What this is
What counts as a knockout item on this checklist?
What counts as a knockout item on this checklist?
A knockout item is a field whose Fail answer overrides everything else on the form, regardless of how the other items scored. On this checklist that is any visual, level or function item scored Fail: it forces Equipment Fit For Service away from Yes and typically raises Corrective Work Required, so a technician cannot average a serious problem away with a run of Passes elsewhere.
What is the difference between a daily PM checklist and a work order?
The checklist is a routine, scheduled look at the asset with a fixed set of questions; a work order is the record of an actual job, planned or reactive, with its own labour and parts. This checklist can spawn a corrective work order when a finding needs more than an on-the-spot fix, but it never replaces one.
Why does the form use N/A instead of forcing a Pass or Fail?
Not every field applies to every asset on every day; forcing an answer on an item that genuinely does not apply just teaches technicians to enter a Pass without looking. N/A removes that item from both the numerator and the denominator of Score Percent, which keeps the score honest for what was actually assessed.
Scope
When is a daily pm checklist required?
This checklist is deliberately narrow: a fast, repeatable look at the same asset every day. Stretching it to cover work that belongs to a different cadence or a different record type is what makes the PM history hard to trust later.
Use this template when
- The asset is due its scheduled start-of-shift or start-of-day look
- A new record is needed and gets its own ID in the form PM-2026-00000
- You are running the Planned Maintenance programme and this is today's step in it
- A finding needs to be logged and either fixed on the spot or escalated to a work order
- A linked PM Plan or Asset record needs this daily record to exist against it
Do not use it for
- Weekly PM Checklist, which covers belt, chain and coupling checks and minor adjustments that a daily look is too short for.
- Monthly PM Checklist, which covers deeper inspection, filter changes and fastener checks on a longer cycle.
- Preventive Maintenance Plan, which sets the schedule and scope this checklist runs against, not the check itself.
- Corrective Work Order, for anything the daily check finds that cannot be closed out on the spot.
- Anything outside KnowMaintain, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process.
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 55001 cl.8.2 requirements does this satisfy?
The checklist is built against ISO 55001 cl.8.2, which sits inside the standard's operational control requirements for keeping assets performing as intended between planned interventions.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Operational activity is controlled to keep the asset performing as intended. | Header |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Visual condition is checked against a defined, repeatable set of criteria. | Visual condition |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Fluid, lubrication and pressure levels are verified before the asset is relied on. | Levels and lubrication |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Safety-critical functions are confirmed to respond as intended before use. | Function |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Deviations from expected condition are captured and tagged for tracking. | Findings |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | The outcome of the check, and the asset's fitness for continued service, is recorded and signed off. | Result |
What it does not cover
- Guards In Place, marked Yes from habit rather than a physical check that day.
- Days Late, left blank on a check that was actually completed after the shift it covered.
- Element Tag, skipped on a Fail so the deficiency cannot be aggregated with the same hazard type elsewhere.
- Second Signature, obtained after the fact rather than as a genuine second review of the result.
- Reason If Late, left as the default option rather than the actual cause, which erases the pattern a supervisor would otherwise catch.
Global
Daily PM Checklist requirements by country
ISO 55001 sets the asset-management frame this checklist sits inside, but the individual items on it — guarding, emergency stops, leaks — map onto binding workplace equipment law wherever the asset is actually operated.
ISO 55001 cl.8.2
Voluntary asset-management standard, often a customer or certification requirement.
Sets the operational-control expectation the daily check is built to satisfy, but carries no penalty of its own outside a certification audit.
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, reg. 5
Statutory duty to maintain work equipment in efficient working order and repair.
A guard found missing or a leak found on this checklist and left unactioned is evidence against the duty to maintain, independent of any ISO commitment.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.212
Machine guarding requirement for points of operation and moving parts.
Guards In Place failing repeatedly on the same asset without a closed corrective action is the kind of pattern an OSHA inspection would treat as a guarding violation, not a paperwork gap.
How to complete it
How to complete a daily pm checklist, step by step
Filling in the fields is mechanical. The judgement calls are what make the record defensible when someone other than the technician reads it later.
A Partial that should have been a Fail is the most common way a real problem survives a shift. The working rule: if the condition would stop you signing Equipment Fit For Service without hesitation, it is a Fail, not a Partial.
