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Management safety tour form
A management safety tour is a scheduled walk by a leader to the place where the work is done, to see how safety is practised, thank people for what is done well and find what needs fixing. The leader watches first, marks safe acts, unsafe acts, unsafe conditions and near misses in five groups (PPE, tools and equipment, workplace conditions, rules and procedures, people and behaviour), then has a short conversation with an operator using open questions, tallies the marks and turns the findings into actions with an owner and a date. This template has five portrait pages: the observation form with 25 prompts, the interview with ten questions and space for what was said, the tally by group and an action list, one page on how to run a tour with a blank rota, and a worked example of a made-up machining area over a quarter. The Excel version has the same form with a drop-down mark for each line, a tour rota with adherence by month, a tour log, a dashboard by month and by area with a chart, and an action log that flags overdue actions. It goes further than a pocket observation card: it is the whole tour, from the rota to the follow-up.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Header fields for area, date and tour leader above a table of 25 prompts in five groups with columns to mark a safe act, unsafe act, unsafe condition or near miss.25 observation prompts in five groupsTen interview questionsTally by groupAction listTour rotaTour log and dashboardWorked example
When to use it
When to use a management safety tour
- To get managers and supervisors onto the floor on a regular rota, so that safety is seen to matter and leaders see the real work.
- To find unsafe conditions and unsafe acts early and fix them before they become an incident.
- To count safe acts as well as unsafe ones, so the tour recognises good practice and not only faults.
- To build a record of tours by area and month that shows whether safety is improving, with the actions that made the difference.
- Not as an audit to score people or to replace the investigation of an incident.
How to fill it in
- 1
Put every area on a rota
Plan the tours so that every area is covered and no leader always visits the same one. Set the number of tours per leader per month for your site and check it against what was done.
- 2
Walk to the work with the form
Go to where the work is done, not the office. Take the form, the area map and enough time to talk to people. Start by watching for a few minutes before you speak.
- 3
Observe and mark each line
Go through the five groups and mark each line as a safe act, an unsafe act, an unsafe condition or a near miss. Write what you saw and where. Mark safe acts as carefully as unsafe ones.
- 4
Talk to an operator
Use the interview questions as a conversation, not a test. Ask what could hurt them, where they find the rules, what they would change, and about a near miss. Listen and write down what you hear.
- 5
Feed back and fix what you can
Thank the person, say what you saw, and fix what can be fixed on the spot. Tell the area supervisor what you found, good and bad, before you leave.
- 6
Tally, log and follow up
Count the marks by group, list the actions with an owner and a date, and enter the tour in the log. Tell people what happened to their ideas; a suggestion that goes nowhere ends the conversations.
What's on the form
The 25 observation prompts and ten interview questions
Five observation groups, each line marked as a safe act, an unsafe act, an unsafe condition or a near miss, then ten open questions for a short conversation with an operator. Use the questions that fit; add your own.
PPE
What people wear, and whether it works for the job
- 1People wear the protective equipment the task needs, and wear it correctly
- 2The equipment fits, is clean and in good condition, and is available at the point of use
- 3Eye, ear and hand protection is used wherever the signs and risk assessments call for it
- 4Visitors and contractors wear what the area requires
- 5People know when to replace their equipment and where to get new
Tools and equipment
Machines, tools and the safety devices on them
- 6Tools are the right ones for the job and are in good condition
- 7Guards are in place and have not been bypassed, taped, propped or removed
- 8Lifting aids, trolleys and hand trucks are used instead of carrying heavy loads
- 9Ladders and steps are sound and used the right way
- 10Emergency stops, extinguishers, eyewash stations and first aid kits are clear, signed and have been checked
Workplace conditions
The place itself
- 11Floors and walkways are clear, dry and marked, with no trip hazards
- 12Lighting is good enough to see the work and the hazards
- 13Storage is stable, racks are not overloaded and nothing is stacked where it can fall
- 14Spills, leaks, loose cables and open containers are dealt with and chemicals are labelled
- 15Exits and emergency routes are clear and signed
Rules and procedures
How the work is meant to be done
- 16The work is done the way the standard or procedure says
- 17Machines are locked out before anyone cleans, clears a jam or adjusts them
- 18Permits are in place for work such as hot work and confined space entry
- 19People know they can stop work and know who to tell
- 20Signs and visual instructions are present, clean and easy to read
People and behaviour
What people do and how they react
- 21Posture and manual handling are safe, with no awkward reaches, twists or heavy lifts
- 22No one is rushing, taking a shortcut or distracted by a phone or headphones
- 23No one is standing or working in the path of a forklift, a moving load or a machine
- 24People speak up, point out hazards and respond openly when asked
- 25People help each other and remind each other about safety
Interview questions
Ask a few, as a conversation, and listen
- 26What could hurt you or a colleague in this area?
