The hire handover is a chance for the delivery contact and the site team to agree what has arrived, what condition it is in and who to contact if something is wrong. It is a receipt and a conversation, not proof that the machine is safe for every task on site. Use these prompts before accepting delivery or putting the EWP to work.
Match the delivery to the agreed job
Compare the machine identification and type with the hire agreement. Confirm the intended working height and outreach, platform capacity, power source and dimensions against the task and the site's access, ground and overhead constraints. If the site or work has changed since booking, tell the supplier before accepting the machine as suitable; a handover cannot fix a poor machine match.
If you are still deciding which equipment to book, start with the guide to choosing EWP hire for your project. At handover, the question is narrower: is the delivered unit the one you discussed?
Record the condition you can see
Before the delivery contact leaves, note the date, time, site, fleet or serial number, hour reading if readily available, and the names of the people handing over and receiving the unit. Take photos of its visible condition from safe positions, especially existing dents, leaks, missing guards, damaged tyres or attachments. Agree where that evidence will be kept with the hire paperwork.
Do not operate a machine to demonstrate a defect or sign an unqualified statement that everything works if an issue is unresolved. If something is damaged, missing or different from the agreement, record it on the handover paperwork and ask the hire contact what happens next before use.
Confirm paperwork and points of contact
Ask where to find the machine's logbook, applicable inspection information and instructions for the exact model, and who to contact for a missing document or unclear status. Confirm any site induction or familiarisation arrangements needed for the people who will use it. Check the hire agreement for the agreed return, transport and fault-reporting arrangements rather than assuming every hire has the same inclusions.
For EWP hire and sales enquiries, share the machine and site details along with any discrepancies found at delivery. Agree who receives defect reports and how the site will record the supplier's response.
A short handover record should answer:
- Which unit arrived, when, and who accepted it?
- Does its specification match the job and the hire agreement?
- What visible damage or missing items were photographed and reported?
- Where are the logbook and model instructions, and is inspection status clear?
- Who is the supplier contact for a fault, and what was agreed about next steps?
Handover is not a pre-start or formal inspection
The receiving team records the handover, but the operator still completes the machine-specific pre-start check before use under the site's procedures. A handover signature is not an operator check or a periodic inspection by a competent person. If a visible defect or missing record raises doubt, keep the machine out of use and notify the hire provider and site supervisor; ask for a suitable resolution before work starts.
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.