Free template
Updated
Safety audit checklist
A safety audit checklist is a structured walk through the whole plant to check that the conditions and controls that prevent injuries are in place: clear floors and exits, working fire extinguishers, machine guards, electrical panels, lockout/tagout, chemical labels, PPE, manual handling, first aid and the training records behind them. Unlike a warehouse or forklift inspection, it covers every area of a general manufacturing site in one pass, and scoring it the same way each time shows which areas slip. In the US many of the checks relate to OSHA 29 CFR 1910 rules, such as 1910.22 (walking-working surfaces), 1910.37 (exit routes), 1910.157 (portable fire extinguishers), 1910.212 (machine guarding), 1910.147 (lockout/tagout), 1910.1200 (hazard communication) and 1910.132 (PPE); the checklist does not replace a compliance review. Page 1 of this template has 34 checks in ten areas, each answered Yes, No or N/A with space for the finding. Page 2 has the score by area (Yes ÷ (Yes + No), with N/A left out), a high, medium and low risk rating with example timescales, an action table for every No and sign-off. The Excel version works out the score by area and overall, counts the No answers by risk, and lists every No on an actions sheet with its status and days late.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
When to use it
When to use a safety audit checklist
- Monthly or quarterly, as a full walk of the plant by a supervisor, the safety team or the safety committee.
- Before an internal or external safety audit, or an insurer's visit.
- After a change to the layout, new equipment or a new process.
- After an incident, to check the same conditions in the rest of the plant.
How to fill it in
- 1
Plan the route
Cover every area, including maintenance shops, chemical stores, plant rooms and the corners nobody visits. Bring the actions from the last audit.
- 2
Answer every check on the floor
Yes when it meets the standard, No when it does not, N/A only when it truly does not apply. A blank is a check that was not done.
- 3
Talk to people
Ask how to raise the alarm, where the safety data sheets are, what PPE the job needs. Some checks can only be answered by asking.
- 4
Make it safe now
A missing guard or a blocked exit is dealt with before you leave the area, and still written down.
- 5
Rate and assign every No
High, medium or low risk, an action, an owner and a due date. Set your own timescale for each rating.
- 6
Score and compare
Score each area as Yes ÷ (Yes + No) and compare it with the last audit. A falling area or a repeat finding needs a look at the cause.
What's on the checklist
The 34 checks on the safety audit checklist
Ten areas of a general manufacturing plant. On the sheet each check is answered Yes, No or N/A, with space for the finding; every No gets a risk rating and an action on page 2.
Walking-working surfaces and housekeeping
Floors, aisles, stairs, platforms
- 1Floors clean and as dry as possible, with no spills or leaks
- 2Aisles and walkways marked and kept clear of stored material
- 3No trip hazards: cords, hoses, loose mats or damaged flooring
- 4Stairs, platforms and guardrails in good repair, handrails fitted
Exits and fire protection
Getting out and putting a fire out
- 5Exit routes and exit doors free and unobstructed
- 6Exits marked with a visible Exit sign, exit routes lit
- 7Extinguishers mounted, unobstructed, charged, monthly check recorded
- 8Flammable liquids in safety cabinets, sprinkler heads kept clear
Machine guarding
Points of operation, nip points, rotating parts
- 9Guards in place at points of operation, nip points and rotating parts
- 10Guards secured, not removed, bypassed or propped open
- 11Emergency stops marked, within reach and tested
- 12Interlocks on doors and covers stop the machine when opened
Electrical
Panels, disconnects, cords
- 13Clear working space in front of panels, nothing stored there
- 14Panel covers closed, breakers and disconnects labeled
- 15Cords and plugs undamaged, extension cords not used as fixed wiring
Lockout/tagout
Control of hazardous energy
- 16Written energy control procedures for the machines that need them
- 17Locks and tags applied by authorized employees during servicing
- 18Periodic inspection of each procedure done within the last year
Hazardous chemicals and labels
Hazard communication
- 19All containers labeled, including secondary containers
- 20Safety data sheets readily accessible on every shift
- 21Chemicals stored by compatibility, lids closed, spill kit nearby
PPE
Assessed, provided, worn
- 22Written PPE hazard assessment for the area, certified and current
- 23Required PPE posted at the area entrance and worn there
- 24PPE in good condition, damaged PPE taken out of use
Ergonomics and manual handling
Lifting, reaching, repetition
- 25Lifting aids, carts or hoists used for heavy or awkward loads
- 26Work heights and reaches suit the people doing the job
- 27Reports of strain or discomfort followed up, not left open
First aid and emergency
First response
- 28First aid kits stocked and checked, trained first aiders on each shift
- 29Eyewash or shower where corrosives are used, clear and tested
- 30Emergency numbers, evacuation map and assembly point posted
- 31People asked can say how to raise the alarm and where to go
Training and records
The records behind the checks
- 32Training current for LOTO, hazard communication, PPE and equipment
- 33Actions from the last audit closed or on schedule
- 34Near misses and incidents in the area reported and followed up
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example: a monthly audit of a machining and assembly plant (illustrative).