- 27Where do you find the safety rules for your job, and are they easy to follow?
- 28Who do you tell when you see a new risk or have an idea, and what usually happens?
- 29When did the team last talk about safety here, and what came out of it?
- 30What would you change here to make the work safer?
- 31What protective equipment does this job need, and is it comfortable and easy to get?
- 32When is it hard to wear or use, and why?
- 33Tell me about a near miss you saw or had here. What happened afterwards?
- 34If a job felt unsafe, would you stop it, and has anyone here ever done so?
- 35What have you seen someone do well for safety lately?
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example: nine tours of a made-up machining area over a quarter, by different leaders. The counts and actions are invented.
- On the first tour the leader marked 6 safe acts, 7 unsafe acts, 11 unsafe conditions and 1 near miss. On the ninth, the marks were 12 safe acts, 3 unsafe acts, 4 unsafe conditions and no near miss.
- Over the quarter the marks total 79 safe acts, 46 unsafe acts, 65 unsafe conditions and 5 near misses, from 23 conversations with operators.
- Six actions were raised: a bypassed interlock on a lathe, grinder extraction, coolant spills on a walkway, gloves too thick for fine work, pallets in a walkway and an eyewash check. Five are closed, two of them engineering fixes.
- The one open action, a weekly eyewash check, has an owner and a date.
Unsafe conditions fell from 11 to 4 a tour and safe acts rose from 6 to 12 as the actions closed. The counts and actions are invented to show how the tally is read.
Common mistakes
Only recording what is wrong
A tour that never records a safe act becomes an inspection that people dread. Count the safe acts and say thank you.
Skipping the conversation
The observation shows what is there. The interview shows why: the glove that is too thick, the rule nobody can find, the near miss never reported.
Telling instead of asking
Reading the questions like an exam or correcting people on the spot shuts the conversation. Ask, listen and write it down.
No follow-up
People notice when a finding is logged and nothing happens. Give every action an owner and a date, and report back on it.
Always the same leader in the same area
Fresh eyes see what familiar eyes miss, and spreading the rota shows that every area matters. Rotate the leaders across the areas.
Download the template
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Run this template in LeanSuite
In LeanSuite supervisors and peers log safe and at-risk behaviors on a phone by category, such as PPE, line of fire or ergonomics; an at-risk answer can raise a tag or an action, and dashboards show which departments need coaching.
See it in a 45-minute demoIn the lean glossary
FAQ
Management safety tour form: common questions
A management safety tour is a scheduled walk by a leader to the place where work is done to observe safe and unsafe acts and conditions, talk to the people doing the job and turn what is found into actions with owners and dates.
An inspection or audit checks the place or the system against a list. A safety tour is a leader on the floor watching how work is done and asking people about it, so it looks at behaviour and conditions together and has a conversation built in.
There is no single answer. Set the number per leader per month for your site, make sure every area is covered, and check the rota against what was done. Many sites ask supervisors to tour more often than senior managers.
Ask open questions: what could hurt you here, where do you find the rules, who do you tell about a new risk, what would you change, and what happened after a near miss. This template has ten you can use as they are or adapt.
Yes. Counting safe acts recognises good practice, shows people the tour is not only about faults, and gives a balanced picture. A rising share of safe acts and a falling number of unsafe conditions is the trend you want to see.
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- Quality alert formA quality alert to post at the line, a sign-off sheet for every shift, and a log of open, expired and closed alerts.
