A tick in a box that says everything and nothing
Your hire contracts have a line saying the customer received operating and safety information. Every contract has it. For a DIY customer hiring a petrol disc cutter for the first time, the counter may have handed over a leaflet, pointed at a poster and sold them a pair of goggles. Or it may not, if the queue was long. Six months later, if anyone asks what that particular customer was given, all you have is the tick.
Why hand-over is hard to record
- Leaflets for each tool type are kept on a shelf and picked by hand.
- The contract uses one generic statement for every hire.
- PPE sold or loaned with the hire goes through the till separately, or not at all.
- Demonstrations for tools that need them are not recorded.
- Leaflets change and old versions stay in circulation.
Why it matters to you
If something goes wrong with a hire, you will want to show what guidance and equipment the customer received. A generic tick does not help much. Inconsistent hand-over also means some customers get less than others depending on who served them. What is required for each tool is for you, your insurer and your safety adviser to decide. This article is about recording whatever you have decided.
A hand-over step matched to the tool
- For each tool type, you set the guidance documents, PPE and any demonstration you have decided should go with it.
- At check-out, the counter screen lists them for that tool and asks staff to confirm each: leaflet given, PPE supplied or customer has their own, demonstration done.
- The current version of each guidance document is stored centrally, and the version given is recorded against the contract.
- Customers can receive the guidance by email or text as well, so they have it on their phone on site.
- PPE sold with the hire is added to the contract so it is charged and recorded together.
- A report shows hires where hand-over items were skipped, so you can follow up with staff.
We record your hand-over process. We do not decide what guidance or equipment a tool needs.
Example hand-over lists
| Tool type | Guidance | Kit | Demonstration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol disc cutter | Operating leaflet | Eye, ear, dust protection | As you decide |
| Floor sander | Operating leaflet | Dust mask | Sheet fitting |
| Pressure washer | Operating leaflet | Eye protection | Optional |
| Wallpaper steamer | Operating leaflet | Gloves | No |
An illustration of format only. Your own lists go in, set with your safety adviser.
A record that shows what happened
Each contract shows the guidance version, kit and demonstration for that hire. Staff follow the same list whether it is busy or quiet. Customers have the guidance on their phone. And when a leaflet is updated, the old one stops being handed out.
Keeping guidance current
Leaflets go out of date. A manufacturer changes a model, you replace a tool with a different make, or your safety adviser updates the wording. On a paper shelf, the old versions sit alongside the new ones for months. Storing guidance centrally, with a version per document, means the counter only ever sees the current one, and the contract records exactly which version each customer received.
Sending the guidance by text or email is a small change that customers often appreciate. The paper leaflet tends to stay in the van. The link is on the phone of the person actually using the tool.
Is your hand-over record just a tick?
- Contracts use the same generic statement for every hire.
- You cannot say which leaflet a particular customer received.
- PPE given with hires is not recorded on the contract.
- Old versions of guidance are still in circulation.