What this checklist is for
For example, this one generates a daily walkaround checklist for Bobcat compact equipment by filling in the form on-screen. Download it as a CSV or PDF file.
The header includes the machines’ make and model, serial number, hours, job site, attachment, and more. Then, it checks the stations to see if the work area, lights, tires/track, hydraulics, loader/hoe component, interlock, operator protection, and other parts is OK, Defective, or Not Applicable. Then there’s the sign-off section tagging defects and noting who signed off/tagged the machine.
A good place to start is with what Bobcat suggests on its own compact-loader maintenance checklist, which covers every 8 to 10 hours. You should check the engine oil, hydraulic fluid, coolant (cold), fuel-filter water, air-filter indicator, and cooling-core debris. You should also grease points such as the wedge, pivot pin, Bob-Tach system, lift arm cylinder, link, and lift-arm cylinders.
Grease the 8 to 10 hour points Bobcat lists, such as the lift arms, lift links, cylinders, Bob-Tach, pivot pins, and wedges. The grease points also include the lift arms, links, cylinders, Bob-Tach system, pivot pins and wedges.
Beyond that, according to Inspect Your Loader, you should inspect your controls, alarms, and lights. You should also check the engine compartment, hydraulic hoses, and lift arms. Inspect the tires/track (if equipped), ROPS, and Bob-Tach mounting system. Finally, check the air cleaner and cooling. With the Compact Excavator, you add engine oil, hydraulic oil, x-change system, pin retainers, cooling, air cleaner and controls.
Refer to the Operation and Maintenance Manual for your exact model and serial number. According to Bobcat, the official manual is not replaced by a public checklist.
What it is not
- It is not a generic skid-steer inspection checklist. That is a separate unpublished BenchTab topic covering mixed-brand SSL walkarounds. Pin shapes, handle directions, and interlock tests differ by maker. Use this page when the machine is a Bobcat and you are walking Bob-Tach, BICS, or X-Change as equipped.
- It is not a powered industrial truck exam under 29 CFR 1910.178. OSHA SHIB 01-12-2009 states that skid-steer loaders intended primarily for earth moving are not covered by that standard. Do not copy data-plate, mast, and fork rows from the published Forklift Inspection Checklist onto this compact machine.
- It is not a CMV pre-trip under 49 CFR 392.7 and not a Post Trip Inspection Checklist (49 CFR 396.11 DVIR). Gladhands, fifth wheels, and 4/32 inch steer tread are highway items. For a Class A yard walk use the published Pre Trip Inspection Checklist.
- It is not a CDL skills score sheet, a rental condition and delivery report, or a Truck Inspection Checklist for a highway tractor. Bobcat publishes separate rental safety brochures and condition reports. OK / Defect here is not an automatic CDL failure.
How to fill each block
Highway commercial vehicles are not included in the federal baseline. According to 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2), employers must have such equipment inspected regularly by a competent person. Under 1926.21(b)(2), employers must train employees to recognize hazardous situations and to avoid them. Under 1926.20(b)(3), employers must lock out or tag unsafe equipment.
The start of shift reference in 1926.601(b)(14) is repeated in OSHA’s construction vehicle inspection eTool. The second part of 1926.601(a) does not refer to equipment addressed in 1926.602. The latter section deals with earth moving and includes loaders. It has a separate set of rules for rubber-tired skid-steer equipment. It also mandates that bidirectional machines be equipped with a horn.
Finish the walk with NIOSH Publication 2011-128 and OSHA SHIB 01-12-2009 for seat bar, restraint, and interlock practice. Note: This is not a Bobcat teardown sheet or an official OSHA form.
First record the machine and operator info. Record the date, operator name, unit ID, serial number, Bobcat model, machine type, hour meter reading, jobsite, shift, and the attachment in use. Make sure you’ve read the Operation and Maintenance Manual for this serial and are trained on this model.
You can only operate it if you are qualified by experience or training (1926.20(b)(4)). The capacity is from Bobcat information and the machine plate, not invented numbers. Hydraulic flow and attachment compatibility are also from these sources. Don’t ever exceed the manufacturer’s recommended load (NIOSH 2011-128).
Check interlocks & operator protection next. With the engine off, check labels, manuals, cab glass, steps, seat belts, Bobcat seat bars, side screens, FOPS & ROPS. Check all safety devices, including the operator interlocks. Remount ROPS with equal or better hardware (1926.1000(d)). Keep the permanent label readable under 29 CFR 1926.1000(e).
Sit down and try the Press to Operate system. According to Bobcat’s BICS description, only with the operator seated and the seat bar lowered can the lift, tilt, and traction be used. OSHA advises that such systems must not be modified, disabled, or bypassed. The SHIB also prohibits operation of controls from outside the cab. A dead seat switch, jammed seat bar, or defeated belt is a Defect. Tag out the machine; don’t note it for later repair.
The loader is checked. Bob-Tach: Check. Excavator arm: Check. Before touching pins, lower the arms or set them on manufacturer supports. For an SSL or CTL, ensure levers seat against plate and both Bob-Tach wedges is set.
