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Updated
Work instruction template
A work instruction is a one-page document that tells one person how to do one job at one station, step by step. Each step is one action. Where someone could get hurt, make a bad part or miss a knack, it carries a key point and the reason for it. This template has the page to fill in, a page on how to write one with the operator, and an Excel file that adds up the step times and keeps a training record showing who is current, due or overdue.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Fields for title, document number, revision, station, owner, effective date, purpose, PPE and tools, above a table of nine blank steps with what to do, key point, type, reason and seconds, and boxes for what to do if something goes wrong and training.Header and purposePPE, tools and materialSteps with key pointsReason for each key pointStep times and totalIf something goes wrongTraining recordSign-off
When to use it
When to use a work instruction template
- For a job done at a station where the way it is done changes the quality or the safety of the result.
- When a new operator is learning a job and the trainer teaches it from memory.
- After an incident or a defect traced to a step that was done differently on another shift.
- To record who has been trained on the job and when they are due to be checked again.
- For a whole process with scope, roles and approvals, use an SOP. This is the page at the machine.
How to fill it in
- 1
Name the job and the station
Title, document number, revision, station or machine, owner and effective date. Add the purpose in a sentence: what this job makes sure of. - 2
Watch the job and time each step
Stand with the operator while they do the job the way it is done today. Write each action as you see it and time it with a watch. - 3
Write the steps, one action each, starting with a verb
Press, pull, load, check. If a step has the word and in it, split it. About 15 words is as long as a step should get. - 4
Add a key point where it matters
Mark it S if someone could be hurt, Q if the part or pack could be bad and K for a knack that makes the step easy. Leave it empty when there is nothing to say. - 5
Give the reason for every key point
People follow a key point they understand. Without the reason it gets dropped when the line is busy. - 6
Try it on someone who has not done the job
Ask them to follow the page. Every place they stop or ask is a place to fix. Then sign, date and put the revision on the page. - 7
Record the training and the re-check
In the Excel training record write who was trained, by whom and when. The sheet works out the next re-check and shows Current, Due soon, Overdue or Not trained.
The three kinds of key point
What the S, Q and K mean on a step
A key point is anything that makes or breaks the step. Use one letter for each so a trainer can find the safety points first.
| Type | Use it when | Example |
|---|---|---|
| S safety | Someone could be hurt. | Use your own lock and tag, then try the start button. |
| Q quality | The part or pack could be bad. | Check the reel ID matches the work order. |
| K knack | There is a way of doing it that makes the step easy. | Pull straight off. Do not twist. |
S safety
- Use it when
- Someone could be hurt.
- Example
- Use your own lock and tag, then try the start button.
Q quality
- Use it when
- The part or pack could be bad.
- Example
- Check the reel ID matches the work order.
K knack
- Use it when
- There is a way of doing it that makes the step easy.
- Example
- Pull straight off. Do not twist.
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example (illustrative): replacing the label reel on a labeller, document WI-PK-014, revision C, effective 2 November 2026, with the training record as at 10 November 2026. The job, names and numbers are made up.
- Nine steps take 265 seconds, which is 4 min 25 s. Threading the web along the guide plate (step 5) is the longest at 60 seconds.
- Eight steps have a key point: 3 safety (S), 2 quality (Q) and 3 knack (K). Each has a reason. Step 9, writing the reel ID and the time on the log, is a record step and has none.
- Six operators are on the training record, with a re-check every 6 months and 'due soon' meaning within 30 days: 2 are Current, 1 is Due soon, 2 are Overdue and 1 has not been trained.
- Tom is due soon: his re-check is on 12 November. Joy's re-check was due on 2 September and Priya's on 30 October, so both are overdue. Gus has no training date.
Only 2 of the 6 operators are current. The overdue re-checks and the operator who has not been trained are the first thing to fix before the next label change.
Common mistakes
Steps that hold two actions
'Remove the cover and clean the sensor' is two steps. Split it so each can be timed, checked and trained on its own.
A key point on every step
When everything is a key point, nothing is. Mark only the steps where safety, quality or a knack really matters.
Key points with no reason
'Do not twist' gets ignored. 'Twisting scores the spindle and the next reel runs off centre' gets remembered.
Written at a desk
An instruction written from memory describes how the job should be done, not how it is done. Write it at the machine, with the operator.