- 34 checks: 26 Yes, 5 No, 3 N/A (no flammable liquids stored, no interlocked covers, no corrosives in the area). Score = 26 ÷ (26 + 5) = 84%.
- No, high risk: a fixed guard taken off a conveyor tail pulley and left on the floor. The conveyor was locked out until maintenance refitted the guard that shift.
- No, medium risk: pallets stored in front of an electrical panel (cleared during the audit), an unlabeled spray bottle of degreaser, and two new starters not yet trained in hazard communication.
- No, low risk: the monthly extinguisher check not recorded for two months.
The guard finding was the second in three months, so the team asked why the guard kept coming off: operators removed it to clear jams. Maintenance fitted a hinged, interlocked cover so jams can be cleared safely, and the next audit checked it.
Common mistakes
Auditing from the office
A checklist ticked at a desk finds nothing. Walk every area, every time.
Using N/A to avoid a No
N/A raises the score. Use it only when the hazard really is not there.
Findings with no owner
A No without an action, an owner and a date is still a hazard next month.
Fixing the condition, not the cause
If the same No comes back, ask why it keeps happening before fixing it again.
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 you run safety inspections, Gemba walks and LOTO checks from ready-made templates, a failed item raises a safety tag automatically, and every corrective action has an owner and a due date, with delays flagged.
In the lean glossary
Free tools
FAQ
Safety audit checklist: common questions
More free templates
All templates- 5S audit checklist template25 checks, five per S, scored 1 to 5, with a score summary and a chart of the five S's.
- Gemba walk checklistA walk plan and route, 30 prompts in six groups and a findings table with owners and due dates.
- Leader standard work templateA team leader's daily, weekly and monthly routine with a box per day, follow-ups and a weekly review.
- Autonomous maintenance (CILR) checklist20 clean, inspect, lubricate and retighten checks with a box per day, an abnormality log and sign-off.
- A3 problem solving templateThe standard seven-box A3 from background to follow-up, with a filled-in worked example. PDF and Excel.
- PDCA templateOne improvement cycle on one page: plan, do, check against the goal, then standardize or adjust. PDF and Excel.
- 5 Whys templateA problem statement, five why rows with evidence, the root cause and the countermeasure.
- 5W1H templateSix questions with prompts and evidence, turned into a problem statement before the root cause analysis.
- 8D report templateD0 to D8 on three pages: team, is/is not, containment, occurrence and escape causes, actions and closure.
- Poka-yoke worksheetEach step's possible errors, prevention or detection, the method, a device idea and a verified box.
- Skills matrix templatePeople by skills, a 0 to 4 scale, a training column and a coverage row that shows the gaps.
- Standard work sheet templateTakt time, each element's manual, machine and walk time on a time chart, key points and standard WIP.
- One point lesson (OPL) templateOne topic on one page: wrong way and right way pictures, key points, why it matters and a sign-off record.
- SMED changeover worksheetChangeover steps with times, internal or external, what can move, ideas and before/after totals.
- Kaizen event charter templateScope, team and roles, baseline and target metrics, a five-day schedule, risks and sign-off.
- RACI matrix template17 kaizen project tasks by 10 roles, with R, A, C, I drop-downs and a check for one accountable per task.
- Layered process audit (LPA) checklist20 yes, no or N/A checks at the station, a fixed-on-the-spot box, scores by group and a findings table.