According to Bobcat, with a properly locked connection, the attachment will not move when gently tilted against the face of the coupler. Even if the Power Bob-Tach system is turned on at the dash switch, visually check it. Grease the points specified by Bobcat every 8 to 10 hours. Mark Bob-Tach rows as N/A on compact excavator. Check the boom, arm, bucket, pin retainers, X-Change system, and blade. Do not service raised arms without approved support. Loader scissor points posing a hazard must be guarded (Section 1926.602(a)(10)).
Check the controls, fluids, and hydraulics.
Unless instructed differently by the operator’s manual, level ground, attachment down, engine off for sticks. Before walking the pad, check the engine oil and hydraulic fluid (dipstick/sight glass). Make sure radiator core is clean and coolant reservoir full before operating engine. Do not remove radiator cap when hot.
Check hoses and walk pads for leaks. Test controls, brake system, horn, hydrostatic travel or track steer in open space. Machines that move in two directions, such as front-end loaders, must have a working horn (Section 1926.602(a)(9)(i)). If hydraulic attachment does not maintain position, mark as Defect at time of shift.
Check the tracks or tires. Look at the carcass and the pressure on the placard. For wheel-type SSLs, check the rims and lug nuts. For excavators or loaders with tracks, check the track and undercarriage packing. Only adjust tension per the Operation and Maintenance Manual for that model.
Too much tension stresses idlers and rollers; too little poses a risk of sprocket skip or derailment, says Bobcat. Check again if worked in silage, packed soil, or wet clay. No tire psi numbers or exact sag readings published here. Report a derailed track, cracked rim, or flat tire as a defect.
Inspect the work area, alarms, and lights. NIOSH says there should be no riders, no one in the vicinity, and you must get in and out with the attachment lying flat on the ground. Position heavy end uphill and avoid side slopes.
According to OSHA §1926.602(a)(9)(ii), the use of earthmoving machinery with restricted rear vision can be reversed only when provided with a working reverse alarm or when signaled by someone that it's OK to do so. If required for this site/cab per the eTool list, add fire extinguisher, defroster, lights, and wipers.
What varies
Sign off and document defects. Choose one: No Defects, Repairs Made Prior to Dispatch, Schedule Repairs While Safe Machine in Use, or Tag Out Unsafe Machine. Lock or tag unsafe equipment as specified in Section 1926.20(b)(3).
According to OSHA guidelines, machines with malfunctioning safety systems shall be kept out of service until they have been repaired. Walk signed by the operator. Include an optional supervisor line if the employer specifies.
Fill out the Not Applicable field honestly. Do you have tires or tracks? Is it a loader or a hoe? Are you using a wheeled SSL or a compact track loader? The undercarriage rows are different.
Boom, arm, X-Change, and pin retainers are different for a compact excavator, which changes the parts at the working end. If there’s no loader style bar in the serial, maybe the seat-bar row changes too. Doors, wipers, defrosters can be different between an enclosed cab and an open ROPS canopy. How you lock the attachment can be different between manual Bob-Tach and Power Bob-Tach, but you need to check both wedges in any event.
Seat belts: Follow the rules. Covered equipment must use seat belts that comply with SAE J386-1969, except for standup machines or machines without ROPs. 1926.602(b) still keeps dedicated SSL language.
According to OSHA’s May 9, 2006, letter, rotating-housing excavators fall under 1926.602(b), so there is no requirement for belts in these cabs. If your Bobcat excavator has a belt, refer to its Operation and Maintenance Manual.
Rubber-tired skid-steer equipment built after July 15, 2019, used in construction is covered by Subpart W ROPS rules. Older machines may be built with ROPS. Never cut out screen(s) to make a side door.
Know more rules. Recordkeeping might be required by state-plan OSHA. Some sites require a written compact-equipment card each shift. The BenchTab form is not mentioned in federal construction text.
After you finish
Other rules might apply to agriculture, mining and public-road moves. Lighting and slow-moving-vehicle rules of the jurisdiction where the machine will travel on a public highway also apply to this jobsite walk.
Follow your Operation and Maintenance Manual for this Bobcat serial always. The daily points and tension vary by model. Don't make up track-tension numbers, rated operating capacity, or psi.
Go to the machine and use the manual and decal. When sources don't agree, the regulation text and the OEM procedure for that serial win over a generic row on this page.
If you need a printed version of this tab, download it as either a filled PDF or CSV. Alternatively, print out a blank version for your own use. Answers stay in this browser only. It remains on this browser until the next person visits. The printable PDF and preview are located beneath the form.
Forward the signed record to the employer’s maintenance process. Authorized persons fix the machine and put it back into service. The walk does not start lockout/tagout, call OSHA, or red-tag a CMMS. If the service is general-industry maintenance, as opposed to construction work, then 29 CFR 1910.147 might apply, according to SHIB.
When retesting a repair, keep any bystanders away. Turn off the engine. Engage the park brake. Lower the attachment. Exit the cab using three-point contact on the OEM steps. That’s in line with NIOSH 2011-128 advice. The form appears above the story.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
This is not legal advice. It is not a replacement for osha shib 01-12-2009; 29 CFR Part 1926; NIOSH 2011-128; or the Bobcat Operation and Maintenance Manual for this serial number. This is a recordkeeping template only.
Don't make-up OK or Defect limits (including fastener torque or track sag) that are not stated in these sources. Defects are repaired by qualified people. A filled sheet doesn't mean the machine passes ROPS or FOPS laboratory tests.