No revision and no training record
Without a revision on the page you cannot tell which copy is current, and without a training record you cannot tell who has been shown the new one.
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 the AI writes work instructions from a video of your best operator, with numbered steps, a picture for each and callouts for PPE, tools and warnings; drafts go to engineering, EHS and quality for e-signature, and each instruction has an owner, a review date and a version history.
See it in a 45-minute demoIn the lean glossary
FAQ
Work instruction template: common questions
A short document that tells one person how to do one job at one station, in steps. Each step is one action, and the steps that matter for safety, quality or a knack carry a key point with the reason for it.
A work instruction covers one job at one station, in steps, for the operator. An SOP covers a whole process, with purpose, scope, roles, safety, records and approvals, for anyone who needs the process in full and for the auditor.
The title, document number, revision and owner, the purpose, PPE and tools, the steps with key points and reasons, what to do if something goes wrong, and sign-off. Pictures help on the steps that are hard to describe.
Detailed enough that a new operator can follow it with a trainer beside them, and short enough to read in one look at the machine. Put detail in key points and pictures, not in longer steps.
Whenever the job changes, and on a schedule you set. Change the page before the change starts, put the new revision and date on it, and take old copies off the floor. This training record re-checks each operator every 6 months to start with, and you can change that per person.
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- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Safety pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the incident pyramid to safety standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- 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.
- 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.
- HACCP plan template: hazard analysis and CCP worksheetThe Codex 12 steps in one workbook: team and product, process steps checked on site, hazard analysis with the CCP decision tree, the CCP table with completeness checks, an allergen matrix and a verification schedule.
- REBA worksheet (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)Score up to six postures with REBA: body-part drop-downs, Tables A, B and C as lookups, final score and action level, and a before and after comparison.
- 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.
- ISO 45001 internal audit checklist44 audit questions for the plant floor in 16 safety topics, each with its ISO 45001:2018 clause, the evidence to look for and the sample to take, plus 12 worker interview prompts, a findings log 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.
- Overhead crane inspection checklist: frequent and periodic34 crane checks tied to OSHA 1910.179: an operator's pre-shift card, frequent and periodic inspections with signed records, a deficiency and tag-out log, and a register of next due dates.
- 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.
- 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.
- OSHA compliance calendar (general industry)37 recurring federal OSHA duties with the paragraph, interval, owner, next due date and an overdue flag, plus a 12-month view and counts by owner.
- TRIR and DART rate trackerMonthly hours, OSHA 300 case counts and near misses in; rolling 12-month TRIR and DART rate, a case budget against your target and a trend chart out.
- 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.
- Machine guarding inspection sheetA machine register with due dates and a status per machine, 21 checks tied to OSHA 1910.212, .219 and .147, a guard opening check against Table O-10, and an action log.
- 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.
- Fire extinguisher inspection checklist and logThe 8 monthly checks for each portable extinguisher, plus a log with the hydro test interval from OSHA Table L-1, annual and 6-year due dates and open issues.
- Quad chart templateA project on one page in four boxes: idea and owner, problem, approach, and cost, schedule and result.
- Toolbox talk topics (52 weekly topics)52 weekly toolbox talk topics, each with a one-line key message and a discussion question, and a tracker for the year.
- 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.
- Emergency action plan templateA written emergency plan for a plant: site facts, roles and backups, warden coverage, scenario steps and a drill record.
- Preliminary hazard analysis (PHA) worksheetFind and score the hazards of a new line, machine or process before design is fixed, then choose controls and re-score.
- Risk register templateOne scored list of operational risks with owners, actions and dates, a heat map and a review log.
- Hot work permit templateA hot work permit with a precautions checklist, fire watch record and close-out, plus an Excel permit log.
- Confined space entry permit templateA confined space entry permit with checks, an air test log, an entry log and cancellation, plus an Excel register.
- 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.
- Management safety tour formA leader's scheduled safety walk: observation form, operator interview, tally, actions, rota and a tour log with a dashboard.
- Chemical inventory and SDS register templateA register of every chemical on site with its hazard class, safety data sheet and label, and a check that incompatible products are kept apart.
- Safety committee meeting minutes templateMinutes for a safety committee: attendance, nine agenda items, an action log that carries open actions forward, and monthly numbers.
- 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.
- 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.
- Vehicle inspection checklist53 checks for a truck, tractor or trailer, each tied to the federal rule it comes from, with a defect log.
