Most skid-steer incidents don’t start with a dramatic mistake. They start with a machine that should have been tagged out at the beginning of the shift, or an operator who skipped a check because the machine ran fine yesterday. A good walk-around takes five to ten minutes and catches the defects that turn into injuries.
Here are eight areas to cover before every shift. Use them alongside the manufacturer’s operator’s manual for your machine, which always takes priority.
1. Tires or tracks
Check tire pressure and look for cuts, bulges or exposed cord. On tracked machines, check track tension, missing lugs and sprocket wear. A loose or derailed track is a do-not-operate defect.
2. Hydraulics
Walk along both lift arms and look at every hose, fitting and cylinder. Wet fittings, hoses rubbing on the frame and fluid pooling under the machine all need attention before you start. Never check for a leak with your hand. Pinhole leaks can inject fluid through skin.
3. Fluid levels
Check engine oil, hydraulic oil, coolant and fuel on level ground. Milky oil or coolant in the oil points to a bigger problem, and the machine should be reported before it’s used.
4. Seat bar and seat belt
Lower the seat bar and confirm it works. When the bar is raised, the lift and tilt controls should lock out. If the arms still respond with the bar up, the interlock has failed. Tag the machine out and report it.
5. Cab and ROPS/FOPS
Look over the rollover and falling-object protection, the door or front screen and the mounting bolts. Cracks, missing bolts or any field modification (welding, drilling) to the cab structure mean the machine stays parked.
6. Attachment and quick-attach
Make sure the quick-attach levers are fully down and the wedges are engaged through the attachment frame. Check pins and bushings. An attachment that isn’t locked can drop without warning.
7. Lights and backup alarm
Test work lights, the beacon and the backup alarm. Rear visibility from a skid-steer is poor, so a silent or covered backup alarm is a serious problem on a busy site.
8. Safety gear on board
Confirm the fire extinguisher is charged and the operator’s manual is in the cab.
Make it a habit, not a form
A walk-around only works if operators know what a defect looks like and feel supported when they tag a machine out. Short, regular refreshers help keep those habits sharp, especially at the start of a season or when new operators join the crew.
Want to see how we teach it? Try the free Skid-Steer Loader Refresher sample. It includes an interactive walk-around, two job-site scenarios and a short knowledge check. No sign-up needed.