When an employee leaves, the company's tools need to come back. The simplest way is to pull up a list of everything signed out to them well in advance, go through the van, site hut and storage together, check the condition and check in each tool.
Sounds obvious. In practice, it's easy for something to stay behind in a service van or a garage at home.
If you already sign out tools with QR, the list is mostly done. Here is the checklist, step by step.
Which tools should be returned when an employee leaves?
Everything the company owns. Think broadly:
- hand tools and power tools
- measuring instruments
- the equipment in the service van
- batteries and chargers
- keys and cards for storage and site huts
Batteries and chargers are easy to forget. They belong with the machine but rarely sit next to it.
How do you know what the employee has signed out?
Without sign-out records, you are left with memory and guesswork.
With QR sign-out, you scan the tool's code with a phone. The panel opens right away, with no app and no login. There you fill in "Who is borrowing?" and "Where will it be used?".
The history in the panel then shows who borrowed it, when and for which project. So you can see who has the tool instead of asking around.
If you work with projects, the account can make the project field required. That makes tools easier to follow even after someone has left.
When should the return be planned, and who is responsible?
Ideally a few weeks before the last day. That leaves time to look for anything that doesn't turn up straight away.
Responsibility usually sits with the line manager or the tool manager on site. Decide who does it so it doesn't fall through the cracks.
How does the return work, step by step?
- Pull up the list. Everything currently signed out to the person.
- Go through the van, hut and storage together. Ask whether anything is at home too.
- Check the condition. Anything broken? Use Report issue. A tool reported faulty can only be lent out by the account owner or an administrator, so it won't go out again by mistake.
- Check in each tool. Then it is no longer on the person.
- Hand tools over to a new owner. Is a colleague taking over the van or the toolbox? Check the tools in first, then let the colleague sign them out in their own name. A tool that is on loan can't be signed out by someone else until it has been returned (shared tools are the exception and can be passed on directly).
Want to double-check afterwards? You can take stock of your tools. Stocktake in Tool management shows at a glance which tools have never been scanned or have not been scanned in a long time. Scan the QR code with your phone camera and the tool is ticked off automatically.
What do you do with tools that don't come back?
Follow up in writing and document what is missing.
Anything beyond that depends on the employment contract and any collective agreement. Take it up with HR or a lawyer rather than guessing. Is it about tools going missing more generally? We have a separate article on preventing tool theft on site.
How can you make it easier next time someone leaves?
Start on day one. When someone is hired, sign the tools out in their name right away.
Then there is nothing to reconstruct when they leave. The list already exists.
Prefer paper to begin with? Our tool sign-out sheet is one way to get started. How everything works in Delatool is described in the manual.
Frequently asked questions
Does the employee need the app? No. The QR code opens the tool panel directly on the phone, with no app and no login.
What happens to the tool's history? The history in the panel shows who borrowed the tool, when and for which project. It stays there after the tool is returned.
What if a tool comes back broken? Use Report issue. After that, only the account owner or an administrator can lend it out again.
Try it on your own tools
Want to see how it works in practice? Order the demo kit – free for 30 days. The demo kit ships within Sweden only.
Questions? Email us at info@delatool.com.
