Pre-Start Checklists in NZ: Why Every Machine Needs One (and How to Go Digital)
When a machine hurts someone, the first document WorkSafe asks for is the pre-start inspection record. If your answer is a soggy carbon-copy book in the cab — or nothing — you have a problem. Here's how pre-starts should work on a modern NZ civil site.
What the law expects
The HSWA requires PCBUs to ensure plant is safe and maintained. A documented daily pre-start is the accepted evidence that you're doing that. It's also standard prequalification for working under major contractors and councils.
What a digger pre-start should cover
- Fluids: engine oil, hydraulic oil, coolant, fuel
- Tracks / tyres, pins and bushes, attachments secure
- ROPS/FOPS, seatbelt, mirrors, cameras
- Lights, beacon, horn and reversing alarm
- Leaks, damage and anything different from yesterday
- Hour-meter reading — this feeds servicing schedules
Why paper pre-start books fail
- They live in the cab and get lost with the machine
- Nobody in the office sees a fault until the machine breaks
- No timestamps — a book can be filled in a week later
- Faults don't create actions, they create paperwork
Digital pre-starts in Fieldlink
The operator opens the app, picks the machine by rego, runs the checklist in under two minutes and photographs any faults. A failed item alerts the office instantly, the hour-meter reading updates service-due tracking, and every inspection is stored against the machine forever — timestamped and tamper-proof.
One near-miss investigation goes smoothly, and the system has paid for itself. Try Fieldlink's pre-start checklist app free for 30 days.