Mining Equipment Maintenance Checklist With MSHA Rules

A mining equipment maintenance checklist is the list of checks, intervals and sign-offs that catches a failing part before it stops a machine or hurts someone. In the US, the core legal check is short: the equipment operator inspects self-propelled mobile equipment before it goes into operation on each shift (30 CFR 56.14100, metal and nonmetal surface mines; 57.14100 has the same check for underground mines). Everything else on a good checklist protects uptime and comes from the manufacturer’s manual and your own failure history.

This page gives a working checklist by interval, separates what the law requires from what is simply good practice, and adds the brake figures regulators actually test against. It also compares the main maintenance strategies and tools, and includes a calculator for pricing downtime with your own numbers.

Why a maintenance checklist matters on a mine site

Safety comes first. MSHA reports that powered haulage accidents caused 13 of the 33 US mining deaths in 2025, or 39%, and 426 of the 4,792 nonfatal injuries, or 9%. Powered haulage means moving equipment such as loaders, shuttle cars and locomotives. Not all of these accidents come from poor maintenance, but brakes, lights, steering and guards are the items a daily check covers.

Chart

Powered haulage share of US mining harm

Percent of all US mining deaths and nonfatal injuries, 2025

Cost comes next. Innovapptive, a company that sells maintenance software, estimates maintenance at roughly 30 to 50 percent of a mine’s total operating cost. Treat that as a vendor’s estimate and compare it with your own ledger. Downtime cost varies too much between a small gold plant and a large open pit for any single published figure to fit your site, which is why the calculator below uses your inputs.

Safe work also includes the people doing the repairs. The UK Health and Safety Executive warns that unsafe maintenance has caused many deaths and serious injuries, both during the work and later among people using badly repaired machines.

The checklist: pre-shift, weekly and hours-based items

Use three layers. HSE describes a similar pattern: quick checks before use, weekly checks and fuller examinations every few months or longer. Set the exact interval for each item from the manufacturer’s manual and your own records, not from a generic template. No published interval suits every machine.

Pre-shift checks (operator, every shift)

• Service brake and parking brake response at low speed, before entering a haul road.
• Steering response, horn, reverse alarm, lights and mirrors or cameras.
• Engine oil, coolant and hydraulic fluid levels, plus puddles under the machine.
• Tires or tracks: cuts, embedded rock, uneven wear and low pressure.
• Hydraulic hoses and belts: cracks, fraying, bulges and leaks.
• Warning lights, gauges and diagnostic codes.
• Seat belt, windows, access ladders, guards and fire extinguisher.
• Frame cracks, loose fasteners and damaged panels.

Weekly checks (operator or fitter)

• Grease points, following the manufacturer’s lubrication chart.
• Air, fuel and hydraulic filter condition, including restriction indicators.
• Battery terminals and electrical connections exposed to dust and vibration.
• Measured tire pressure and tread or track wear, logged against the last reading.
• Guards, safety devices, windows, mirrors and cameras. HSE lists these as examples of weekly checks on mobile plant.

Hours-based service (maintenance team)

• Oil and filter changes at the manufacturer’s engine-hour interval.
• Oil samples sent for analysis, with results kept by machine.
• Brake wear measurement and a service brake test.
• Undercarriage, suspension, axle and final-drive inspection.
• Engine, transmission and hydraulic pump rebuilds, or replacement at planned life.
• Structural inspection of booms, buckets, truck bodies and frames.

Fixed plant at a gold operation

Gold operations also depend on fixed plant. Add these lines for crushers, mills, conveyors, pumps and sluices:

• Crusher and mill: liner wear, loose bolts, bearing temperature and lube flow.
• Conveyors: belt tracking, splices, idlers, pull cords and guards.
• Slurry and water pumps: seals, impeller wear, pressure and leaks.
• Generators and compressors: oil, coolant, filters and logged run hours.
• Screens, trommels and sluices: worn panels, cracked welds and blocked riffles.

A small placer crew can use the same logic with a shorter list, and our guide to gold mining gear covers the smaller equipment. Keep the sheet to one page per machine. HSE advises that checklists be tailored, because too much detail too often makes inspection a burden.

What MSHA requires you to check and record

US rules differ by mine type. Metal and nonmetal surface mines follow Part 56, underground metal and nonmetal mines Part 57, and surface coal mines Part 77. The main rules behind a checklist are below, as shown in the eCFR on 5 November 2026. MSHA also publishes rule changes on its standards and regulations page.

