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Inspection template in the LeanSuite app

Last reviewed

Generator inspection checklist: weekly test run

A generator inspection checklist records a standby generator's weekly test run: what is checked before it starts, how it runs, and how it is left afterwards. This one has 11 questions. Before the run: fuel, oil, coolant and battery levels, leaks or loose parts, a clear area. During the run: a first-time start, normal voltage and frequency, no unusual noise, smoke or vibration, and a transfer switch check done as your procedure sets. After: back in auto mode, hours recorded, faults on a work order.

NFPA 110 sets the inspection and exercise schedule for emergency and standby power systems in many US facilities, and the generator maker's manual adds its own; use this record to show the weekly part was done. Maintenance or the facilities technician runs it. What it is there to catch: a generator left in manual or off after a test, so the next power cut leaves the plant dark, or a weak battery that turns the engine over slowly every week until the day it does not.

What it is for, as built: Weekly check and test run of a standby generator.

Use this template in LeanSuite

The full question list

The 11 questions in the inspection

Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A. Each No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, so the finding arrives with its evidence.

Before the run

  1. 1Fuel level is sufficient
  2. 2Oil, coolant and battery levels are correct
  3. 3There are no leaks, loose parts or damage
  4. 4The area around the generator is clear

Test run

  1. 5The generator starts first time
  2. 6Voltage and frequency are normal
  3. 7There is no unusual noise, smoke or vibration
  4. 8Transfer switch operation was checked as per the procedure

After the run

  1. 9The generator is returned to auto mode
  2. 10The result and hours are recorded
  3. 11Faults are reported and a work order raised

Worked example, illustrative

A filled-in example

One section as it might be filled in on the floor, with every other section of the inspection answered Yes. The place and finding are made up to show how the inspection reads and scores.

Result: pass, 90% against a pass mark of 90

  • 11 questions, 1 answered N/A, so 10 count.
  • 1 answered No, so 9 of 10 are Yes: 9 ÷ 10 = 90%.
  • 90% is at or above 90, so the inspection passes. The No still needs its fix.

What happened next: Technician load tested the battery that day. Maintenance fitted a new battery within the week and rechecked the start.

Scored here as one point per question with N/A left out. In the app each answer carries the points set on the template, so change them after you clone it if your plant weighs some checks more.

Generator Weekly Test Run Check

Inspection, weekly

Generator ID
GEN-01, boiler house
Hour meter reading
1,236 h

Test run

  1. The generator starts first timeNo

    Comment: Cranked slowly and started on the second attempt. Battery voltage read low on the panel before the start. Transfer switch check not due this week.

    Photo attached to the No

  2. Voltage and frequency are normalYes
  3. There is no unusual noise, smoke or vibrationYes
  4. Transfer switch operation was checked as per the procedureN/A
Drawn from this template's own questions, not a screenshot of the app. Illustrative answers.

When to use it

  • Once a week.
  • The person responsible for the area or equipment answers each question on the spot.
  • Each record starts with: Generator ID, Hour meter reading.

How it is scored

The template is built with points per answer and a pass mark of 90. In this library every audit is set to pass at 80 and every inspection at 90. Each submitted inspection shows its score and pass or fail, and every No is flagged with its photo and comment.

Change the points or the pass mark after you clone it. How rules and scoring work.

Read and print

More in maintenance and equipment

All maintenance and equipment templates

FAQ

Generator inspection checklist: weekly test run: common questions

  1. Weekly as built, which covers the weekly part of the schedule set by NFPA 110 and the maker's manual. Run an extra check after a real power cut, to confirm the set is back in auto and the fuel is topped up, after a fuel delivery, after battery or control work, before storm season, and after any fault alarm on the panel.

  2. A maintenance or facilities technician who knows the start procedure, the normal voltage and frequency for this set and the transfer switch procedure. They should know who in the plant depends on standby power. A failed run goes to the maintenance lead, and electrical or control faults go to a qualified electrician or the service contractor, not to a general fitter.

  3. A fail means the plant may go dark in the next outage. If the set is in manual or off, put it back in auto before you leave the room. A slow crank or weak battery gets fixed within the week, and the server room, freezer or process owners who rely on it are told in the meantime. In this template every No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, and an inspection that scores under its pass mark of 90 is a fail.

  4. Keep the generator ID, hours before and after, date, fuel level, voltage and frequency readings, any fault code, who ran it and the work order that closed each No. The trend in crank time and battery voltage across weeks is what tells you a battery is dying months before the day it will not start. In LeanSuite each submitted inspection is stored with its score, its pass or fail, and the photo and comment on every No.

  5. 11 questions in 3 sections: before the run, test run and after the run. Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A.

Use this template in LeanSuite

It is ready in the Template Marketplace inside Lean Creator as “Generator Weekly Test Run Check”. Clone it into your plant, change any question, then schedule it to a person, role or asset with reminders. Auditors complete it on a phone or tablet, with photo evidence where required.

Not on LeanSuite yet? On a 90-day pilot our team sets up your account and digitizes the forms and checklists you use today, this one included.

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