Fixed On The Spot is for genuinely trivial corrections made during the check itself. Anything that needs parts, isolation, or more than a few minutes belongs on a corrective work order — recording it as fixed on the spot to close the loop quickly just hides the backlog.
A late completion without a reason is close to useless for pattern-spotting later. The reason exists so a supervisor can tell a one-off production clash from a check that is quietly slipping every week for the same cause.
With restrictions is not a soft Yes — it should name the restriction somewhere in the record trail, usually via the linked corrective work order, or the next reader has no way to know what the restriction was.
What auditors find
Most common daily pm checklist findings
The same handful of gaps recur across sites running this checklist, and each one has a specific, traceable fix rather than a general reminder to be more careful.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Guards In Place answered Yes without anyone opening the guard to check underneath. | ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Add a photo requirement on Fail for this item specifically, and spot-audit a sample of Yes answers against the asset itself. |
| Oil Level Correct marked Partial on the same asset for several days running with no finding raised. | ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Treat a repeated Partial on the same item and asset as an automatic Fail on the third occurrence, forcing a finding into the Findings section. |
| Element Tag left blank on Fail results, so the hazard cannot be rolled up with matching findings from other templates. | ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Make Element Tag required whenever Result is Fail, not merely visible. |
| Days Late and Reason If Late both blank despite the record clearly being entered after the due date. | ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Calculate Days Late automatically from Date and Time against Due Date rather than relying on the technician to enter it. |
| Corrective Work Order ID left blank when Corrective Work Required is Yes, breaking the link between the check and the follow-up job. | ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Make Corrective Work Order ID required whenever Corrective Work Required is Yes, and validate it against an open Work Order record. |
| Second Signature captured well after the shift, once the asset is already back in service. | ISO 55001 cl.8.2 | Timestamp both signatures and flag any gap beyond the shift length for supervisor review. |
Case in point
Case in point: a Partial that stayed a Partial for nine days
A packing line conveyor's Guards In Place field was marked Yes and its Oil Level Correct marked Partial for nine consecutive daily checks. No finding was raised on any of them, because Partial does not force one, and each technician assumed the last had already flagged it.
On day ten the gearbox seized mid-shift. The daily checklist history showed the trend clearly in hindsight, but nothing in the form had forced it into view earlier — which is exactly the gap a repeated-Partial rule closes.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
6 sections
- Reference
- MNT-022
- Archetype
- Checklist
- Record ID
- PM-2026-000
- Scoring
- Complete with knockout items
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 55001 cl.8.2
- Links
- Links Asset, PM Plan
- Tags
- Maintenance, Preventive
- Sections
- 6
- Fields
- 53
- Follow up fields
- 10
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 5
Header
16 fieldsPM ID*
Auto sequence. Format PM-2026-00000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Raised By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Asset*
Asset ID*
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
PM Plan ID
Links to MNT-021 Plan ID
Work Order ID
Links to MNT-002 Work Order ID
Due Date*
Completed On Time*
- Yes3 pts
- Late1 pt
- Not completed0 pts
Days Late
Reason If Late
Visual condition
6 fieldsLeaks Absent*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Guards In Place*
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Damage Absent*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Unusual Noise Absent*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Unusual Vibration Absent*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Unusual Odour Absent*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Levels and lubrication
6 fieldsOil Level Correct*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Coolant Level Correct*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Grease Points Charged*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Air Pressure Correct*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Filters Clean*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
No Contamination Visible*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Function
3 fieldsControls Respond Normally*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Emergency Stop Accessible*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Indicators Working*
- Pass2 pts
- Partial1 pt
- Fail0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Findings
Repeats7 fieldsResult*
- Pass3 pts
- Pass with conditions2 pts
- Fail0 pts
Severity
- Minor3 pts
- Moderate1 pt
- Serious0 pts
Element Tag
Groups deficiencies by hazard type across every template.
Deficiency Detail
Photo Evidence
Fixed On The Spot
Finding ID
Raise a finding record where this needs tracking to closure.
Links to FDN-015 Finding ID
Result
15 fieldsItems Assessed*
Excludes anything marked N/A.
Items Failed*
Score Percent*
Calculated on submission. High is good. N/A items leave the denominator.
Result Band*
- Pass3 pts
- Caution1 pt
- Fail0 pts
Completeness Percent*
How much of the template was actually answered. A high score on a half completed form is not a high score.