- PFMEA template (process FMEA)Failure modes, effects and causes rated for severity, occurrence and detection, with RPN before and after action.
- 5S red tag log and red tagsA log of every red-tagged item with its decision, and six printable red tags to cut out.
- Shift handover templateProduction against plan, safety, quality, equipment, materials and people, and the open issues the next shift takes over.
- Kanban card templateSix production and six withdrawal kanban cards to print and cut out, with loop sizing and a card register.
- Pareto chart templateA tally sheet, the categories sorted largest first with cumulative %, and the chart. Excel does the sorting and drawing.
- Control plan templateWhat is checked at each step, against which limits, how, how often, and what to do when a result is out.
- Corrective action request (CAPA) formProblem, containment, root cause, corrective and preventive action, and proof the fix worked, on two pages.
- Idea suggestion formA one-page idea form with the supervisor's answer and points, and an idea log that tracks days to answer.
- Just Do It (JDI) card templateSix Just Do It cards per sheet for quick fixes, with the rules for what counts and a log of every card.
- Quick kaizen templateOne page for a small improvement: before and after, the cause, the countermeasure, the results and whether the standard changed.
- Time study sheetTime each element over 10 cycles and work out the average, lowest repeatable and standard time. Excel does the sums.
- Spaghetti diagram templateSquared paper to trace every trip, a tally of trips and distance, and a before and after comparison.
- OEE tracking sheetOne row per shift for a week. The Excel version works out availability, performance, quality and OEE and charts the week.
- Near miss report formA two-page near miss report from the first report to closure, and an Excel log with status and days open.
- Safety observation card templateFour behavior-based safety cards per sheet, with safe and at-risk checks, the conversation and a tally sheet.
- Job safety analysis (JSA) templateJob steps, hazards, risk scored before and after the controls, the hierarchy of controls, PPE and sign-off.
- Risk assessment matrix template (5×5)A color-coded 5 × 5 severity and likelihood matrix, a scoring guide and a risk register.
- Incident investigation report templateWhat happened, people, evidence and timeline, root cause with 5 Whys and contributing factors, actions and sign-off.
- Toolbox talk templateA record of a short safety talk: topic, key points, questions raised, actions and an attendee sign-in sheet.
- Lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedure templateA machine-specific LOTO procedure: energy sources and isolation points, the steps from shutdown to restart, and the annual review.
- Forklift inspection checklist23 pre-shift checks for a week on one page, a do-not-operate rule, and a defect and repair log.
- Non-conformance report (NCR) formA two-page NCR from the requirement against what was found to disposition and closure, and an Excel NCR log.
- CAPA log templateAn Excel CAPA tracker with status, days open, late flags and counts by source, plus a printable log and monthly review.
- Supplier corrective action request (SCAR) formA SCAR from the problem and containment asked for to the supplier's 8D-style response, verification and closure.
- First article inspection (FAI) report templatePart information, a ballooned characteristic table with tolerances and results, material and process certificates, and sign-off.
- Preventive maintenance checklist templateA PM checklist per machine with readings and sign-off, and a PM schedule that works out the next due date.
- Equipment downtime log (MTTR and MTBF)A breakdown and downtime log, with MTTR, MTBF and downtime by machine and cause worked out in Excel.
- Environmental aspects and impacts registerAn ISO 14001-style register of aspects and impacts, with significance scoring, legal requirements, controls and owners.
- Manufacturing process instruction (MPI) templateOperation steps with parameters, tools, quality checks, safety and a photo each, plus revision history and approval.
- Engineering process instruction (EPI) templateScope, parameters and limits, equipment and materials, validation steps, acceptance criteria, change history and approvals.
- Training sign-off sheetAn attendance and sign-off record where each person signs they understood, with a competence check and an Excel log.
- On-the-job training (OJT) checklistA job breakdown and the four TWI Job Instruction steps with sign-offs, the tries and the date the trainee qualified.
- New hire onboarding checklist (manufacturing)29 onboarding items from before day 1 to the 90-day review, with owners, dates and review notes.
- Competency assessment formEach task rated 0 to 4 on the skills matrix scale with the evidence seen, then the gaps and a training plan.
