The Ultimate Health & Safety Inspection Checklist

Ensuring the health and safety of every individual within your organization is a complex and ongoing journey. As workplace hazards continuously shift and evolve, regular health and safety inspections are a critical component of any comprehensive health and safety strategy. 

Unlike audits conducted by external parties, health and safety inspections are typically carried out by internal team members who possess a strong understanding of the site and its operations. These inspections are designed to assess the physical aspects of the workplace—people, environments and equipment—rather than focusing solely on procedures.  

By identifying real, on-the-ground hazards and potential situations, these inspections play a key role in highlighting gaps in safety practices where attention is needed, ensuring your safety measures remain relevant and effective.

How Health & Safety Inspections Help You Stay Compliant

In many industries, regular inspections are not only a regulatory requirement but also a proactive measure to identify potential hazards before they escalate into more serious issues. Conducting thorough inspections enables organizations to address risks promptly, ensuring both compliance and operational safety. 

Moreover, if a formal audit is conducted, organizations that prioritize consistent health and safety inspections can feel confident that any gaps have been identified and appropriate safeguards are already in place, mitigating risk and demonstrating a commitment to maintaining high safety standards.

Key Components of a Health & Safety Inspection Checklist 

The details included in a health and safety inspection checklist will differ based on the industry and specific operational requirements. However, the core principles remain consistent. While not exhaustive, every comprehensive safety inspection checklist should consider the following areas: 

 
Entrances/exits 

• Are these free from obstructions and accessible to all? 

• Is the right signage in place? 

• Is there a clearly defined separation between pedestrian pathways and vehicle routes? 

• Are the right security checks in place? 

Site condition 

• Are there obvious tripping hazards around the site? (Cables, uneven flooring, slipping hazards) 

• Are the fixed elements of the site in good condition? 

• Are there any new defects that should be noted? 

• Has recent weather created any new hazards on site? 

Activities 

• Have daily procedures and activities been inspected and approved by a qualified staff member? 

• Has all equipment been fully checked and properly certified? 

• Do all activities have evidence of the correct insurance, risk assessments, safety certificates etc.? 

• Are hazardous activities properly isolated with appropriate barriers? 

• Do staff have the appropriate protective equipment for each specific task? 

Staff 

• Are staff using protective clothing or equipment in the right way? 

• Have staff had adequate safety training? 

• Have temporary staff had sufficient training? 

• Are staff appropriately assigned and in adequate numbers to effectively perform the required tasks? 

Hazards (fire, ventilation, waste) 

• Has a full fire risk assessment been carried out? 

• Have any conditions changed that would affect the risk of fire? 

• Are clear fire instructions displayed in the right places? 

• Is the right fire safety equipment provided? 

• Are fire exits free from obstruction? 

• Is there adequate ventilation on the site? 

• Does it work properly? (i.e. do vents allow the air in or out, do extractor hoods work correctly, do windows open properly) 

• Is waste correctly disposed of? 

Clean up procedures 

• Is the right provision in place for disposal of hazardous waste? 

• Are staff members properly assigned and sufficiently trained in cleanup procedures? 

• Is the correct cleaning and protection equipment available and in good condition? 

• Are cleaning schedules fully up to date and correctly implemented?

   

Safety procedures  

• Is everyone aware of emergency procedures? 

• Have all the emergency alarms been checked and tested? 

• Are there regular drills for emergency procedures? 

• Is the first aid kit easily accessible and fully stocked with up-to-date supplies? 

One crucial element that should not be forgotten when conducting safety inspections is meticulous record-keeping so that any findings can be swiftly acted upon. 

Planning Your Health & Safety Inspection

With a clear understanding of the key focus areas for your safety inspections, the next step is developing an effective implementation strategy. Consider the following best practices: 

• Establish a structured inspection program: Ensure inspections are scheduled regularly and conducted in a timely manner to maintain ongoing compliance and safety. 

• Engage subject matter experts: Involve specialists where needed to provide critical insights and ensure that inspections are backed by appropriate expertise. 

• Coordinate inspections for efficiency: Align multiple inspections to reduce operational disruptions and eliminate redundant efforts. 

• Segment inspections for complex environments: For larger, more complex sites, consider breaking inspections into manageable sections to ensure thorough and detailed assessments. 

Safety inspections offer critical insights into the operational health of the business, making it essential that the data collected is systematically organized and recommended actions are effectively implemented.

Health and safety inspection software can play a pivotal role in streamlining these processes, reducing the administrative overhead associated with managing regular inspections and ensuring that findings are tracked and addressed efficiently. This technology allows organizations to focus on proactive safety management while maintaining compliance and improving operational performance. 

Click here to find out how our safety inspection software could help your business.