- TQM self-assessment templateThe eight TQM principles in 24 statements you can check on the floor, scored 0 to 4 by several people, with the spread, the top 3 gaps and an action plan.
- Employee recognition program templateDesign a recognition program on one page, then run it: points per action, prizes, budget, a points ledger, a monthly leaderboard and a fairness check by team and shift.
- Lean transformation roadmapA plant-wide lean program on one sheet: six phases with exit criteria, six workstreams by quarter over 24 months, the model line, metrics with baseline and target, cadence and risks.
- Obeya room plannerPlan the walls, owners, cadence, agenda and rules of an obeya, then run the weekly review of KPIs, problems, actions and milestones.
- Paper forms inventory (paperless manufacturing worksheet)Every paper form, checklist and log in one list: hours a month, who acts on it, how long the paper waits, and which forms to move first.
- Continuous improvement software evaluation scorecardCompare CI software vendors: a must-have gate, eight weighted criteria scored 1 to 5, points out of 100 and a rank, with a demo script and reference questions.
- Lean principles assessment templateThe five lean principles as 25 things you can see on one value stream, answered yes, partly or no on a walk, with a score per principle, the next step and a trend over walks.
- Employee engagement survey templateA short anonymous pulse survey for shop floor staff: 14 statements in six drivers, two open questions, results by driver and team, and the actions.
- Hansei reflection sheet (lessons learned)A written look back at one finished project, event or launch: goals against results in numbers, causes rather than blame, lessons to keep or change, and where else they apply.
- Daily kaizen routine boardA team's 10 to 15 minute daily routine at the board: one problem from each person, small fixes with one owner, counted every week.
- Quality circle meeting recordA circle's charter, a one-page record for each meeting and a problem register that follows every problem from selected to closed or escalated.
- Weekly maintenance schedule templateNext week's maintenance jobs, scheduled only when ready, loaded against each craft's hours by day, with schedule compliance and break-ins at week end.
- Operational excellence assessment templateThe ten principles of operational excellence as 30 behaviors and practices you can see, scored 1 to 5 by several people, with the spread, the three lowest principles and an action plan.
- Scrum meeting agenda templateTimed agendas for the five scrum meetings, a sprint planning sheet, a retrospective sheet, and an Excel sprint backlog with a burndown.
- Toyota Production System (TPS) house templateThe TPS house for one plant or value stream: roof, two pillars and foundation, with what you do today, the evidence, a status and the next step for each element.
- EPEI and batch size calculatorHow often each part can come round on a shared machine (EPEI) and how big each batch must be, from demand, cycle times and changeovers, now and after SMED.
- People, process, technology (PPT) assessmentCheck one change before go-live: 18 people, process and technology statements scored 1 to 4 by the people who will use it, the lowest element and the actions.
- Process capacity sheet templateEach machine in a part's routing with manual, auto and tool change time, its capacity per shift, and the step that limits the cell against demand.
- Jidoka worksheet (stop at abnormality)For one line or cell, every abnormality that should stop the work: how it is detected, how the work stops, who is called, the immediate fix and the root cause step, plus a log of real stops.
- Team charter templateA one-page charter for a standing team: purpose, scope, roles, the KPIs it owns, which decisions it makes itself, norms and cadence.
- Chaku-chaku line plannerPlan a load-load cell: time each machine, load and walk, check that every machine is ready when the operator comes back, compare the cell cycle with takt and size the crew.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP) templateA full SOP in the hierarchical step format, from purpose and scope to the steps, records, revision history and approvals, with review checks and an SOP register.
- Process improvement method selectorEight questions about one problem, an example rule that suggests a method and a matrix of nine methods: when each fits, the usual team and time, and the template to start with.
- X-bar and R control chart template25 subgroups with means and ranges, control limits from A2, D3 and D4, signal flags, both charts and a reaction log.
- Gage R&R study sheet10 parts, 2 or 3 appraisers, 2 or 3 trials: EV, AV, GRR, PV, %GRR and ndc by the average and range method.
- Root cause analysis templateOne report from problem statement to proof: containment, evidence, analysis, verified causes, actions and the effectiveness check.
