and the dents are recorded so they’re not charged at off-hire.
This scenario is illustrative. It shows how a business could use DIGI CLIP and is not an account of a specific customer.
See also our heavy equipment inspection app and our guide to risk assessments in construction.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is responsible for the safety of hired equipment?
Both the hire company and the hirer. The hire company must supply safe plant and information on its use, and the hirer must use it safely, make sure operators are competent and manage the risks on site.
What should be checked when hired equipment is delivered?
Condition from all sides with photos, safety devices, documents such as the operator’s manual and service records, hours and fuel, and the correct attachments and locking devices.
Do I need to do pre-starts on hired equipment?
Yes. Hired equipment should be checked every shift, just like equipment you own, and defects reported to the hire company.
Do operators need a licence to use hired plant?
Some plant requires a high risk work licence, such as certain cranes and forklifts. Operators should also be familiarised with the specific model they’ll use.
How can I avoid damage disputes at off-hire?
Photograph the equipment from all sides on delivery and at off-hire, record hours and fuel, and keep records of any defects reported during the hire.
Can hired equipment checks be recorded on a phone?
Yes. In DIGI CLIP, delivery, pre-start and off-hire checks are completed on a phone with photos, and defects become actions in the Action Log.
About DIGI CLIP Mobile Forms
DIGI CLIP is an Australian-built mobile checklist and inspection platform. Inspections. Actions. Evidence. Teams complete checks on a phone or tablet, turn defects into assigned actions, and keep the proof that each one was fixed and verified.
See our Form Library for ready-made templates.
