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Audit template in the LeanSuite app

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PPE compliance audit checklist

A PPE compliance audit is a walk through one area to see whether the protective equipment it requires is posted, available, worn and in good shape. The 15 questions cover signs and spares, each type of PPE, fit and condition, visitors and contractors, and whether people can say why it is required. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132 the PPE an area needs comes from a hazard assessment, and that last question shows whether the reason has reached the floor.

A supervisor or EHS lead runs it every week per area, watching people work rather than asking them. What a failure looks like: safety glasses pushed up on a cap, ear plugs in a pocket on a loud press line, cut gloves worn through at the fingertips, or a visitor led through the area in sneakers. The fix is often supply and fit, not discipline, so check that spare PPE is stocked in the sizes people need.

What it is for, as built: Walk an area and check that the right protective equipment is worn, in good condition and available.

Use this template in LeanSuite

The full question list

The 15 questions in the audit

Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A. Each No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, so the finding arrives with its evidence.

Signs and availability

  1. 1Required-PPE signs are posted at the entrances to the area
  2. 2Spare PPE is available at the point of use
  3. 3PPE is stored clean and where people can reach it

PPE worn

  1. 4Eye protection is worn where required
  2. 5Hearing protection is worn where required
  3. 6Head protection is worn where required
  4. 7Foot protection is worn where required
  5. 8Hand protection suits the task and is worn
  6. 9Respiratory protection is worn where required and people are fit-tested
  7. 10High-visibility clothing is worn where required
  8. 11Hair, jewellery and loose clothing are controlled near moving parts

Condition and use

  1. 12PPE is in good condition, with no cracks, wear or damage
  2. 13PPE is worn correctly and adjusted to fit
  3. 14Visitors and contractors are given PPE and wear it
  4. 15People can explain why the PPE is required

Worked example, illustrative

A filled-in example

One section as it might be filled in on the floor, with every other section of the audit answered Yes. The place and finding are made up to show how the audit reads and scores.

Result: pass, 92.9% against a pass mark of 80

  • 15 questions, 1 answered N/A, so 14 count.
  • 1 answered No, so 13 of 14 are Yes: 13 ÷ 14 = 92.9%.
  • 92.9% is at or above 80, so the audit passes. The No still needs its fix.

What happened next: Supervisor had plugs fitted on the spot and ordered banded earplugs for the three who said plugs fall out, in place within the week.

Scored here as one point per question with N/A left out. In the app each answer carries the points set on the template, so change them after you clone it if your plant weighs some checks more.

PPE Compliance Audit

Audit, weekly

Number of people observed
12

PPE worn

  1. Eye protection is worn where requiredYes
  2. Hearing protection is worn where requiredNo

    Comment: Three of twelve on the press line with ear plugs hanging round the neck or in a shirt pocket. Noise sign is posted at the door.

    Photo attached to the No

  3. Head protection is worn where requiredYes
  4. Foot protection is worn where requiredYes
  5. Hand protection suits the task and is wornYes
  6. Respiratory protection is worn where required and people are fit-testedN/A
  7. High-visibility clothing is worn where requiredYes
  8. Hair, jewellery and loose clothing are controlled near moving partsYes
Drawn from this template's own questions, not a screenshot of the app. Illustrative answers.

When to use it

  • Once a week.
  • An auditor or leader answers each question from what they see, hear and read in the area.
  • Each record starts with: Number of people observed.

How it is scored

The template is built with points per answer and a pass mark of 80. In this library every audit is set to pass at 80 and every inspection at 90. Each submitted audit shows its score and pass or fail, and every No is flagged with its photo and comment.

Change the points or the pass mark after you clone it. How rules and scoring work.

Read and print

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All safety inspections and audits templates

FAQ

PPE compliance audit checklist: common questions

  1. Weekly per area, with the walk at different times so day and night shifts are both seen. Audit again when the hazard assessment for the area changes, when new PPE or a new supplier is introduced, after an injury or near miss involving the eyes, hands or hearing, and when a batch of new starters or contractors arrives.

  2. A supervisor or the EHS lead, walking the area and watching people work rather than asking. They need the hazard assessment for that area, so they know which PPE is required at each task, and they need to recognise worn-out gloves and a badly seated respirator. Findings go to the area manager, because most fixes are stock, sizes and fit rather than one person's attitude.

  3. A fail means people are exposed to a hazard the assessment already identified: no glasses at the grinder, plugs in a pocket on the press line, a visitor in sneakers. Stop the task until the PPE is on. If the spares bin is empty or the sizes are wrong, that is the action, with the area manager as owner. In this template every No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, and an audit that scores under its pass mark of 80 is a fail.

  4. Keep the area, date and shift, how many people were observed, which PPE types had Nos, photos of damaged items, and the stock, fit or training action that closed each one. The count by PPE type over the weeks shows whether hearing or eye protection is the stubborn one, and whether night shift lags days. In LeanSuite each submitted audit is stored with its score, its pass or fail, and the photo and comment on every No.

  5. 15 questions in 3 sections: signs and availability, ppe worn, and condition and use. Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A.

Use this template in LeanSuite

It is ready in the Template Marketplace inside Lean Creator as “PPE Compliance Audit”. Clone it into your plant, change any question, then schedule it to a person, role or asset with reminders. Auditors complete it on a phone or tablet, with photo evidence where required.

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