BESS Container Receiving Inspection Checklist

Why the receiving inspection matters

Damage found weeks after delivery is hard to attribute: transport, storage on site or installation. Without a dated record at delivery, the cost often stays with whoever discovers it.

Deadlines are short. Under the CMR Convention on international road transport (art. 30), apparent damage must be reserved at delivery, and non-apparent damage reported in writing within 7 days, Sundays and public holidays excepted. Other transport modes and contracts have their own rules: check yours. CMR text (UNECE)

1. Before the delivery

Delivery schedule confirmed with the carrier, the supplier and the site manager.
Lifting plan, lifting points and crane or rigging capacity validated for the container weight given by the manufacturer.
Access route, ground bearing capacity and set-down area checked.
Packing list and expected serial-number list received from the supplier.
Site induction, PPE and permits ready for everyone present at unloading.

2. On arrival, before unloading

Delivery note or consignment note compared with the packing list: number of containers, container numbers.
Seals present and intact; seal numbers recorded.
Shock and tilt indicators checked, if fitted.
Walk-around photos of each container: four sides, doors, roof where safe, fittings and corners.
Visible damage noted precisely: dents, scratches, deformed doors, broken fittings, traces of water.

3. After unloading and set-down

Container placed according to the layout drawing, level and supported as specified.
Doors opened only when authorised, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Interior visual check: no water ingress, condensation, coolant leaks, loose parts or damaged packaging.
Corrosion points checked at corners, welds, fixings and the base frame.
Nameplates readable and photographed.

4. Register and photo record

One line per unit: container number, equipment model, serial number, nameplate photo.
Numbered photos linked to each unit, with date and time.
Anomalies listed per unit, with the photo numbers that support them.
Register shared with the client the same day.

5. Reservations and notification

Precise reservations written on the delivery or consignment note before the driver leaves, and signed.
Supplier and carrier informed in writing, with photos.
Non-apparent damage found later reported in writing within the contractual or legal deadline.
No repair started on a disputed unit before the parties agree, unless safety requires it.

6. Until commissioning

Units protected from weather and site works.
Corrosion touch-ups only with products and methods approved by the manufacturer.
Periodic checks of storage conditions, recorded in the same register.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Who should be present at delivery?

At least a representative of the site manager or EPC, the driver, and the team that inspects and records. The manufacturer may also ask to attend.

What if damage is found at delivery?

Record it precisely with photos, write it on the delivery or consignment note before the driver leaves, and inform the supplier and the carrier in writing.

Can corrosion be treated on site?

Yes, once it has been recorded and reported, and only with the products and methods approved by the manufacturer.

General information, not legal advice. Your contracts, the manufacturer’s procedures and the site safety plan always take precedence.

Receiving BESS containers on site: inspection checklist