Free Pre-Start Checklist (Vib Screen) Template

Purpose of the Free Pre-Start Checklist (Vib Screen) Template

Vibrating screens are powerful and essential pieces of plant in quarrying, mining, and recycling operations. Their safe operation relies on consistent and thorough daily checks.

This free Pre-Start Checklist (Vib Screen) Template provides a structured starting point for organisations to formalise their inspection process, helping to identify potential hazards before they lead to incidents. Regular pre-start checks are a fundamental component of proactive risk management for heavy machinery.

The primary purpose of this Pre-Start Checklist is to guide operators and maintenance personnel through a systematic inspection of the equipment before use. It helps verify that critical safety components are in place and functioning correctly.

This includes checking screen media tension, structural integrity of the frame, condition of springs or mounts, guarding around drive mechanisms and moving parts, and the state of emergency stops. Proactive checks help manage risks associated with equipment failure, entanglement, and unexpected movement. Similar structured checks are vital for other processing machinery, as detailed in our free granulator pre-start checklist.

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

To effectively use this resource, download the DOCX file and adapt it to your specific workplace needs. The checklist should be customised to reflect the make, model, and configuration of your particular vibrating screen, as well as the unique operational risks of your site.

This ensures all relevant inspection points are covered, from drive belts and bearings to feed and discharge chutes.

Important: We have provided this template as a guide based on common industry practice. It is your responsibility to ensure it is customised to address all hazards specific to your equipment and operating environment.

Once customised, it should be integrated into your broader WHS management systems, with clear procedures for its completion and for actioning any identified faults.

When to use it

This pre-start checklist should be completed by a competent person at the beginning of every shift or before the vibrating screen is used for the first time on any given day. If the equipment is operated by multiple people across different shifts, a new check should be performed at the start of each new operator's session.

Consistent, daily use ensures that any damage or wear that occurred during previous operation or overnight is identified promptly.

Completed checklists should be retained as a record of inspection, forming a crucial part of your safety documentation. These records are often a key area of focus during a WHS compliance audit, demonstrating due diligence in managing plant safety.

Who should use it

The pre-start inspection should be carried out by the person operating the vibrating screen. Operators must be deemed competent, meaning they have received adequate information, instruction, and training on how to safely operate the machine and how to properly conduct the pre-start checks.

Supervisors also have a responsibility to ensure these checks are being completed correctly and that any reported issues are addressed.

In some organisations, maintenance personnel may also use the checklist as part of routine preventative maintenance schedules. The principles of operator-led inspections apply to all types of mobile and fixed plant, including equipment like that covered in our free forwarder pre-start checklist.

If a fault or defect is identified during the pre-start inspection that poses a risk to health and safety, the equipment must not be used. The operator should immediately follow the site's procedure for reporting faults, which typically involves tagging the machine out of service and notifying a supervisor or the maintenance department.

Operating faulty equipment can have severe consequences, and a robust pre-start process empowers workers to stop unsafe work.

Maintaining heavy machinery like a vib screen often requires other workshop equipment. Ensuring these tools are also in safe working order is just as important. For example, a common workshop tool is a grinder, and it too requires routine inspection, which can be formalised using our bench grinder pre-start checklist.

This template is one of many tools available to help strengthen your safety processes. For more downloadable documents and guides, browse our complete free WHS resources library.