How to keep a site equipment register
An equipment register is the single list of every machine, lifting accessory and inspected asset on site, with its certificates, inspection schedule and next-service date. Its job is to answer two questions instantly: is this item legal to use today, and when does that stop being true?
What to record per item
- Identity: item, serial or asset number, owner (hired or owned), and current site.
- Certificates: test and examination certificates with issue and expiry dates — lifting equipment examinations, electrical test records, calibration certificates.
- Inspection schedule: statutory frequency (e.g. periodic thorough examinations for lifting gear), plus manufacturer service intervals.
- Inspection history: who checked it, when, findings, and defect status.
- Next dates: next inspection and next service — the two fields the whole register exists for.
Running the register so nothing expires quietly
- Register at the gate. No item starts work until it is in the register with current certificates. This single rule prevents the classic failure: the hired excavator that worked for three weeks with an expired examination.
- Put dates on a schedule that flags itself. A spreadsheet knows when items expire; it just never tells anyone. The register must surface “due in 14 days” without being asked.
- Quarantine failed items visibly. A defective item stays in the register with a quarantined status — removed from the list, it reappears on site within a week.
- Link daily plant checks. Operators' daily checks (see the safety inspection checklist) feed the same history, so the paper trail is one trail.
Doing this in TerenIQ
TerenIQ's equipment register is built for exactly this:
- Certificates, inspection schedules and next-service dates for every machine on site, in one place, visible from the phone.
- Recurring inspection schedules flag overdue items automatically.
- Inspection history is preserved with who, when and findings — audit-ready without assembly.
- Photos of certificates and defects attach directly to the item record.
Frequently asked questions
Is an equipment register a legal requirement?
Keeping examination and inspection records for equipment like lifting gear is a statutory duty in most jurisdictions; a register is the practical form those records take. Even where not mandated, hire agreements and insurers commonly require it.
Should hired plant be in our register too?
Yes. The hire company owns the machine; you own the risk while it works on your site. Register it at the gate with its certificates, and record your own checks.
What is the difference between a daily check and a thorough examination?
Daily checks are quick operator inspections before use; thorough examinations are formal periodic inspections by a competent person, producing a certificate. The register tracks both, on different clocks.