Infographic

From defect found to machine released in 4 steps

1. 1FindNote the defect on the shift check and report it to the mine operator.
2. 2DecideIf it is hazardous, tag the machine out of service.
3. 3FixPower off, block the machine, then repair it.
4. 4ReleaseLog the date and name before returning it to work.

Two points are often mixed up. A workplace examination covers the working place, while the 56.14100 check covers the machine, so they need separate records. The coal rule is also stricter on timing: under 30 CFR 77.1606, safety defects on loading and haulage equipment must be corrected before the equipment is used.

Surface mines and the surface areas of underground mines also have MSHA’s surface mobile equipment rule, published in December 2023, which calls for a written safety program. MSHA’s best-practice list repeats the core habit: inspect before operating and correct safety defects first. Read 30 CFR 56.23002 for the exact wording. It set a deadline of July 17, 2024 for the written program and a named responsible person.

Outside the US, the duties are set locally. In Great Britain, for example, the PUWER regulations require work equipment to be kept in good repair and any machinery maintenance log to be kept up to date. Ask your regulator which rules apply. For wider site safety, see our guide to mine safety solutions.

How to read the MSHA brake stopping table

Most checklists only say “check brakes”. Table M-1 in 30 CFR 56.14101 gives a measurable reference: the maximum service brake stopping distance by machine weight and speed. A vehicle under 36,000 lb at 10 mph must stop within 34 feet. A vehicle over 400,000 lb at 20 mph has 148 feet.

Chart

Maximum service brake stopping distance by speed

Feet, three of the six weight classes in Table M-1

MSHA inspectors call for these tests when they have reasonable cause to believe the service brakes do not work as required, unless the operator takes the machine out of service for repair. You can compare your own controlled test with the same table. Table M-2 in the rule shows how to work out speed by timing a vehicle over a 100-foot course: 15 mph takes 4.5 seconds.

Why machine weight changes the brake line on your checklist

At the same speed, heavier classes get longer limits because the table allows longer brake system response times as weight rises, from 0.5 to 2.5 seconds, with a further second for operator response. The longer limit does not make heavy brakes safer. It means a loaded truck needs more clear road, so haul road speed limits and spacing rules should be written with the weight class in mind.

Chart

Stopping limit at 15 mph by weight class

Maximum feet, gross vehicle weight in thousand lb

Print the row for each machine class on that machine’s sheet. A blank “pass/fail” box tells you little, while a measured distance beside the limit shows drift from one test to the next.

Maintenance strategies for mining equipment compared

Most mines mix these approaches according to how critical each asset is. Innovapptive’s guide groups them as reactive, preventive, condition-based and predictive. The right question is which strategy suits each machine, not which is best overall.

For a small operator, a realistic order is to get pre-shift checks and defect closure working first, add hours-based service next, and then use oil analysis on the most expensive components. Sensors do not remove the legal check. The operator’s pre-shift inspection still applies whatever the data says.

Tools and software that run the checklist

Paper sheets and mobile forms

Best for: small sites and single-plant operations. Pros: low cost, little training and no connection needed. Cons: sheets get lost, and trends are hard to see unless someone enters the data.

CMMS software

A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) stores asset records, work orders, service schedules, parts and repair history. Best for: fleets where nobody can keep every due date in their head. Pros: automatic due dates and a searchable defect history. Cons: it only works if fitters log work, and remote sites need offline use.

Oil analysis and condition sensors

Oil samples, vibration and temperature readings can show wear before a visual check does. Best for: engines, gearboxes, mill bearings and critical pumps. Pros: work is planned around actual condition. Cons: alarms need clear limits and a named owner, and rugged hardware adds cost.

Predictive analytics and digital twins

These tools forecast failures or simulate wear, such as mill liner life. Best for: large operations with years of clean data. Pros: they help test new intervals on a model first. Cons: poor records produce poor forecasts, so these usually come after the basics.

Fleet tracking and spare parts control

Tracking shows where machines are and how much they work, which helps schedule hours-based service. Farmonaut offers fleet management, and its other services include carbon footprinting, traceability and a developer API. For parts, set minimum stock for filters, belts, hoses and other fast-moving items, and list long-lead components by machine. Check any vendor’s claimed savings against a site like yours.

