Form · MHSWR regulation 3
RAMS template
Risk assessment and method statement for one activity: the sequence of work, a five by five risk matrix, PPE, permits, rescue, and a briefing record signed against the revision.
Free download · Editable PDF
Free vehicle inspection checklist
A vehicle inspection checklist is the periodic check of a company van or car by the office or fleet manager, deeper than the driver’s daily walkaround. This one is an editable PDF and a Word document, free to use and reuse.
- Format
- Editable PDF
- Pages
- 3
- Built on
- GOV.UK, HSE and the Highway Code
- Cost
- Free, always
What is in the vehicle inspection checklist
3 pagesDocuments and dates
MOT, road tax, insurance and service checked against the certificate or record, the V5C logbook, and any hire or lease agreement, each with its expiry or due date.
Safety equipment
First aid kit, fire extinguisher, warning triangle and hi-vis, spill kit, torch and breakdown details, each present and in date.
Condition inside and out
Bodywork, glass, lights, tyres and tread, spare wheel, wipers, plates and tow bar outside. Seats and belts, warning lights, cab, load area, racking, restraints and fluids inside.
Damage diagram
A van drawn in five views: left, right, front, rear and roof. Mark each dent, scratch, chip, rust patch or missing part, so the next inspection can tell what is new.
Actions and sign-off
Each action with an owner and a date, comments, the inspector’s and driver’s signatures, whether the vehicle is safe to use, and the next inspection date.
What the law and guidance say
Checked against the sourceMOT, tax and insurance
A van needs an MOT every year once it is three years old, and must be taxed and insured. Driving without tax, or without a valid MOT, can bring a fine of up to £1,000. Tell the insurer the van is for business use.
GOV.UK, Driving a vanBooking the MOT early
An MOT can be done up to a month, minus a day, before the current one runs out, and the vehicle keeps the same renewal date.
GOV.UK, Getting an MOTFirst aid for people who travel
Employers are responsible for the first aid needs of employees working away from the main site. Their assessment decides whether people who travel long distances, or are continuously mobile, carry a personal first aid kit.
HSE, first aid frequently asked questionsFire extinguishers
An ordinary van is not generally required by law to carry one. A vehicle carrying dangerous goods under the small load exemption, such as gas cylinders, must still carry one 2 kg dry powder extinguisher or equivalent.
HSE, carriage of dangerous goods manual, ADR 1.1.3.6 and 8.1.4.2Tyres
Cars, light vans and light trailers must have at least 1.6 mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tread and around the whole circumference.
The Highway Code, annex 6Keeping vehicles safe
Health and safety law applies to work on the road as it does on a fixed site, and employers must make sure vehicles used for work are safe.
HSE, Driving and riding safely for workHow to use it
Set the interval
The law sets no fixed interval for an office inspection. Many firms inspect monthly or quarterly, and also when a vehicle changes driver, comes back, or goes back to a lessor.
Check against the paperwork
Dates come from the certificate or the record, not from memory. Mark damage on the diagram and photograph it, so the next inspection starts from this one.
Act on what you find
Every Action item gets an owner and a date. Drivers do the daily check on the vehicle check sheet, and services and repairs go in the vehicle maintenance log.
Asked most often
Questions about
Questions about
this template.
What is a vehicle inspection checklist?
A record of a periodic inspection of a company vehicle by the office or fleet manager. It checks the documents and dates, the safety equipment, the condition inside and out and any damage, and records the actions that follow.
Is this vehicle inspection checklist free?
Yes. It is free to download, use and reuse, including on paid work and for clients, with no sign-up and no email address.
Is there a Word version of the vehicle inspection form?
Yes. Download it as a Word document to add your own logo and change the items. The editable PDF can be typed into in any PDF reader, or printed and filled in by hand.
Does a van need a first aid kit by law?
There is no general legal requirement for every van to carry one. HSE says the employer’s first aid assessment decides whether people who travel long distances or are always on the move carry a personal first aid kit.
Does a van need a fire extinguisher?
Not generally by law. A van carrying dangerous goods under the small load exemption, such as gas cylinders for heating, roofing or welding work, must carry one 2 kg dry powder extinguisher or equivalent. Many firms fit one in every van as good practice.
How often should company vehicles be inspected?
The law sets no fixed interval. Drivers check before each journey, and the office inspects on a schedule the firm sets, often monthly or quarterly, and whenever a vehicle changes hands.
What is the difference between a daily check and a vehicle inspection?
The daily check is the driver’s walkaround before the journey, to confirm the vehicle is safe to use that day. The inspection is the office’s periodic look at the vehicle, its paperwork and its equipment.
Can the office do vehicle inspections on a computer instead?
Yes. In Unibuild the office vehicle check sits on its own tab in the portal. It records whether the first aid kit and fire extinguisher are in date, takes comments, and holds uploaded damage diagrams.
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Method statement template
How one activity on one site will be carried out. Two pages of sequence with the controls at each stage, then plant, PPE, permits, rescue and a briefing record.
Assessment · COSHH 2002 regulation 6
COSHH assessment
One hazardous substance: its hazards from the data sheet, who is exposed and how, controls in regulation 7 order, PPE and RPE, storage, spills, first aid, monitoring and review.
Next step
Vehicle checks on the phone,
Vehicle checks on the phone,
and the office sees every one.
In Unibuild’s fleet module, drivers do the daily check in your own staff app and the office inspects on the portal, each on its own tab. Defects arrive with photographs and video, and MOT, tax, insurance and service dates are reminded by email and app notification.