How often should a pre-shift line start-up check be done?

Every shift, in the minutes before the line runs, and again at every changeover to a new work order within the shift. Run it with extra care after a maintenance job on the line, after a long stop or a weekend, when a new operator leads the start, and whenever the handover notes mention a setting change or a quality problem from the last run.

Who should carry out a pre-shift line start-up check, and who signs it off?

The line lead or the first operator on shift, ideally during the start-of-shift huddle so the crew hears the answers. They need the work order and recipe in front of them, and they need to know how to test each guard and emergency stop and what a good first piece looks like. A No on safety or first piece goes to the shift supervisor before the line runs.

What does it mean when a pre-shift line start-up check fails?

A fail means the line is about to make scrap or hurt someone: old labels still at the line, a guard interlock bypassed, a setting that does not match the order. Do not start. Fix the item, re-run the first piece, and log anything that came from the previous shift so the handover gets corrected. 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.

What records should you keep from a pre-shift line start-up check?

Keep the work order, shift and line, who ran the check, each No with what was found, the fix and who did it, and the first piece result. Over weeks, Nos that cluster at one changeover or after one shift show where the handover is failing, and the record settles the argument when the first hour's scrap is counted. In LeanSuite each submitted inspection is stored with its score, its pass or fail, and the photo and comment on every No.

What does this pre-shift line start-up check checklist cover?

12 questions in 4 sections: line clearance, safety, utilities and fluids, and settings and start-up. Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A.

Inspection template in the LeanSuite app

Last reviewed October 31, 2026

Pre-shift line start-up checklist

A pre-shift line start-up check is what the team runs in the minutes before a line starts: is the last product gone, do the guards and stops work, are the settings right for this work order. Its 12 questions end with the first piece and with reading the last shift's handover, so a problem passed on at shift change is dealt with before the first good part counts.

The line lead or the first operator on shift runs it, ideally during the start-of-shift huddle so the whole crew sees the answers. When it is skipped, the cost shows up in the first hour: parts from the last order mixed into the new one, a guard left open after a night maintenance job, or a setting changed by the previous shift and never written down, found only when the first parts fail inspection.

What it is for, as built: Short check before a line starts each shift: clearance, safety devices, supplies and settings.

Use this template in LeanSuite

The full question list

The 12 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.

Line clearance

1The line is clear of the previous product, labels and paperwork
2Material at the line is correct for this work order

Safety

3Guards are in place and interlocks work
4Emergency stops work
5Walkways and the work area are clear

Utilities and fluids

6Air, water and power supplies are at the right level
7Lubrication and fluid levels are checked
8There are no leaks under or around the machine

Settings and start-up

9Settings or recipe match the work order
10Scales, gauges and sensors are checked
11The first piece or start-up test is acceptable
12Issues from the last shift handover were read and dealt with

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, 91.7% against a pass mark of 90

12 questions, all of them count.
1 answered No, so 11 of 12 are Yes: 11 ÷ 12 = 91.7%.
91.7% is at or above 90, so the inspection passes. The No still needs its fix.

What happened next: Line lead reset the torque before start, re-ran the first piece and asked the night lead to add settings to the handover sheet.

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.

Pre-Shift Line Start-Up Check

Inspection, pre-shift

Product or work order: WO 48213, 500 ml bottle, Line 2

Settings and start-up

Settings or recipe match the work orderNo
Comment: Capper torque still set for the 1 litre run from nights. Work order calls for the lower setting and nobody wrote the change on the handover.
Photo attached to the No
Scales, gauges and sensors are checkedYes
The first piece or start-up test is acceptableYes
Issues from the last shift handover were read and dealt withYes

Drawn from this template's own questions, not a screenshot of the app. Illustrative answers.

When to use it

Before the line starts, every shift.
The person responsible for the area or equipment answers each question on the spot.
Each record starts with: Product or work order.

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.

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