- Quality control pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the QA matrix to the QM matrix on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Autonomous maintenance 90-day model area planAM steps 0 to 3 on one model machine in 13 weeks, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves for months 4 to 12.
- Professional maintenance (PM) 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from breakdown analysis to a running PM calendar on one model machine, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Environment and energy pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from waste and energy maps to area standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Focused improvement 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss Pareto to standardized fixes on one model line, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Logistics and customer service pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the current-state map to pull on one model value stream, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- People development pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the skills matrix to trained cover on critical tasks in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Early equipment management 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from lessons on current machines to a tracked start-up on one model equipment project, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Cost deployment pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss map to costed, ranked projects in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Moving from Excel to one system checklistA 34-point checklist and a file inventory for moving trackers from spreadsheets to one system: keep, move, connect or retire, clean, pilot, run both, retire.
- Prioritization matrix templateScore up to 20 improvement ideas on weighted criteria, rank them, test the ranking with equal weights and place each one on an effort and benefit grid.
- Cost per unit worksheet (manufacturing cost per good unit)One product's cost per good unit by materials, labor, machine and overhead, the gap to target, and which cost lever is worth most a year.
- Digital manufacturing readiness assessmentScore 24 statements on process, technology and people from 0 to 4, check the balance between them and rank the gaps by what matters in your plant.
- Manufacturing KPI dashboard templateWeekly plant numbers in, 14 KPIs out: OEE and its parts, first pass yield, scrap, on-time delivery, recordable rate, cost and absence, each against a target.
- RCM worksheet (failure mode and task selection)Failure modes classed as hidden, safety, operational or non-operational, then a task chosen for each: condition-based, discard, failure-finding, redesign or run to failure.
- Error-proofing verification log (daily master-sample check)Each poka-yoke device proved every day or week with a known-bad sample, with missed checks counted and the hours and parts at risk worked out when one fails.
- Downtime reason codes template26 starter codes mapped to the six big losses, a log with drop-downs, a Pareto by code and by loss, and a code card for the line.
- Defect catalogue template with boundary samplesEvery defect with a definition, a class and the reason for it, measured accept and reject limits by zone, boundary samples, a defect log with DPU and Pareto, and an inspector agreement check.
- I-MR chart template (individuals and moving range)Up to 100 single readings with moving ranges, limits from a baseline, five run-rule flags, both charts, a second phase and a reaction log.
- Kaizen event preparation checklistEverything that has to be ready before a kaizen event and done after it: 44 items with owners and due dates from 6 weeks before day 1 to 30 days after, five go or no-go gates and a day-by-day agenda.
- Attribute control chart template (p, np, c and u charts)p, np, c and u charts in one workbook: a chart selector, a sample size check, limits for each subgroup, signal flags and four worked examples.
- Critical spare parts list and stocking levelsAssets ranked by consequence, each part classed and given a stocking policy, and min and max worked out from usage and lead time, with the downtime each stock-out would cost.
- Tier 2 meeting agenda and escalation sheetA 15-minute tier 2 agenda in ten timed blocks, fixed roles and rules, escalation triggers with time limits, and a log that ages every escalation and sends the answer back down.
- Mock recall template: traceability exercise worksheetTrace a finished lot back to every input lot and forward to every first customer, reconcile the quantities against a tolerance and time it against your target.
- ISO 9001 internal audit checklist (production area)46 audit questions for the production floor in 11 processes, each with its ISO 9001:2015 clause, what evidence to look for and the sample to take, plus five defined grades, a findings log, a finding report and a summary by clause.
- Plan for every part (PFEP) templateOne row per part: supplier, pack, container, usage, lead time and locations, with ABC classes, market and line kanban counts and a lineside space check.
- Food plant GMP inspection checklist (21 CFR 117 subpart B)55 checks in the order of 21 CFR 117 subpart B, each citing its paragraph and saying what to look at, with a grade, finding, owner and due date; results by section and grade, a walk route and a bakery example.
