Workplace Safety Inspection Checklist

Who this is for

The walk round a workplace, written down. Prefilled points cover housekeeping, floors and walkways, fire exits, electrics, machinery, chemicals, protective equipment, first aid and welfare, and every point that needs action gets an owner and a date.

Managers, supervisors and safety representatives in workshops, warehouses, offices, shops and small factories who are expected to inspect their own area and show a record of it afterwards.

What this helps you track

• What was looked at on this round, including the points that were satisfactory
• Every action raised, who owns it and when it is wanted by
• How the inspector rated each action so the worst are dealt with first
• How many points needed action this time compared with the last round

How to use it

1. Name the area and the inspector, and date the sheet before you set off.
2. Take the prefilled points in order and mark each one satisfactory, action needed or not applicable.
3. Write the finding in the reader's own words — where it is, what it is, why it was raised.
4. Put a name in the owner column for every action: an action with no owner does not get done.
5. Use the priority column for your own judgement of what comes first; the sheet does not rank for you.
6. Sign the round off and carry the open actions forward to the next sheet.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Is this a risk assessment?

No. A risk assessment thinks ahead about what could go wrong and what controls are needed. This sheet records what a walk round actually found on one day. Most places keep both, and the inspection often feeds the assessment.

How often should we inspect?

That is for your own policy and the rules that apply where you work. The sheet dates each round so you can show the pattern you have chosen, whatever it is.

What should go in the priority column?

Your own judgement. It is deliberately free of any scale of ours — write high, medium or low, a number your organisation already uses, or a target date instead.

Can I change the prefilled points?

Yes. On paper, cross out what does not apply and use the blank lines; in the browser version you can edit or delete any row and add your own.