Ask two operators what an 'EWP inspection' involves and you may get two completely different answers — because there is no single inspection. Under AS 2550.10, a mobile elevating work platform passes through a tiered regime of checks that differ in depth, frequency, who performs them and what they prove. The two that cause the most confusion are the annual periodic inspection and the major inspection. They are not interchangeable, and treating one as a substitute for the other is a genuine compliance gap. This guide sets the two side by side so owners and fleet managers know exactly which check is due, when, and why.
The annual periodic inspection
The annual — or more precisely, periodic — inspection is the recurring professional check that keeps a machine in day-to-day compliance. Under AS 2550.10 it is carried out by a competent person at intervals of no more than twelve months while the machine is in service. It is a thorough condition assessment, but it is not a tear-down.
Its purpose is to confirm the machine remains safe to operate: structure and welds are examined for visible damage, hydraulic and electrical systems are checked, safety devices and interlocks are tested, and the findings are recorded against the machine's logbook. It sits above the operator's daily pre-start and the routine three-monthly maintenance in the inspection hierarchy, but well below the depth of a major inspection.
The major inspection
The major inspection is the deepest check in the regime and is measured in years, not months. It is a structured re-verification that a machine is still structurally and mechanically sound after long service — and it is invasive, typically requiring substantial disassembly so that critical components can be examined directly rather than assessed in place.
Where the annual inspection confirms a machine is safe to keep working this year, the major inspection re-establishes the integrity of the machine's structure so it can continue in service for the years ahead. Non-destructive testing of critical welds and members, measurement of pins, bushes and slew rings, overhaul of systems and engineering certification all feature in a major inspection but not a routine annual one.
When each one applies
The two run on different clocks. The periodic inspection recurs on a rolling annual basis for as long as the machine is in service. The major inspection falls due against the machine's age at the interval set by the relevant standard and equipment class — commonly 5-year or 10-year depending on equipment type and duty. The major clock runs from the machine's date of manufacture, not from when you acquired it, so a used purchase may already be close to due.
In short:
- Annual periodic inspection — recurs at no more than twelve-monthly intervals, every year the machine works.
- Major inspection — falls due against the machine's age at the interval set by the standard and equipment class, then recurs on that cycle.
- The annual inspection does not reset or defer the major, and passing a major does not remove the need for the next annual.
- Both are the owner's responsibility to arrange, and both should be recorded in the logbook.
Why one cannot replace the other
The most common misunderstanding is assuming a recent annual inspection means the major can wait, or that a completed major covers the annual for years. Neither holds. They answer different questions: the annual asks 'is this machine safe to operate now?', while the major asks 'is this machine's structure sound enough to keep operating for years to come?'. A machine can pass a dozen annual inspections and still be due — and genuinely in need of — its major.
For fleet managers the practical upshot is that both must be tracked independently. An annual inspection schedule and a major inspection schedule are two separate planning exercises against the same asset. To confirm which inspection your machine is due for, an owner can talk to a qualified inspection provider on 0416 689 689.
Where the tiers sit relative to each other
It helps to see the whole hierarchy rather than just the two checks that cause confusion. AS 2550.10 sets a layered regime in which each tier catches different things and none replaces another. Understanding the full picture makes it obvious why the annual and the major are distinct rungs on the same ladder rather than alternatives.
At the base sits the operator's pre-start check before every use, which finds day-to-day faults. Above it, routine inspection and maintenance recurs at no more than three-monthly intervals to keep the machine mechanically sound in service. The annual periodic inspection is the deeper professional condition check at no more than twelve months. As a machine ages, enhanced periodic inspections may apply additional scrutiny to components approaching the end of their service life. The major inspection sits at the top, re-verifying the structure itself against the machine's age.
Read from most frequent to deepest, the regime runs:
- Pre-start — the operator, before every use, catching day-to-day faults.
- Routine inspection and maintenance — no more than three-monthly, keeping the machine in good working order.
- Annual periodic inspection — no more than twelve-monthly, a professional condition assessment by a competent person.
- Enhanced periodic inspection — additional scrutiny as components age toward the end of their service life.
- Major inspection — the deepest, invasive re-verification of structure, due against the machine's age.
Common questions
Frequently asked:
- Does a fresh annual inspection mean I can delay the major? No — the two are on separate clocks and one never defers the other.
- Who performs each? Both an annual periodic inspection and a major inspection are carried out by a competent person; the major involves deeper engineering assessment and testing.
- Does the major clock start when I buy the machine? No — it runs from the date of manufacture, so check the machine's build date.
- What if my machine has just had its major? It still needs its annual periodic inspections on the twelve-monthly cycle from then on.
- Is a service the same as an inspection? No — a service maintains the machine, while an inspection verifies and records its condition against the standard; the two are related but not the same.
This guide is general information prepared by EWP Australia and is grounded in publicly available Australian Standards and Safe Work Australia material. It is not a substitute for the current published edition of the relevant standard or for site-specific engineering advice. Always work from the current standard and consult a competent person for your specific equipment and application.