Free template
Warehouse safety inspection checklist
A warehouse safety inspection is a regular walk through the warehouse to find hazards before they hurt someone: blocked aisles, damaged racking, unsafe docks, forklift problems, missing PPE, blocked exits and poor housekeeping. Done on a schedule with the same checklist, it also shows whether the same problems keep coming back. In the US, several OSHA rules apply to what is checked, such as 29 CFR 1910.176 on aisles, secure storage and housekeeping in storage areas, 1910.37 on exit routes and 1910.157 on portable fire extinguishers; check the rules that apply where you work. This template has 30 checks in seven areas: aisles, floors and walkways; racking and storage; docks and doors; forklifts and equipment; PPE; fire and emergency; and housekeeping. Each is marked OK, Not OK or N/A with space for the finding, and page 2 has a count, the percentage OK and an action table for every Not OK. The Excel version counts results and works out the percentage OK by area and overall, and has an actions log with status and days open.
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 warehouse safety inspection checklist
- On a regular schedule, weekly or monthly, by the area supervisor or safety team.
- After a change to the layout, racking or equipment.
- After an incident or near miss in the warehouse.
- Before an internal or external safety audit.
How to fill it in
- 1
Walk the whole area
Docks, aisles, the charging area, storage corners and exits. Hazards collect in the places nobody visits.
- 2
Mark every check
OK, Not OK or N/A. A blank check is a check that was not done.
- 3
Say where each problem is
Aisle, bay, dock door or location, so someone else can find and fix it.
- 4
Fix what you can now
Clear a blocked exit, mop a spill, remove a pallet from an aisle on the spot, and still write it down.
- 5
Assign the rest
An action, an owner and a due date for every Not OK left. Racking damage goes to whoever inspects and repairs racking.
- 6
Track the trend
Percentage OK by area over time, and the checks that fail again and again.
What's on the checklist
The 30 checks on the warehouse safety inspection checklist
Seven areas from the aisles to the fire exits. On the sheet each check is marked OK, Not OK or N/A, with space for where the problem is; every Not OK gets an action on page 2.
Aisles, floors and walkways
Where people and trucks move
- 1Aisles and walkways clear, marked and wide enough for the equipment used
- 2Floors free of spills, debris, holes and trip hazards
- 3Pedestrian routes kept apart from forklift routes, with marked crossings
- 4Mirrors and signs in place at blind corners and intersections
Racking and storage
What is stored and how
- 5No visible damage to uprights, beams or bracing, or the damage is reported
- 6Load signs posted and loads within them
- 7Pallets stable and square, nothing overhanging the beams
- 8Heavy items stored low, and nothing stored on top of the racking
- 9Floor stacks limited in height and stable
Docks and doors
Loading and unloading
- 10Dock edges marked, dock plates and levelers in good working order
- 11Trailers restrained or wheels chocked before loading starts
- 12Dock doors and seals undamaged, doors closed when not in use
- 13Dock area lit and clear of stored material
Forklifts and equipment
Trucks, jacks and ladders
- 14Pre-shift checks done and recorded for each truck
- 15Trucks with a defect tagged out of service
- 16Charging area ventilated, with an eyewash and no-smoking signs
- 17Pallet jacks, ladders and carts in good condition
- 18Only trained, authorized people operating trucks
PPE
What people wear
- 19Hi-vis, safety shoes and gloves worn where required
- 20PPE for the area posted at its entrance
- 21Spare PPE available and in good condition
Fire and emergency
Getting out and first response
- 22Exit routes and exit doors clear, exit signs visible
- 23Fire extinguishers in place and unobstructed, with the monthly check recorded
- 24Clear space kept below sprinkler heads
- 25First aid kit and eyewash stocked and checked
- 26Emergency lighting and alarm tested to schedule
Housekeeping
Keeping it clean and lit
- 27Empty pallets, stretch wrap and banding removed or stored in their place
- 28Waste bins emptied, not overflowing
- 29Lights working in aisles and work areas
- 30Chemicals stored and labeled, safety data sheets available
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example: a monthly inspection of a distribution warehouse (illustrative).
- 30 checks: 25 OK, 3 Not OK, 2 N/A. % OK = 25 ÷ (25 + 3) = 89%.
- Not OK: stretch wrap and banding left in two aisles; a fire extinguisher blocked by a pallet; the monthly extinguisher check not recorded.
- The pallet and the wrap were cleared during the walk; the extinguisher check was assigned to the facilities lead.
- The same housekeeping finding had appeared on the two previous inspections.
Because the wrap finding kept coming back, the team added a waste bin at the end of each aisle and a check at the end of every shift, and watched the next inspections for it.
Common mistakes
Ticking from the office
A checklist filled in without walking the area finds nothing. Walk it every time.
Findings without owners
A list of Not OKs with no owner and date is still a list of hazards next month.
Ignoring repeat findings
The same finding every month means the fix was not a fix. Look for the cause.
Only checking conditions
Watch how people work too: forklift speed, pedestrians in truck routes, PPE actually worn.
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 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
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FAQ
Warehouse safety inspection checklist: common questions
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