§ Resources Reference
OSHA inspection record requirements.
Which OSHA general industry standards require a written inspection record, how often the inspection happens, and what the record must show. 17 inspection duties, each checked against the regulation text on osha.gov.
Quick answer. Of the 17 OSHA general industry inspection duties below, 14 require a written or certified record in the regulation itself, and 3 do not (daily forklift examinations, daily sling checks and employee alarm tests). Of the 14 records, 11 must identify the specific item inspected by serial number or other identifier, usually alongside the date and the inspector’s signature.
Reviewed October 17, 2026 against 29 CFR 1910 on osha.gov. Covers the equipment inspection duties most sites run, not every OSHA recordkeeping rule. Federal OSHA only: state plans can require more, and NFPA or ASME standards add their own records. Not legal advice.
The table
Download CSV| Equipment | Standard | Frequency | Record required | The record must show | Kept |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portable fire extinguishers Visual inspection; annual maintenance check | 1910.157(e)(2), (e)(3) | Monthly visual; annual maintenance | Yes | The annual maintenance date | One year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less |
| Fixed extinguishing systems System inspection; container weight and pressure check | 1910.160(b)(6) to (b)(9) | Annual inspection; containers at least semi-annually | Yes | Inspection and maintenance dates, on the container, a tag or a central record | Until the container is checked again or for its life, whichever is less |
| Employee alarm systems Reliability and adequacy test | 1910.165(d)(2), (d)(4) | Every two months (non-supervised); annually (supervised) | No | Not specified | Not specified |
| Energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures Periodic inspection of each procedure | 1910.147(c)(6) | At least annually | Yes | Machine or equipment, date, employees included, person performing the inspection | Not specified |
| Powered industrial trucks (forklifts) Examination before being placed in service | 1910.178(q)(7) | At least daily; after each shift if used around the clock | No | Not specified | Not specified |
| Forklift operators Operator performance evaluation | 1910.178(l)(4)(iii), (l)(6) | At least once every three years | Yes | Operator name, training date, evaluation date, who trained and evaluated | Not specified |
| Overhead and gantry cranes: hooks and hoist chains Visual inspection; monthly inspection | 1910.179(j)(2)(iii), (j)(2)(iv) | Daily visual; monthly certified | Yes | Date, signature of the inspector, serial number or other identifier of the hook or chain | Not specified |
| Overhead and gantry cranes: running ropes Thorough inspection of all ropes | 1910.179(m)(1) | At least monthly | Yes | Date, signature of the inspector, identifier for the ropes | On file where readily available |
| Crawler, locomotive and truck cranes Critical items (brakes, hooks, ropes); thorough rope inspection; idle rope before reuse | 1910.180(d)(6), (g)(1), (g)(2)(ii) | Monthly; ropes monthly; idle ropes before use after a month or more | Yes | Date, signature of the inspector, identifier of the crane or ropes | Readily available |
| Derricks: ropes Thorough inspection of ropes in use; idle rope before reuse | 1910.181(g)(1), (g)(3) | At least monthly; idle ropes before use after a month or more | Yes | Date, signature of the inspector, identifier for the ropes | On file where readily available |
| Slings (all types) Inspection of the sling, fastenings and attachments | 1910.184(d) | Each day before use | No | Not specified | Not specified |
| Alloy steel chain slings Thorough periodic inspection | 1910.184(e)(3) | Regular basis, no more than 12 months apart | Yes | The most recent month each sling was thoroughly inspected | Available for examination |
| Manlifts Inspection by a competent designated person; limit switch check | 1910.68(e)(1), (e)(3) | At least every 30 days; limit switches weekly | Yes | Date, signature of the inspector, serial number or other identifier of the manlift | Available to OSHA on request |
| Powered platforms for building maintenance Support structures and equipment; platform maintenance inspection; suspension wire ropes | 1910.66(g)(2), (g)(3), (g)(5) | Within 12 months; every 30 days (or each work cycle if shorter); ropes monthly | Yes | Date, signature of the inspector, identifier of the structure, platform or rope | Readily available for OSHA and the employer |
| Mechanical power presses Periodic and regular inspection; directed component (clutch, brake, antirepeat, single-stroke) test | 1910.217(e)(1)(i), (e)(1)(ii) | Periodic and regular; directed component at least weekly | Yes | Date, signature of the person, serial number or other identifier of the press | Not specified |
| Forging machines Maintenance safety checks; guards and point-of-operation devices | 1910.218(a)(2)(i), (a)(2)(ii) | Periodic and regular; guards at frequent and regular intervals | Yes | Date, signature of the inspector, serial number or other identifier of the machine | Not specified |
| Respirators kept for emergency use Inspection of the respirator | 1910.134(h)(3)(i)(B), (h)(3)(iv) | At least monthly | Yes | Date, name or signature, findings, remedial action, serial number or other identifier, on a tag at the storage compartment | Until replaced by the next certification |
Free to reuse with a link to this page (CC BY 4.0). Standard numbers refer to 29 CFR 1910.
What the table shows
- The same three fields, over and over. Crane hooks, chains and ropes, manlifts, powered platforms, power presses, forging machines and emergency respirators all ask for the date, the signature of the person who inspected, and an identifier for the item. A record that says “all hooks OK” fails on the third field.
- Daily checks rarely need paper. The daily forklift examination and the daily sling inspection are required, but OSHA does not require them to be written down. The monthly and periodic inspections are where the records sit.
- Retention is mostly unstated. Only three rows set a period. The rest say the record must be on file, readily available or available to OSHA, which in practice means findable the day an inspector asks.
- Item-level identity is the hard part. 11 of the 14 records are tied to a specific hook, rope, press or respirator. That is simple for a crane with a serial plate and hard for a bin of slings, which is why the free chain sling record and crane certification record put the identifier first.
Frequently asked
- Which OSHA standards require written inspection records?
- Of the 17 general industry inspection duties in this table, 14 require a written or certified record in the standard itself. They include the monthly certification records for crane hooks, hoist chains and ropes, the annual lockout/tagout certification, the periodic record for alloy steel chain slings, the manlift record every 30 days, mechanical power press and forging machine records, emergency respirator tags and the annual extinguisher maintenance date.
- What does an OSHA certification record have to include?
- Most of them ask for the same three things: the date of the inspection, the signature of the person who did it, and the serial number or other identifier of the item inspected. Some add more, such as the employees included in a lockout/tagout inspection, or the findings and remedial action on an emergency respirator tag.
- Does OSHA require a record of the daily forklift inspection?
- No. 1910.178(q)(7) requires the truck to be examined at least daily but does not require a record. Operator training and evaluation must be certified under 1910.178(l)(6), and the evaluation repeats at least every three years.
- How long do OSHA inspection records have to be kept?
- Most of these standards do not set a period; they say the record must be kept on file or readily available. The exceptions in this table are the extinguisher maintenance record (one year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less), fixed extinguishing system containers (until the next check or the container's life, whichever is less) and emergency respirator tags (until replaced by the next certification).
- Are NFPA and ASME records included?
- No. This table covers what OSHA's own regulation text requires. Consensus standards such as NFPA 10, NFPA 25 and ASME B30 add their own inspection and record expectations, and your AHJ or insurer may enforce them. Those sit on top of the OSHA requirements here.
Every record, tied to the item
Hovermarks gives each crane, hook, sling, press and extinguisher its own QR-tagged record, so the date, the inspector’s sign-off and the item’s identifier are captured together on every inspection. From $19 per user per month. 30-day free trial, no card.
§ 99 Action
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FORM HVK-CTA-01 · v05 · signed: hovermarks · us