- Master sanitation schedule with pre-op verificationA master list of cleaning tasks by area and equipment with frequency, chemical, lockout, who and next due date, a weekly on-time count, and the pre-operational verification log with a release step.
- Changeover matrix templateA from-to matrix of changeover minutes with the clean each transition needs (allergen, colour, format), and a weekly planner that totals the order and suggests a shorter one.
- Measurement uncertainty budget templateA GUM uncertainty budget: Type A and B rows, divisors by distribution, sensitivity coefficients, uc, νeff, k from the t-table, U, TUR and a guard band check.
- Maintenance job plan templateOne job planned on one sheet: steps and craft hours, parts checked against stock, tools, lockout and permits, documents, a ready check for the schedule, and technician feedback.
- Video time study filming checklistA pre-shoot checklist and shot log for filming a time study on video: camera, light, people, settings, power and review.
- Reorder point and safety stock sheet (many parts)Safety stock, reorder point, order quantity and an order list for up to 500 parts, worked out from each part's own demand and lead time history.
- Energy use and EnPI trackerMonthly electricity, gas and fuel in one unit, a 12-month regression baseline, expected against actual energy for each month, an EnPI ratio, the running saving and the tests that say whether the model can be trusted.
- FIFO lane sizing sheetThe maximum for a FIFO lane from the stop it must cover, in whole containers, with length, refill and wait checks for up to eight lanes.
- Pugh matrix templateCompare up to 8 concepts with a datum as better, same or worse on up to 12 criteria, flag must-haves, and carry the strongest into a second round.
- Condition monitoring route sheetA route of measuring points with baselines, alert and alarm limits, a check interval from the P-F interval, readings with rising and overdue flags, and an exceptions list worst first.
- Quad chart templateA project on one page in four boxes: idea and owner, problem, approach, and cost, schedule and result.
- Loss tree worksheetBreak one big loss number into area, line, machine, loss type and cause, and stop at the cause a team can fix.
- Equipment register templateOne row per asset, with hierarchy, criticality, PM strategy and owner, and a check that flags what is missing.
- Machine history record templateOne record per machine: components and their life, every breakdown and repair with cost, MTBF and MTTR, and a repair-or-extend check.
- Compressed air leak survey logWalk sheet, printable leak tags and a tracker that puts an annual cost on every leak and follows it to a verified fix.
- Defect detection matrix templateMap where each defect is created and where it is found, score the gap and move the check closer to the cause.
- Project savings validation checklistThe gate between a project's claim and a reported saving: 20 checks, a claims register and a six-month sustainment check.
- Life cycle cost analysis templateCompare up to three machines over ten years: price, energy, upkeep, failures and down time, discounted to present value.
- Equipment design review checklistGate reviews for a new machine before order, before build and before start-up, with a safety buy-off and a problems journal.
- Energy loss matrix templateSeven types of energy loss by six energy sources with a cost in each cell, an action plan and an idle-period shutdown checklist.
- Environmental compliance audit checklistAn internal environmental audit: 37 questions with what to look for, a findings log with classes and a score by section.
- APQP checklistThe five APQP phases as a checklist: deliverables, owners, due dates, gate reviews and an issues list.
- Out-of-control action plan (OCAP) templateA reaction plan for a control chart: the steps, what each signal means, who to call and a log of events.
- Quality inspection checklistAn in-process and final inspection record: measured characteristics, visual checks, a decision and first pass yield.
- AQL sampling plan templatePick a sample size, read accept and reject numbers, record the defects and decide on the lot.
- MSA study workbookBias, linearity and stability study sheets for a gauge, with the arithmetic done and a guide to which study when.
- Incoming quality control stage sheetA register that shows how much control each purchased part has and plans the move from your dock to the supplier's process.
- Internal audit schedule templateA year of internal audits planned by risk: the programme, the register, the auditors and the findings.
- Approved supplier list templateThe list of suppliers you may buy from, with the evidence behind each, certificate expiry alerts and re-evaluation dates.
- Pest control inspection checklistA pest control walk-round for a food plant, with a log of traps and stations and action levels for each type of device.
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A shift handover sheet, a red tag log, a changeover checklist for one machine: if your team uses it on the floor, ask.