Free Pre-Start Checklist (Checkweigher) Template

Purpose of the Free Pre-Start Checklist (Checkweigher) Template

A checkweigher is a critical control point in many production and packaging lines, ensuring product weight accuracy and compliance with trade measurement laws. However, it also presents mechanical, electrical, and ergonomic hazards.

This Free Pre-Start Checklist (Checkweigher) Template provides a structured starting point for developing a robust inspection process. Formalising these checks helps your organisation identify potential faults or hazards before the equipment is used, preventing incidents, minimising downtime, and ensuring product quality.

By documenting these inspections, you create a clear record of due diligence and proactive safety management.

A consistent pre-start routine is a vital part of your overall plant maintenance strategy. You can reinforce these principles with our Pre-Start Checks and Plant Maintenance Toolbox Talk to ensure all team members understand their importance.

How to use the Free Pre-Start Checklist (Checkweigher) Template

This Pre-Start Checklist is designed for ease of use. First, download the template in your preferred format (DOCX for easy customisation or PDF for immediate printing).

The next step is the most critical: tailoring the document to your specific needs.

Please note: this template is a starting point aligned with general Australian WHS principles. We cannot know the specific hazards of your workplace or the exact model of your checkweigher.

You must customise this document to reflect your unique operational environment, the specific equipment in use, and your legal obligations. This may involve adding or removing checklist items, specifying locations, and referencing internal procedures.

Once customised, the checklist should be integrated into your daily operating procedures. Train all relevant operators and supervisors on how to complete it correctly and what actions to take if a fault is found.

Integrating this process into your existing WHS management systems is crucial for consistent application and record-keeping.

Key Inspection Areas

While your specific checkweigher model will have unique features, a thorough pre-start inspection should generally cover the following areas:

• Guarding: Ensure all physical guards are in place, secure, and free from damage. Check that any interlocked guards function correctly.
• Emergency Stops: Test all E-stop buttons to confirm they immediately and safely halt the machine.
• Conveyor System: Inspect belts for wear, tear, or fraying. Check that rollers and drives are clear of debris.
• Sensors & Scanners: Verify that photo-eye sensors are clean and correctly aligned.
• Reject Mechanism: Test the function of the reject system (e.g., air blast, pusher arm, drop-flap) to ensure it correctly diverts non-conforming products.
• Display & Controls: Check that the Human-Machine Interface (HMI) or display is functioning, legible, and free from error messages.
• General Condition: Look for leaks, loose wiring, damage to the frame, and ensure the area around the machine is clean and free of trip hazards.

When to use it

A pre-start check for a checkweigher should be completed:

• Before the start of every shift or operating day.
• After a change of operator.
• Following any maintenance, cleaning, or adjustment.
• If the machine has been moved or inactive for an extended period.

Consistent use creates a valuable data log that can highlight recurring issues and inform your maintenance schedule. These documented records are also essential evidence of proactive hazard management during a WHS compliance audit.

Who should use it

This Pre-Start Checklist should be used by personnel who are competent and authorised to operate the specific checkweigher. This typically includes:

• Machine Operators: They are the primary users responsible for conducting the check before they begin their work.
• Supervisors/Team Leaders: They are responsible for ensuring the checks are being completed correctly and for signing off on any required actions or escalations.
• Maintenance Personnel: They may use the checklist to verify the machine's safe state before and after performing maintenance tasks.

Ultimately, the Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) holds the primary duty of care to ensure safe systems of work, including the provision and maintenance of safe plant. The same principles of operator checks apply to other common production machinery, such as those detailed in our Free Pre-Start Checklist (Agitator) Template. This document is one of many practical tools available in our comprehensive free WHS resources library.