Plant and equipment inspections in construction.
Digital inspection records can give construction and plant-hire teams a clearer history of checks, faults, actions and certificates.
Why digital equipment inspections help
Construction plant and equipment can move between sites, operators and projects. A consistent inspection process helps teams keep a record of what was checked, when it was checked and what happened when a fault was found.
Put the inspection beside the machine
With QR-based checks, an operator can scan the machine and open the relevant inspection process from a phone. The resulting record can stay attached to the equipment history rather than becoming a separate paper form.
Record faults and actions
A useful digital inspection workflow should capture failed checks and the action taken afterwards. EquipSet keeps inspection history and action records connected to the equipment record.
Keep certificates with the equipment record
EquipSet can store equipment documentation against the machine record so the information is easier to find when required.
GA1 and other examination records
The HSA publishes Form GA1 for recording the thorough examination and testing of lifting equipment. The HSA notes that the form is used to record the examination and testing information and must be completed by a competent person; it is not an approved or statutory form.
EquipSet can help you organise examination documents and dates, but it does not perform a thorough examination, certify equipment or replace a competent person.
See the equipment inspection software page or the plant hire software page. For official information, see the HSA GA1 form.
The layers of a plant inspection regime
Most construction plant ends up with several kinds of record, and a useful register keeps them distinct:
Operator checks. Quick pre-use checks by the operator — controls, leaks, attachments, visible damage — intended to catch obvious defects before work starts.
Documented inspections. HSA construction guidance identifies documented inspections for certain machines, such as weekly plant inspections — recorded for lifting equipment on the HSA's GA2 template (see the GA2 guide). These build a written record of condition over time.
Thorough examinations. For lifting equipment, a thorough examination is carried out by a competent person and recorded, for example on the HSA's GA1 form. See the GA1 guide for more detail.
Maintenance and repair records. Service history is not an inspection record, but it often answers the follow-up questions an inspection raises.
What a good inspection record shows
Whatever the format, an inspection record is most useful when it shows what was checked, when, by whom, what the result was and what happened next. A failed item with no recorded follow-up is the gap most paper systems leave.
Common gaps in paper systems
Paper inspection forms tend to fail in predictable ways: the form stays in the cab or the van and never reaches the office; a defect is noted but nobody can show what was done about it; the examination report lives in a folder while the machine is on a site forty minutes away; and when a machine is sold or off-hired, its history cannot be reassembled.
A digital record attached to the machine itself — opened by scanning a QR code on the asset — closes most of those gaps without changing how the check is actually performed.
Plant inspection questions
How often should construction plant be inspected?
It depends on the equipment and how it is used. HSA guidance identifies operator checks and documented inspections for certain machines, and lifting equipment is subject to thorough examination by a competent person. Check the current HSA guidance for your equipment.
What is the difference between an operator check and a thorough examination?
An operator check is a routine pre-use check for obvious defects. A thorough examination is a detailed examination carried out by a competent person and recorded, for example on a GA1 report. They serve different purposes and one does not replace the other.
Can plant inspection records be kept digitally?
Yes. A digital record can capture the same information as a paper form while keeping the history attached to the machine, so results, faults and follow-up actions stay retrievable.
What should happen when a plant check finds a fault?
The fault should be recorded against the machine and followed through to a documented resolution. EquipSet links failed checks to corrective actions so the follow-up becomes part of the equipment history.