TECHNOLOGY IN H&S CHECKMATE
The digital revolution in pre-use checks is long overdue, says Chris McCartney, Sales and Marketing Lead at CoreRFID.
Every day, millions of workers across Britain rely on equipment to do their jobs. Forklifts move goods in warehouses. Cranes lift heavy materials. Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) enable work at height. When equipment works properly, operations run smoothly. When it doesn’t, people get hurt and businesses face the consequences.
Too many organisations still manage pre-use checks with the same paper-based systems they’ve used for decades. Or worse, no documentation at all. Clipboards, illegible handwriting, forms sitting on desks for days waiting to be processed. It was outdated a decade ago, but it’s becoming genuinely dangerous in today’s heavily regulated environment.
We’re experiencing a quiet revolution. But while most people focus on AI, automation and the Internet of Things, a big change is happening in the mundane world of daily equipment checks. Sure, we’re all replacing clipboards with tablets. But what are we really getting? Real-time problem solving. Standardised procedures. Data that prevents accidents. With yet more regulatory changes on the horizon, 2025 is fast becoming the tipping point for digital transformation.
Current regulations already demand robust pre-use check systems. That’s nothing new. Regulation 4 of PUWER states pre-use checks as an implicit expectation. In other words, they’re best practice though some consider it a grey area. But HSE guidance is explicit; you must check equipment before every use. That means cables on power
tools, breaks and lights on mobile plant, ladders and harnesses. Anything where failure could put someone at risk.
LOLER takes it a step further. It makes pre-use checks a legal requirement, affecting far more equipment than many realise. Hoists, tail lifts and accessories like slings and chains all require mandatory pre-use checks but they’re often overlooked in practice.
From January 2027, the new Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023 will apply. All essential safety information can now be provided digitally, including pre-use checks, provided free paper copies are available on request. The regulation covers assembly, start-up, use, maintenance, and transport of all machinery. Anyone who works with or supplies into the EU must comply. Digital checks are becoming part of the regulatory mainstream, and with good reason.
“PAPER-BASED PRE-USE CHECKS DON’T JUST FAIL TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS; THEY ACTIVELY COST MONEY EVERY SINGLE DAY.”
Recent HSE prosecutions show the serious consequences of inadequate checks. Last year, one organisation received a £400,000 fine after a worker suffered multiple leg fractures from a forklift incident. The HSE found they had no proper system for checking their vehicles. No one
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