- Pre-trip inspection checklistA driver's 42-check walk-round in order, with the driver vehicle inspection report for the end of the day.
- Cleanroom audit checklist33 cleanroom checks split by how often they run (each shift, weekly, per plan, system), a gowning order to watch against, a differential pressure log and a findings log, with a worked week of readings.
- GMP audit checklist for drug manufacturing42 self-inspection checks ordered by the subparts of 21 CFR 211, each with its section, the matching EU GMP chapter and whether it is seen on the floor or in records, graded critical, major or minor, with a worked audit of a packaging line.
- ISO 13485 internal audit checklist38 questions on ISO 13485 clauses 4 to 8, each with the FDA QMSR section that brings it in or adds to it, a production floor tab (records, current instructions, training, nonconforming product, CAPA) and a worked audit of a catheter line.
- ISO 22716 GMP audit checklist for cosmetics25 cosmetic GMP checks following the sections of ISO 22716, split into a floor walk (people, premises, equipment, materials, production) and system checks (lab, out of specification, deviations, complaints, change control, audits, documents), with a worked audit of a filling line.
- SQF internal audit checklist for food manufacturing54 questions in the two parts of the SQF manufacturing code (system elements and GMP), each group mapped to BRCGS and FSSC 22000, graded Conforms to Critical, with findings, a score and a yearly plan.
- Injection molding defects chart16 molding defects with causes by machine, material, mold and method, first checks, and an Excel defect log with a Pareto.
- ESD audit checklist29 checks for an ESD protected area, with daily tests split from periodic verification, a measurement log and a worked audit.
- Management of change formA change request and review form for a plant: what changes, the hazard review, approvals, pre-startup review, training and close-out.
- Silica exposure control plan templateA written silica plan for general industry: tasks, controls and housekeeping, plus monitoring, medical surveillance, training and a 31-check plan audit.
- OKR template for manufacturingObjectives with three or four key results each, scored 0 to 1.0 from baseline and target every month, cascaded to facility, department and person with an Other bucket for work that serves no objective.
- Goal cascade and alignment templateA one-page cascade tree from company to person with the catchball reply on every card, and an initiatives list that shows how much work serves a goal and how much sits in Other.
- Monthly business review template (operations review agenda)A 90-minute operations review in nine timed blocks: who speaks when, the KPIs each block reviews with red or green, a prep checklist for every presenter and a log of decisions and actions.
- Rolling action item list (RAIL) templateA single running list of actions kept from meeting to meeting, with a weekly review sheet and age counts.
- Goods received note templateA one-page goods received note and an Excel register with accepted to date, still to come and an invoice check for each PO line.
- Lessons learned templateA one-page lessons log, a 45 minute session guide and an Excel register that shows which actions are done, open or overdue.
- Packing list templateA one-page packing list with a pack checklist, and an Excel file that works out volume, shipped to date and back order.
- Meeting minutes templateA one-page minutes form and an Excel log of decisions and actions with owners, due dates and status.
- Purchase order templateA one-page purchase order and an Excel version that adds up the lines, checks the approval limit and tracks what is still to come.
- Action plan templateA one-page action plan and an Excel tracker with percent done, status and a weekly timeline.
- Part submission warrant (PSW) templateA PSW working form plus twelve checks before anyone signs, and an Excel that works out whether the warrant is ready.
- Ballooned drawing and dimensional results templateA ballooning guide and a results sheet for six parts per characteristic, with OK, NEAR LIMIT or NOT OK worked out for each row.
- Attribute agreement analysis templateA 30-part, three-appraiser study sheet for pass or fail decisions, with kappa, effectiveness, miss rate and false alarm rate in Excel.
- DVP&R template (design verification plan and report)A design verification plan and report on one sheet: tests, criteria, owners and dates, with status worked out as of a date.
- Special characteristics matrix templateOne row per special characteristic, followed from drawing to PFMEA, control plan, gauge study and capability, with the first gap named.
- Maintenance request form templateA one-page request form and an Excel log that times each answer against a priority target.
- Maintenance log templateA maintenance log page and an Excel log that totals cost, downtime and planned work and flags repeat breakdowns.
- Preventive maintenance schedule templateA PM schedule with next due dates and status, and an Excel calendar of the jobs and hours in each month.
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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.