Commissioning Checklist
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About this commissioning checklist
Commissioning is where small misses turn into big problems — downtime, repeat visits, safety risk, and a handover nobody trusts. This commissioning checklist gives operations teams a clear, repeatable way to prepare properly, verify what matters during testing, escalate at the right time, and close out with evidence.
Use it for new installs, replacements, upgrades, and recommissioning after downtime. The goal is simple: stop guessing and start knowing the asset is safe, configured correctly, and ready for real-world use.
What this commissioning checklist covers
- Preparation checks (safety, permits, prerequisites, documents, tools)
- In-process checks (installation verification, configuration, functional and safety testing)
- Escalation criteria (clear stop points to prevent risky “push through” decisions)
- Close-out actions (documentation, handover, open actions, sign-off)
When to use it
Run this checklist any time you need confidence that equipment, systems, or site changes are ready to operate. It’s especially useful when:
- Different people install and commission
- You rely on third parties or site dependencies (power, network, utilities)
- There’s pressure to hand back quickly
- You need consistent evidence for compliance, audits, or warranty
How to use it on the frontline
Keep it simple. Work top to bottom, capture notes where something isn’t straightforward, and attach evidence for key tests. If you hit a stop point, pause and escalate — the checklist makes those moments explicit so you don’t have to rely on judgement alone.
Tip: treat “not sure” as a real answer. Uncertainty is usually a missing dependency, an outdated document, or a configuration mismatch — and it’s cheaper to find that early than after go-live.
Common escalation triggers
If any of these show up, stop and raise it:
- Safety controls aren’t in place (or can’t be verified)
- Permit, isolation, or lock-out tag-out issues
- Acceptance criteria not met
- Repeated faults or unexplained behaviour
- Missing prerequisites (network access, utilities, approvals, upstream or downstream readiness)
Make commissioning consistent with Ocasta
Ocasta replaces informal, inconsistent commissioning notes with a structured checklist your teams can run on any device. You get standard questions, clear stop points, and a reliable audit trail — while teams get the confidence of knowing what to check next, in the moment.
Disclaimer: This checklist is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, health and safety, or professional advice. You are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable laws, standards, and internal policies.
Included questions
Here's what's included in this commissioning checklist:
Job details and scope (5)
Confirm what you’re commissioning, where it is, and what “done” looks like before you start.
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Text
Job reference or work order number
Use the identifier your team will search for later.
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Text
Site name and exact location
Include area, room, bay, or asset location.
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Text
Asset or equipment ID
Serial number, tag, or barcode.
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Dropdown
What type of commissioning is this?
Pick the closest match to keep reporting consistent.
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Yes/No
Acceptance criteria confirmed and understood
You know what tests must pass and what evidence is required.
Pre-commissioning preparation checks (10)
Stop guesswork before it starts — confirm safety, prerequisites, and the right information on hand.
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Yes/No
Risk assessment completed for the task and location
Include any site-specific hazards and controls.
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Dropdown
Permit to work required?
If required, confirm it is issued and active before proceeding.
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Yes/No
Isolation and lock-out tag-out (LOTO) plan confirmed
Know what needs isolating, who authorises it, and how it is verified.
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Yes/No
Correct PPE available and being used
Match PPE to the risk assessment and site rules.
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Yes/No
Tools and test equipment available and in date
Include calibration status where relevant.
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Yes/No
Latest drawings, manuals, and commissioning procedure available
Avoid working from old versions or local copies.
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Yes/No
Required spares and consumables on site
For example: fuses, filters, seals, labels, fasteners.
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Yes/No
Site access, escorts, and access windows confirmed
Include out-of-hours approvals if needed.
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Dropdown
Dependencies available and ready
If any dependency is missing, pause and escalate.
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Text
Dependency notes (if not all available)
List what’s missing (power, network, utilities, upstream/downstream equipment, approvals).
Installation and configuration checks (8)
Confirm the basics are right before you energise or run functional tests.
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Yes/No
Visual installation check completed and passed
No obvious damage, missing parts, loose fixings, or incorrect orientation.
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Yes/No
Labels and asset tag present and legible
Include safety labels and identification labels.
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Yes/No
Mechanical connections verified
Couplings, mounts, guards, fasteners, alignment (as applicable).
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Yes/No
Electrical connections verified
Correct terminations, earthing, and protection devices in place (as applicable).
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Dropdown
Utilities connected and verified (as applicable)
For example: water, gas, air, hydraulic, drainage.
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Dropdown
Network or system connectivity status (if applicable)
If connectivity is required for operation, treat uncertainty as a stop point.
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Yes/No
Configuration matches the specification
Settings, parameters, firmware versions, and setpoints are correct.
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Yes/No
Safety devices present and correctly fitted
Guards, interlocks, emergency stops, signage, and barriers as required.
In-process commissioning checks (8)
Run tests in a controlled order and capture evidence. If anything is unclear, pause and escalate.
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Yes/No
Pre-power checks completed
Isolation verified, correct supply, correct protection, and safe to energise (as applicable).
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Yes/No
Initial power-on successful with no alarms or faults
Record any alarms even if they clear.
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Text
Alarm or fault codes (if any)
List codes and what you did next.
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Dropdown
Functional test outcome
Test against the procedure and acceptance criteria.
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Dropdown
Performance test outcome
Throughput, accuracy, response time, or other agreed measures.
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Dropdown
Safety test outcome
Emergency stop, interlocks, guarding, and safe state behaviour (as applicable).
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Yes/No
Evidence captured for key tests
Photos, screenshots, readings, or logs as required by your process.
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Text
Test notes and readings
Record any measurements, observations, and what “good” looked like.
Escalation criteria and stop points (7)
If any of these apply, stop and escalate. Don’t push through uncertainty.
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Yes/No
Any safety risk identified that is not controlled
If yes: stop work and follow your safety escalation route.
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Yes/No
Permit, isolation, or LOTO issue identified
If yes: do not energise or continue testing.
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Yes/No
Any acceptance criteria not met
If yes: record the failure, raise a defect, and agree next steps before retrying.
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Yes/No
Repeated faults or unexplained behaviour observed
If yes: stop and escalate to engineering or the supplier.
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Yes/No
Missing dependency blocks commissioning
For example: network access, utilities, approvals, upstream or downstream readiness.
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Person
Escalated to
Select the person accountable for next steps.
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Text
Escalation summary
What happened, what you’ve checked, and what you need to proceed.
Close-out and handover (9)
Leave the site safe, the paperwork complete, and the next team confident.
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Yes/No
Work area left clean, safe, and free of tools and waste
Remove temporary barriers only when it is safe to do so.
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Dropdown
Temporary controls removed or formally handed over
For example: temporary isolations, bypasses, temporary signage.
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Dropdown
Documentation updated
Update records so the next person doesn’t have to guess.
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Yes/No
Handover completed with the responsible owner
Confirm who owns the asset from this point and any limitations or watch-outs.
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Dropdown
Operator training or briefing completed (if required)
If not completed, record who needs what and by when.
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Yes/No
Open actions logged with owners and due dates
No loose ends — capture actions clearly.
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Dropdown
Commissioning status
Choose the outcome that matches what you can evidence.
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Text
Sign-off name and role
Person accepting the commissioning outcome.
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Signature
Sign-off signature
Capture sign-off at the point of handover.