Any Task Not Completed*
- No3 pts
- Yes0 pts
Reason Not Completed
Corrective Work Required*
- No3 pts
- Yes1 pt
Corrective Work Order ID
Links to MNT-002 Work Order ID
Equipment Fit For Service*
- Yes3 pts
- With restrictions1 pt
- No0 pts
Next Due*
Technician*
Signature*
Area Owner*
Second Signature*
MNT-022 · record IDs look like PM-2026-000 · Links Asset, PM Plan
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The check itself takes minutes. Noticing the trend across nine days of Partials, or chasing a missing Corrective Work Order ID, is the part that needs something watching continuously.
Holds the daily PM checklist against the Asset register and PM Plan, flags repeated Partials on the same item before they become a Fail, and keeps every corrective work order linked back to the check that raised it.
Rolls Element Tag findings from this checklist into the same hazard view used across guarding, PPE and isolation templates, so a recurring guard issue on one asset is visible next to the same pattern elsewhere.
Watches Completeness Percent against Score Percent across the fleet, surfacing sites where a high score is being produced by heavy N/A use rather than a genuine check.
Coordinates the crew's daily round, rolls exceptions and open corrective work into one view for the shift lead, and holds every write for approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowMaintain — asset maintenance. Work orders, planned maintenance, calibration, reliability and shutdowns.
Meet KnowMaintain→Glossary
Daily PM Checklist definitions and key terms
- Knockout item
- A field whose Fail answer overrides the rest of the checklist and drives the asset's fitness result, regardless of how everything else scored.
- N/A denominator
- The practice of excluding items marked N/A from both the numerator and denominator of Score Percent, so they neither help nor hurt the score.
- Completeness Percent
- How much of the template was actually answered, tracked separately from Score Percent so a high score cannot hide a half-finished check.
- Fixed On The Spot
- A finding resolved during the check itself, without needing a separate work order — reserved for genuinely trivial corrections.
- Element Tag
- A hazard-type label applied to a Fail finding so it can be aggregated with matching findings from other checklists and templates.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about daily pm checklist
Who should complete the daily PM checklist?+
The operator or technician assigned to the asset at the start of the shift or day it covers, not a supervisor filling it in retrospectively from memory.
What happens if a knockout item fails?+
Equipment Fit For Service is pulled off Yes regardless of every other answer, and Corrective Work Required should follow unless the issue is genuinely fixed on the spot.
Can this checklist replace a weekly or monthly PM check?+
No. It is scoped to fast, visual and level checks that fit inside a shift-start routine; belt, chain, filter and fastener work belongs to the weekly and monthly checklists.
Why are Score Percent and Completeness Percent shown separately?+
Because a high Score Percent on a form where half the items were skipped or marked N/A without justification is not evidence the asset was actually checked.
Does a Partial result need a corrective work order?+
Not automatically, but a Partial repeated on the same item and asset across several days should be treated as a Fail and escalated rather than left as a running Partial.
How is the daily checklist linked to the Asset register and PM Plan?+
Asset ID and PM Plan ID both link back to their source records, so daily results roll up against the plan they belong to and the asset's own history.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Planned Maintenance
Asset Register
Holds every piece of equipment, machine, vehicle and tool you track
Tool and Equipment Register
Holds portable tools, gauges, lifting accessories and small equipment that sit below asset level but still need control
Maintenance Request
Asks maintenance to look at a problem or carry out a job
Work Order
The main record for a planned maintenance job, covering what, where, who and when
Corrective Work Order
Covers a repair to fix something that has already failed or degraded
Emergency Work Order
Covers urgent work where equipment has stopped or become unsafe
More in PM Schedules
Preventive Maintenance Plan
Sets out what preventive work each asset needs, how often and why
Weekly PM Checklist
Covers weekly preventive tasks including cleaning, belt and chain checks and minor adjustments
Monthly PM Checklist
Covers monthly preventive tasks including deeper inspection, filter changes and fastener checks
Quarterly PM Checklist
Covers quarterly preventive tasks that usually need the asset stopped
Annual PM Checklist
Covers the yearly overhaul tasks, including full strip down where required
Meter Based PM Record
Schedules maintenance on running hours, cycles or distance rather than the calendar
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 55001 cl.8.2 — Operational planning and control
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, reg. 5 — Maintenance
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.212 — General requirements for all machines
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.