Moving machinery is one of the repeat killers on British farms, and PTO shafts and unguarded parts appear in the HSE figures year after year. A pre-use check on a tractor is not complicated, but it only counts if it actually happens and if there is a record to show it did. So the real question about a farm machinery inspection checklist is not how long the list is. It is whether the operator will complete it at the machine, and whether the record survives.
Guide · Agriculture
Farm machinery inspection checklist for the UK.
What to check on a tractor and farm machinery under PUWER 1998, the Safe Stop principle, and how to record a pre-use check on the phone in the worker's pocket instead of on paper that goes missing.
14-day free trial. No card required.
The point
A checklist does not maintain the machine.
A competent operator and a fitter do. The checklist just makes sure the guard, the brakes and the PTO shaft were actually looked at before the machine moved, and that there is a dated record to show for it. A good tool means nobody signs off a check they never did.
What PUWER expects
Three things a machinery check has to cover.
Guarding
PTO shafts and moving parts
Guards fitted and intact, PTO shaft guard free to rotate, no exposed moving parts. Being caught in machinery is a repeat killer on farms.
StoppingBrakes, steering and Safe Stop
Service and parking brakes, steering, and the Safe Stop discipline: handbrake on, controls in neutral, engine off, key out before anyone climbs down.
RoadworthyLights, tyres and mirrors
Working lights and beacons, tyre condition and pressure, mirrors and washers, for a tractor sharing the road with the public.
The friction
The pre-use check that never gets written down.
A worker walking round a tractor at 6am is not opening a bespoke app with a fresh login. So the check happens, but the record does not. When something fails later, or the HSE asks, there is nothing to show the walk-round ever took place. The record you make at the machine beats the one you rebuild that evening, every time.
Run machinery checks on WhatsApp
No app install. No training.
Workers use the phone they already have. Text, voice note or a photo of the fault, even with gloves on or no signal. The record generates itself. Setup to first live workflow usually takes under a week.
The short version
- Farm machinery is governed by PUWER 1998, which requires equipment to be safe, maintained, and used by trained people.
- Lifting equipment such as telehandlers and loaders also falls under LOLER 1998, with thorough examination.
- The Safe Stop principle is the core discipline: handbrake on, controls in neutral, engine off, key out.
- Guarding, especially of PTO shafts, is critical. Being caught in moving machinery is a repeat cause of death.
- A daily or pre-use walk-round check is good practice; the value is in it happening and being recorded.
- The checklist does not maintain the machine. Competent maintenance does. The record is the evidence it was checked.
The law in plain terms
PUWER, LOLER and the operator
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require that work equipment is suitable, maintained in a safe condition, inspected where needed, and used only by people who have had adequate training. A tractor, a baler, a mower and a mixer wagon all sit under PUWER. Where the machine lifts, such as a telehandler or a front loader, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) add a duty of thorough examination at set intervals.
None of this prescribes a specific checklist. It requires that the equipment is safe and that competent people use it. A pre-use check is how an operator confirms the machine is fit before it moves, and the record is how the farm shows the check was done. This is a guide, not legal advice; check the current HSE and PUWER guidance for your machines.
The walk-round
A pre-use tractor check, item by item
A daily or pre-use tractor check typically covers the following. Adapt it to your machine and manufacturer's handbook.
- Guards - all fitted and intact, PTO shaft guard present and free to rotate
- Brakes - service brake and parking brake hold; brake pedals latched together for road work
- Steering - responsive, no excessive play
- Tyres - condition, tread, pressure, no visible damage
- Lights and beacon - side, rear, indicators, work lights and rotating beacon all working
- Mirrors and glass - clean, secure, giving a clear view
- Fluids - oil, coolant, hydraulic and fuel levels, no visible leaks
- Cab and seat - ROPS and seatbelt present and in use
- Hitching - linkage, pins and PTO connection secure before work
Quickler asks these as a conversation and lets the operator answer with a word, a voice note or a photo of anything wrong. A fault is captured with a date and an image, not left in someone's memory.
The discipline
Safe Stop before anyone climbs down
Safe Stop is the single most important habit on a farm machine, and the HSE promotes it directly. Before anyone leaves the seat, gets off, or approaches a moving part: handbrake on, controls in neutral, engine off, key out. It sounds obvious. People still get killed because a machine was left running or in gear while someone went to clear a blockage or check a hitch.
A checklist can prompt Safe Stop, but it cannot enforce it. That is the operator's discipline. What the record can do is capture that the check was completed and the machine was left safe, so the practice is visible and can be reinforced. The machine is made safe by the person, not the app.
Pricing
Per report, not per seat
Most inspection apps charge per seat. For a farm running pre-use checks that is the wrong shape: every operator would add to the bill, and half of them are seasonal or shared with a contractor. You want the daily walk-round to be free to log, however many people do it.
Quickler charges per report, with unlimited users on every bundle. Bundles run from Quickler 50 at 50 pounds a month for 50 reports, up to Quickler 500 at 500 pounds a month for 500 reports. Every operator, relief driver and contractor can log a check; you pay for the reports filed, not the people who could file them. Pricing is approximate and shifts, so check the current pricing page before you commit.
Questions, answered
What should a farm machinery inspection checklist include?
A pre-use tractor check usually covers guards and the PTO shaft guard, service and parking brakes, steering, tyres, lights and beacon, mirrors and glass, fluid levels and leaks, the ROPS and seatbelt, and secure hitching. Adapt it to the specific machine and the manufacturer's handbook. The value is in the check happening at the machine and being recorded.
Is a daily tractor check a legal requirement?
PUWER 1998 requires work equipment to be maintained in a safe condition and used by trained people, and to be inspected where needed to keep it safe. It does not mandate a specific daily form, but a pre-use check is widely expected good practice and gives you the record to show the machine was fit. Check the current HSE and PUWER guidance for your situation.
What is the Safe Stop principle?
Safe Stop is the discipline of making a farm machine safe before anyone leaves the seat or approaches moving parts: handbrake on, controls in neutral, engine off, key out. The HSE promotes it because leaving a machine running or in gear is a repeat cause of serious injury and death on farms.
Can I record a machinery check over WhatsApp?
Yes. Quickler's machinery check runs over the WhatsApp Business API. The operator receives each item in their existing WhatsApp chat, answers with a word, a voice note or a photo of a fault, and the completed record generates automatically with a date and image. No separate app or login is required, and Quickler manages the WhatsApp Business API account on the farm's behalf.