- Cross-training plan templateWho is learning which task, from and to which level, by when, and how many are qualified on each task.
- Absenteeism tracker templateA monthly attendance grid with codes, absence rate by person and team, and an optional Bradford factor.
- Engineering change request (ECR) formAn ECR form with the change, what it touches, risk and approvals, and an Excel log that tracks each change to done.
- Design FMEA (DFMEA) templateA design FMEA worksheet with S, O, D and RPN before and after action, a class column and a design rating guide.
- Process flow diagram templateA squared sheet to draw the flow with a symbol key, and a step table that counts operations, moves, checks, waits and storage.
- PPAP checklistThe 18 PPAP elements with owner, due date and status, the five submission levels and a readiness count.
- Process capability (Cpk) study sheet25 subgroups of readings with Cp, Cpk, Pp and Ppk worked out, control limits to check stability, and a histogram.
- Office 5S audit checklist25 checks written for offices and shared areas, five per S, scored 1 to 5, with a score summary and actions.
- Floor marking color guideA floor marking color standard with swatches, marks and line widths to fill in, and a floor marking check with a layout sketch.
- Shadow board plannerPlan a shadow board: the tool list with how often each is used, a squared layout, labels, and a month of daily checks.
- Lubrication schedule templateEvery lube point with lubricant, method, amount, frequency and who, with next due dates and a monthly sign-off record.
- TPM tag logEvery abnormality tag with type, who fixes it, priority and dates, with days open and counts by type and week.
- Autonomous maintenance step auditCriteria for each of the seven autonomous maintenance steps, scored 0 to 2, with the step result and the decision to move on.
- Inventory cycle count sheetA blind count sheet with variance and tolerance, an ABC count schedule and record accuracy, worked out in Excel.
- Hour-by-hour production boardHourly plan against actual with running totals and the reason for each miss, plus a shift summary by reason.
- Cost savings trackerA savings log with hard and soft savings, payback and Finance's sign-off, plus a glide path against the year's target.
- CapEx request formA capital request with options, costs, benefits, payback and NPV, and the approval levels the amount needs.
- Cost-benefit analysis templateUp to three options side by side with costs, hard and soft benefits, payback, NPV and the benefit-cost ratio.
- Cost of poor quality (COPQ) worksheetCost of quality by prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure, with COPQ as a share of sales.
- Incoming inspection checklistReceiving inspection checks from paperwork to sample, the sampling plan, the decision, and an Excel log by supplier.
- Supplier audit checklistA supplier process audit of 32 questions scored 0 to 3, with section scores, a rating and the findings.
- Supplier scorecardMonthly PPM, on-time delivery and SCAR measures turned into points, a weighted score and a rating per supplier.
- Receiving logA dock receiving log with quantities, damage, QC holds and putaway, plus a discrepancy report and dock-to-stock time.
- Warehouse safety inspection checklistThirty warehouse safety checks from aisles to fire exits, marked OK or Not OK, with an action for every finding.
- Pallet racking inspection checklistRack checks per aisle with a green, amber and red damage rating, and a damage log with repair dates.
- Pre-shipment inspection checklistThe last check before shipping: part, quantity, labels, packaging, paperwork and photos, then release.
- Material shortage logEvery part short with its need date, line impact, ETA and escalation, and counts by reason and supplier.
- Ergonomic risk assessment checklistScreen a task for 21 ergonomic risk factors, score how long each lasts, and rank tasks so the worst get controls first.
- Maintenance work order formOne form per maintenance job from request to handback, and a log that tracks response, completion and backlog by priority.
- Six big losses worksheetWhere a machine's planned time goes: the six big losses in minutes, ranked, with A, P, Q and OEE worked out.
- Andon response logEvery andon call with response and fix times, flags against your targets, and counts by type and station.
- Changeover checklist25 checks for every changeover, a record of planned and actual times, and a log of changeover time against target.
- Kanban sizing calculatorHow many kanban cards each loop needs, per part, with the change from today's cards and what the loop holds in days.
- 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.
Can't find the template you need?
Tell us what you're looking for. We'll make it and send it to your inbox, free.
A shift handover sheet, a red tag log, a changeover checklist for one machine: if your team uses it on the floor, ask.