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Crash Cart Checklist and Printable Check Log
A crash cart checklist is a written list of what the emergency cart must hold and a log that shows someone checked it on a set schedule. Most practices keep a short daily check (seal, defibrillator status, oxygen, suction) and a full monthly check with expiry dates. Edit the example list below to match your protocol, then print the log for the cart.
Prepared by Prospyr · Reviewed October 3, 2026 · Free, no sign-up, runs in your browser
Example list. Follow your protocol and state rules. Edit every line to match what your medical director says the cart holds and how often it is checked.
Items on your log
Rename, remove or add lines. Your edits stay in this browser.
October 2026: daily crash cart check
Cart: ______________________ · Mark each box when checked, then initial the bottom row. Example list. Follow your protocol and state rules.
Tap a box to place a check on screen, or print and mark by hand.
| Item | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | |
| Cart lock or tamper seal intact (write the tag number below) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defibrillator / AED: status indicator OK, pads attached and in date | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oxygen: cylinder gauge in the range your protocol sets; mask and tubing present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Suction: powers on; canister and tubing present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cart is in its assigned place, unblocked, with the emergency contact list on it | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Checked by (initials) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lock or seal tag # |
Report any missing, expired or damaged item to the person responsible for the cart the same day, and document what was done. Reviewed by: ______________________ Date: ____________
A blank log and an example list, not a clinical standard. Contents, check frequency and drug and equipment lists are set by your medical director, your protocol and your state rules. No drugs or doses are recommended here.
What belongs on a crash cart checklist
Group the cart by function so a team member can check it in order. These categories are common, but your own list comes from your medical director and your state:
- Airway and breathing. Bag-valve-mask, airway adjuncts, oxygen delivery, suction.
- Circulation. Defibrillator or AED with pads in date and a charged battery, a CPR board.
- Access and supplies. IV supplies, syringes and needles, if you stock them.
- Medications and kits. Whatever your medical director lists, sealed and in date. Practice-specific kits, such as one for a filler complication, follow your protocol.
- Information. Posted algorithms and a contact list for EMS and your medical director.
- The cart itself. Lock or seal intact and tag number logged, in its assigned place, unblocked.
Daily and monthly crash cart check log
The daily log has one column for each day of the month with weekends shaded. It suits quick checks: seal, defibrillator indicator, oxygen gauge, suction, and cart location. The monthly log has one column for each month of the year, plus a par quantity and earliest expiry for each item, for the full inventory.
Print either one in landscape. Initial the bottom row each time and write the seal tag number so the next person can see whether the cart was opened. If a check finds a problem, fix it the same day and note what you did.
Why checking function matters more than checking presence
A 2022 observational study of resuscitation cart checks in hospitals found empty oxygen tanks (32%), drained batteries and equipment failure (16%), incorrect size of equipment (16%), and missing, expired or unavailable equipment (15%), even though the carts had been checked several times by different nurses. Ticking a box that says "AED present" is not the same as confirming the status indicator is green and the pads are in date.
A UK hospital study found a sealed tray system, with a database tracking expiry, took trolleys with no missing, surplus or expired items from 1 of 21 to 37 of 37 and cut check time from about 12.9 to 3.2 minutes in simulation. You do not need a hospital system to borrow the idea: a numbered seal and a short daily list do much of the same work.
Worked example: one month for treatment room 2
A practice keeps a cart in treatment room 2 and uses the five-item daily list for October 2026. The log has 31 day columns, so the team makes 31 × 5 = 155 checks and initials 31 times. On October 14 the AED pads show an expiry in the next month. The nurse notes it in the log, replaces the pads and records the new seal tag number. At the end of the month the practice prints the monthly log and does the full inventory against its protocol, writing the earliest expiry for each item.
If your team also tracks supplies elsewhere, inventory management can flag expiring stock, and our OSHA checklist covers first aid and emergency plans.
Frequently asked questions
What should be on a crash cart checklist?
A crash cart checklist usually covers airway and breathing equipment, the defibrillator or AED and its pads and battery, oxygen and suction, IV and injection supplies if you stock them, the emergency medications your medical director lists, posted algorithms and contacts, and the cart's lock or seal. The exact contents and sizes come from your protocol and state rules, which is why the list on this page is only an example.
How often should a crash cart be checked?
There is no single rule that fits every practice. Many facilities check the lock or seal and defibrillator status every day, and do a full inventory with expiry dates every month or after any use. Your medical director, accrediting body and state regulations decide the schedule, so write yours at the top of the log.
Why use a tamper seal on the crash cart?
A numbered seal lets the team confirm at a glance that nobody has opened the cart since the last full check. In one hospital before-and-after study, a sealed tray system raised the share of resuscitation trolleys with no missing, surplus or expired items from 4.76% to 100% and cut checking time in a simulation from about 12.9 minutes to 3.2 minutes. The log has a row for the tag number.
Is a daily crash cart log required?
It depends on your state, your accreditation and your insurer. Some require documented checks, and many practices keep them anyway because a log is the proof that the cart was ready. Ask your medical director or accreditor what they expect, and keep completed logs for as long as your records policy says.
What problems do crash cart checks usually find?
In a 2022 observational study of resuscitation cart checks in hospitals, observers found empty oxygen tanks on 32% of carts, drained batteries and equipment failure on 16%, wrong-size equipment on 16%, and missing, expired or unavailable equipment on 15%, even though the carts had been checked several times by different nurses. The takeaway is to check function, not only presence.
Does a medical spa need a crash cart?
Many aesthetic practices keep emergency equipment and a written emergency plan, and OSHA expects employers to provide medical and first aid personnel and supplies commensurate with the hazards of the workplace. What your practice must hold depends on the services you offer and your state. Ask your medical director to write the list, and use this log to show it was checked.
Can I add or remove items on this checklist?
Yes. Rename, delete or add lines, choose a daily or monthly layout, and print. The example items do not include any drug names, doses or equipment sizes on purpose. Fill in what your medical director specifies, and your edits stay in your browser.
Sources and scope
- Aljuaid J, Al-Moteri M. Periodic Resuscitation Cart Checks and Nurse Situational Awareness: An Observational Study. J Emerg Nurs. 2022;48(2):189-201 (PMID 35131105)
Peer-reviewed. Source of the empty oxygen tank (32%), battery and equipment failure (16%), wrong size (16%) and missing or expired equipment (15%) findings.
- Davies M, et al. A simple solution for improving reliability of cardiac arrest equipment provision in hospital. Resuscitation. 2014;85(11):1523-6 (PMID 25151949)
Peer-reviewed before-and-after study of a sealed tray system: trolleys without missing, surplus or expired items rose from 4.76% to 100%; check time fell from 12.86 to 3.15 minutes in simulation.
- 29 CFR 1910.151: Medical services and first aid
First aid supplies and trained personnel where no clinic or hospital is nearby.
- OSHA: Medical and First Aid
Employers must provide medical and first aid personnel and supplies commensurate with the hazards of the workplace.
A blank log and an example item list, not a clinical standard or legal advice. Cart contents, check frequency, medications and equipment sizes are set by your medical director, your protocol and your state rules. This tool does not recommend drugs or doses.