Free Pre-Start Checklist (Wheel Balance) Template

Purpose of the Free Pre-Start Checklist (Wheel Balance) Template

Regularly inspecting workshop equipment is a fundamental aspect of workplace safety. This Free Pre-Start Checklist (Wheel Balance) Template provides a structured way to formalise daily safety checks for wheel balancing machines.

Using a pre-start checklist helps operators identify potential faults, damage, or missing components before they lead to an incident, equipment failure, or inaccurate results.

Consistent use of this checklist helps a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) meet their primary duty of care by ensuring plant is maintained in a safe condition. Documented checks create a historical record of equipment condition, which can be invaluable for maintenance planning, incident investigations, and demonstrating due diligence. Integrating these checks into daily operations is a key component of a proactive safety culture and a robust WHS management system.

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

This resource is available for download as both a DOCX file for easy editing and a PDF for immediate use. The checklist guides the operator through a logical inspection sequence, covering critical components like guards, emergency stops, electrical connections, mounting cones, and calibration status.

The operator simply ticks off each item as 'OK' or 'Faulty' and adds comments where necessary.

Important: This document is a template and is not a substitute for a specific risk assessment. It must be customised to your specific workplace.

We recommend a competent person reviews and adapts this checklist to reflect the exact make and model of your wheel balancer, your site-specific procedures, and the unique environmental conditions of your workshop. For guidance on customisation, consider engaging professional WHS consulting to ensure your safety documentation is fit for purpose.

When to use this Pre-Start Checklist

A wheel balancer pre-start inspection should be conducted at the beginning of every shift or before the first use of the day. This frequency ensures that the equipment's condition is verified before any work commences.

If the machine is used by multiple operators across different shifts, a new checklist should be completed by each incoming operator to ensure a clear handover of responsibility and equipment status. This process is similar to the pre-operational checks required for other workshop machinery, such as those detailed in our Pre-Start Checklist for Bench Grinders.

Who should use it

This checklist should be completed by personnel who are trained, competent, and authorised to operate the specific wheel balancing machine. This includes automotive technicians, tyre fitters, and apprentices under direct supervision.

Supervisors or workshop managers are responsible for ensuring that these checks are consistently performed and that any identified faults are addressed promptly. The records of these checks are important documents that should be periodically reviewed by management and may be examined during a WHS compliance audit to verify procedural adherence.

The principles of mechanical guarding, electrical safety, and correct operational setup are transferable across various types of fabrication and maintenance equipment. For other relevant safety documentation, you may find resources like our free Pre-Start Checklist (English Wheel) template useful. To see our full range of documentation, you can browse our complete free WHS resources library.