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EWPAustralia
Free Planning Tool

EWP Pre-Start Checklist Generator

A daily pre-start check is the routine every operator should run before an elevated work platform leaves the yard or goes to work — a structured walk-around and function test that catches the loose fitting, weeping hose or flat spot before it becomes a mid-job breakdown or an incident. This free generator lets you pick your equipment family, add your company name, the machine make and model and its plant identification number, then bolt on any extra checks your own operation requires. It assembles a printable, organised check sheet you can copy, download as a text file or print for the cab folder.

The prompts are grouped into sensible sections — visual walk-around, fluids and leaks, tyres, outriggers and stabilisers, platform and controls, function tests, safety devices and documentation in the cab — and they are deliberately generic good-practice reminders, not pass-or-fail figures. There are no torque values, pressures, clearances or capacities baked in, because the correct criteria live in your machine's operator manual, not in a template we've invented. Treat the output as an unreviewed starting point you must complete, verify against the manual and sign off yourself. As an independent EWP inspection, service and sales specialist we're happy to sanity-check it — call 0416 689 689.

Machine Details

Your Additional Checks (Optional)

Add any extra prompts your own operation runs — attachments, site-specific items or anything the operator manual flags. Leave blank to use the standard sections only.

Checklist Preview

Starting template only — not an approved check sheet. Verify every prompt against the machine's operator manual, add or remove items to suit the machine, then complete and sign it off yourself before work begins.

Standard sections are shown below for a truck-mounted ewp. Add your own checks above to include them.
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EWP DAILY PRE-START CHECKLIST — DRAFT TEMPLATE
Truck-mounted EWP
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*** STARTING TEMPLATE ONLY — NOT AN APPROVED CHECK SHEET ***
Check every item against your machine's operator manual, add or
remove prompts to suit the machine, then complete, verify and sign
this sheet yourself before each day's work. Pass criteria, torque,
pressure and capacity figures come from the manual, not this list.

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MACHINE & OPERATOR DETAILS
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Company:               [complete]
Machine family:        Truck-mounted EWP
Make / model:          [complete]
Plant ID:              [complete]
Serial number:         [complete from the data plate]
Operator name:         [complete]
Date:                  [complete]
Hour-meter reading:    [complete]

Mark each item OK / N/A / DEFECT. Record any defect below and tag
the machine out of service if it is not safe to use.

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1. VISUAL WALK-AROUND
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[  ]  Overall condition — no obvious damage, cracks or deformation to the chassis and structure
[  ]  Welds and pins show no visible cracking, wear or missing retainers
[  ]  Data plate, load charts and decals present and legible
[  ]  No loose, missing or damaged fasteners, guards or covers
[  ]  Housekeeping around the machine clear of debris and trip hazards

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2. FLUIDS & LEAKS
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[  ]  Engine oil, coolant and fuel/battery levels checked per the operator manual
[  ]  Hydraulic reservoir level checked per the operator manual
[  ]  No hydraulic, fuel, coolant or oil leaks under or around the machine
[  ]  Hoses and fittings free of chafing, weeping or damage
[  ]  Battery terminals secure and free of corrosion

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3. TYRES, OUTRIGGERS & STABILISERS
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[  ]  Truck tyres in serviceable condition and inflated per the manual
[  ]  Outriggers/stabilisers, pads and feet undamaged and operating freely
[  ]  Spreader pads/packing available and appropriate for the ground
[  ]  PTO, sub-frame and mounting condition checked per the manual
[  ]  Wheel chocks and any interlocks present and functional

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4. PLATFORM & CONTROLS
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[  ]  Platform, cage, gate and toe-boards secure and undamaged
[  ]  Guardrails, entry gate and anchor points intact
[  ]  Lower/ground controls and upper/platform controls clean and legible
[  ]  Control markings, decals and function labels present and readable
[  ]  Emergency stop buttons at all control stations move freely

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5. FUNCTION TESTS (FROM A SAFE AREA, PER THE MANUAL)
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[  ]  Raise, lower, slew, telescope and drive functions operate smoothly through their range
[  ]  Controls return to neutral and stop when released
[  ]  Drive, steer and braking respond correctly
[  ]  Levelling and platform rotation (where fitted) operate correctly
[  ]  No unusual noise, vibration, drift or hesitation during movement

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6. SAFETY DEVICES
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[  ]  Emergency lowering / auxiliary power operates as described in the manual
[  ]  Overload / load-sensing system (where fitted) functional
[  ]  Tilt, motion and interlock alarms sound and operate correctly
[  ]  Beacon, work lights, horn and reversing alarm functional
[  ]  Fall-protection anchor points, harness and lanyard inspected and in date

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7. DOCUMENTATION IN CAB
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[  ]  Operator manual present and legible in the machine
[  ]  Logbook / pre-start records available and up to date
[  ]  Inspection status current — annual and any major inspection confirmed in date
[  ]  Operator holds the required licence / verification of competency
[  ]  Any defects recorded and the machine tagged out if not safe to use

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8. DEFECTS & ACTIONS
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Item / description                Action taken            Tagged out? Y/N
________________________________  ______________________  _______________
________________________________  ______________________  _______________
________________________________  ______________________  _______________

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9. SIGN-OFF
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I have completed this pre-start check against the operator manual and
confirm the machine is safe to use (or has been tagged out).

Operator name: ______________________   Signature: ______________________
Date: ______________   Time: ______________

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Built with the free EWP Australia pre-start checklist generator — an
editable starting template only, not a reviewed or approved document.
The machine's operator manual and your own sign-off govern its use.
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The Detail

How This Works & Assumptions

How it works

Pick the equipment family that matches your machine, add your company name, the make and model and the plant identification number, and — if you want — type in any extra checks your own operation runs. As you fill the fields in, the generator assembles an organised daily check sheet on the right, grouped into a walk-around, fluids and leaks, the tyres/outriggers/stabilisers section that suits your family, platform and controls, function tests, safety devices and cab documentation. You can copy it, download it as a text file or print it for the cab folder.

The prompts are generic good-practice reminders. They intentionally carry no pass-or-fail figures, torque values, pressures, clearances or capacities, because the correct criteria are the ones in your machine's operator manual for that specific model — not numbers a template could ever know. You check each item against the manual, mark it off, record any defect and decide whether the machine is safe to use.

Questions

Is this an approved or compliant check sheet? No. It is an unreviewed starting template. You must complete it, verify every prompt against the operator manual, add or remove items to suit the machine and sign it off yourself before any work begins. Treat the download as a first draft, not a finished document.

Where does my information go? Nowhere — it all stays in your browser on this device. The check sheet is assembled locally and only saved if you download or print it. Refreshing the page clears it.

This tool is a planning aid, not a guarantee of safety or compliance and not a substitute for the machine's operator manual or a competent operator's judgement. As an independent EWP inspection, service and sales specialist we can sanity-check it — call 0416 689 689.

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