Workplace safety inspection checklist
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
A workplace safety inspection checklist for shops, yards and plants: walk through each area and mark housekeeping, exits, electrical, PPE, machine guarding, chemicals, fire equipment, first aid, vehicles and ladders as OK or Not OK, with notes and who will fix what.
A regular walk-through catches the slow drift that leads to injuries: a blocked exit, a guard left off after a repair, an extinguisher out of date, a cord run across a walkway. Do it on a fixed schedule, such as weekly for shops and monthly for offices, and rotate who does it so fresh eyes see more.
This checklist is a general audit, not a full OSHA compliance review. Specific equipment has its own inspection rules, such as forklifts before each shift and ladders before each use, so keep those checklists too.
Workplace safety inspection
Fields: Site / area · Inspected by · Date · Shift
Housekeeping and walkways
- Floors clean, dry and free of trip hazards
- Aisles and walkways clear and marked
- Materials stacked and stored safely
Exits and emergency
- Exit routes clear and doors unlocked from inside
- Exit signs lit
- Emergency lighting working
- Evacuation map posted
Electrical
- Panels accessible, 36 in clear
- No damaged cords or plugs
- No extension cords used as permanent wiring
- GFCI used where needed
PPE and guarding
- Required PPE available and worn
- Machine guards in place
- Lockout/tagout devices available
Chemicals and fire
- Containers labeled, SDS available
- Flammables stored in approved cabinets
- Extinguishers charged, inspected and unobstructed
- Hot work only with a permit
First aid and vehicles
- First aid kit stocked
- Eyewash stations clear and tested
- Forklifts inspected this shift
- Ladders in good condition
Fill it in the right way
- Set a schedule and assign who inspects each area.
- Walk the area with the checklist and mark each item OK, Not OK or N/A.
- Write what's wrong for every Not OK and fix the quick ones on the spot.
- Assign the rest with an owner and a due date.
- Review open items at the next safety meeting and keep the completed checklists.
Tips
- Inspect at different times of day; problems on the night shift differ from the day shift.
- Take a photo of each issue; it speeds up the fix and the follow-up.
- Track repeat findings: the same blocked exit every week needs a layout change.
- Thank people for reporting hazards, or they stop.
Do it in FleetZap
- Put a QR label on each machine; operators scan it to do a check on their phone without an account, and a failed item opens a repair work order.
- Inspection procedures can include pass/fail and photo steps, and failing an item creates a work order for the fix.
- FleetZap records checks and repairs; it doesn't certify compliance.
FleetZap Maintenance
Work orders, PM, parts, compliance, assets and KPIs. Explore FleetZap Maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
How often should workplace safety inspections be done?
Set a schedule that fits the risk, such as weekly in shops and yards, plus inspections after changes or incidents. Equipment like forklifts and ladders has its own pre-use checks.
Who should do safety inspections?
A supervisor, a safety lead or a trained employee, with workers from the area joining in. Rotating inspectors helps.
Is this an OSHA compliance checklist?
It's a general walk-through. OSHA rules depend on your industry and equipment, so use it alongside the specific standards that apply to you.
What happens after the inspection?
Every Not OK item gets an owner and a due date, and someone checks it was fixed.