▶ What an AI mining app does and who makes one. · 3:52

Equipment lifecycle costs: trucks, engines and tires

Record repair cost per operating hour for each machine, split into engine, drivetrain, tires, hydraulics and structure. This shows which items deserve closer checks, and when a machine costs more to keep than to replace. Get rebuild and tire prices as current supplier quotes, since they vary with size, region and contract.

Maintainability should also shape what you buy: check local parts supply, service access and whether fitters can get the manuals and tools. New drivetrains change the picture as well. A 2024 SRK Consulting paper says battery-electric haul trucks need less maintenance because of their simpler mechanical design, and its authors’ analysis of 150-tonne trucks shows savings of around US$3 million over 10 years, mostly from energy and maintenance. That is a modelled result under the paper’s assumptions, not a measured fleet average. See also our posts on EV mining trucks and mining profitability.

▶ How mine plans handle costs, all-in sustaining cost and engineering. · 14:58

How to put the checklist in place: 6 steps

1. List every asset. Give each one an ID, its type, its hours and its manual.
2. Rank by consequence. Ask what happens to safety and production if each machine stops.
3. Build one sheet per machine type. Start with the legal items, add the manufacturer’s items, then add your top past failures.
4. Name the owners. Say who checks, who fixes and who can release a machine back to work.
5. Close the loop. Every defect gets a date found, a date fixed and a name.
6. Review each month. Remove lines that never find anything useful and tighten intervals where failures repeat.

Plan work properly as well. HSE suggests using the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions, a safe system of work and competent staff, and scheduling maintenance during shutdowns where possible. Check fuel and oil containment too, because leaks can reach water. Our article on mining impacts on water covers why this matters. For historical context on gold operations, read about Sutter’s Mill. Newer tools are covered in our guide to modern earth exploration technologies.

Calculator: what is downtime costing you?

Enter your own numbers below. Use the margin you lose per hour rather than revenue if stopped production can be caught up later. The share avoided is your own estimate, so test more than one value.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a mining equipment maintenance checklist?

Brakes, steering, alarms, lights, fluids, tires or tracks, hoses, guards and visible damage before each shift, then lubrication and filters weekly, and engine-hour services and rebuilds on the manufacturer’s schedule. Add a defect field and a sign-off.

Does MSHA require a pre-shift equipment inspection?

Yes. At metal and nonmetal surface mines, 30 CFR 56.14100 requires the equipment operator to inspect self-propelled mobile equipment before it is placed in operation on that shift. Surface coal mines follow 30 CFR 77.1606, which requires inspection by a competent person before use.

How long must mine equipment defect records be kept?

Under 30 CFR 56.14100(d), records of safety defects not corrected immediately are kept at the mine or nearest mine office until the defects are corrected. Workplace examination records under 56.18002 are a separate requirement, kept for at least one year.

Can a machine keep working with a known defect?

If a defect makes continued operation hazardous, the rule requires it to be taken out of service and tagged or marked until corrected. Other safety defects must be corrected in a timely manner. Surface coal mine haulage equipment must have safety defects corrected before use.

What is the difference between preventive and predictive maintenance?

Preventive maintenance acts on fixed hours or dates. Predictive maintenance uses sensor and failure history to forecast when a part will fail, so the work is scheduled around expected condition.

How often should a haul truck be serviced?

Follow the manufacturer’s engine-hour schedule for that model, then adjust it using oil results and your own failure records. Pre-shift inspection still happens every shift, whatever the service interval.

What maintenance does small gold mining equipment need?

Use the same layers with fewer lines: check fuel, oil, belts, hoses, guards and leaks before starting, clean screens and sluices, and service pumps and engines by run hours as the manual states. Mine only with permission and the proper licence, stay off other people’s claims, and never use mercury.

How much does mining equipment downtime cost?

It depends on the machine, the site and whether production can be recovered later, so no single figure is reliable. Multiply your stopped hours by your lost margin per hour, then add repair cost, as the calculator on this page does.

Is CMMS software worth it for a small mine?

Often not at first. A paper or mobile form may be enough for a few machines. It starts to pay when due dates are being missed, defects go unclosed or nobody can find a machine’s repair history.

Where can I find current MSHA maintenance rules?

Read 30 CFR in the eCFR for the current text, and check MSHA’s standards and regulations page for rule changes.

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