Second-hand mining plant is bought on hours, service records and photographs. None of those reveal a cracked boom foot, a re-plated frame, a modified ROPS or a crane that has never had a major inspection. An independent pre-purchase inspection does, before the money changes hands.
We inspect equipment on the vendor's site, in yards and at auction houses across Australia, and report condition, compliance exposure and expected remediation scope so procurement teams can negotiate or walk away with evidence.
Inspection scope
- Identity and documentation
- Serial numbers, compliance plates, design and item registration, service history, prior inspection certificates and modification records.
- Structural condition
- Visual and targeted NDT of primary structure, pins and bores, with attention to prior repairs and re-plating.
- Mechanical and hydraulic condition
- Engine, transmission, final drives, hydraulic performance, leak assessment and fluid analysis where available.
- Compliance exposure
- Outstanding major inspections, missing safety devices, guarding gaps and modifications that would prevent introduction to site.
- Wear and consumables
- Undercarriage, tyres and rims, ground engaging tools, wire rope and other high-cost consumables.
- Remediation scope
- Itemised list of work required before the asset could be put into service on a mine site.
What you receive
- Condition report with photographs, organised by system and structure
- Compliance exposure summary listing registration, inspection and documentation gaps
- Itemised remediation scope with priority ranking
- Statement of suitability for the intended duty and site
- Pre-mobilisation checklist for the purchaser's plant register
Applicable standards and regulations
| Reference | Title | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Model WHS Regulations, Schedule 5 | Plant requiring design and item registration | Confirms whether the asset requires registration and whether registration is current and transferable. |
| AS 2550 series | Cranes, hoists and winches — Safe use | Verifies major inspection status of used cranes, EWPs and telehandlers. |
| AS 2294 series | Earth-moving machinery — Protective structures | Checks ROPS/FOPS identification and unauthorised modification on used earthmoving plant. |
| AS 4457.1 | Off-the-road wheels, rims and tyres — Maintenance and repair | Rim and wheel condition on used loaders, trucks and graders. |
| AS/NZS 1554.5 | Welding of structures subject to high levels of fatigue loading | Basis for assessing prior repair weld quality. |
Evidence base for procurement
Public sources · reviewed 19 Sep 2026These regulator and standards sources provide the public basis for the inspection context on this page. They describe requirements and application context; they do not claim that Mining Inspection Australia holds a qualification, accreditation or project history.
Safe Work Australia
Risk controls, regular inspection and testing, repair or replacement of plant, and the records that support those controls.
Safe Work Australia
The model framework for plant duties, inspection, maintenance and records; check the adopted law in the relevant jurisdiction.
Typical findings
- Hour meters replaced or reset without records
- Structural repairs with no procedure, NDT or engineering records
- Cranes and EWPs offered for sale past ten years with no major inspection
- ROPS/FOPS certification plates missing or structures modified
- Design registration not held or not transferable to the purchaser
- Consumable wear that materially changes the effective purchase price
When to inspect
- Purchase of used plant from a dealer, auction or private vendor
- Long-term dry hire or lease where the hirer takes on compliance obligations
- Fleet acquisition as part of a business or contract transfer
- Independent valuation support for finance or insurance
- End-of-lease condition assessment
Frequently asked questions
Can you inspect equipment before an auction?
Yes. Auction inspections are carried out at the yard within the viewing window. Reports are issued quickly so bids can be set with the condition and remediation scope known.
Do you provide a market valuation?
We provide the condition and compliance evidence that underpins a valuation, including remediation cost drivers. Where a formal valuation figure is required for finance or insurance, we work alongside the purchaser's appointed valuer.
Will the vendor allow NDT during a pre-purchase inspection?
Usually, provided test locations are agreed and surface preparation is limited to what is needed. Where NDT is refused on a high-risk structure, that is itself recorded as a finding.
What if the equipment has interstate registration or history?
Design registration is recognised nationally under the model WHS laws, but item registration and site introduction requirements differ. We check both and advise what is needed in the destination state.