Free OSHA Checklists for Inspections and Compliance
Free library of OSHA compliance checklists: conduct efficient internal audits & inspections, improve safety and compliance in your organization, get ready for external inspections.
OSHA Checklists: Simplify Internal Safety Audits & Ensure OSHA Compliance
📃: Eliminate paperwork
⏳: Save time in inspection
📈: Generate actionable insights
Pick the right template from our library of free OSHA safety inspection checklists. Conduct efficient internal audits to systematically evaluate workplace safety initiatives, reduce the risk of workplace injuries, ensure compliance with OSHA standards, and promote a proactive safety culture.
Our OSHA checklists cover topics such as hazard communication, employee responsibilities, and complaint-handling procedures, facilitating thorough internal audits.
Featured OSHA Checklists for Safety & Compliance
What are OSHA Checklists?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ensures workplace safety across various industries. However, despite its efforts, certain violations remain prevalent, often leading to significant penalties and, more critically, workplace injuries. Recognizing these common violations can substantially mitigate risks and enhance compliance.
Most common OSHA violations occur across these categories:
- Fall protection
- Hazard communication
- Control of hazardous energy (Lockout/Tagout)
- Ladders
- Respiratory protection
- Powered industrial trucks
- Machine guarding
- Personal protective and life-saving equipment
- Electrical wiring methods and practices
- Electrical installations
Understanding these frequent violations is only the first step to workplace safety. To prevent them, you need a proactive and structured approach to performing internal audits and inspections. That’s where OSHA checklists come in.
OSHA checklists are structured tools designed to help employers, safety professionals, and organizations systematically assess workplace safety and health conditions to ensure compliance with the standards set by OSHA. OSHA safety inspection checklists facilitate internal inspections or self-audits to identify and address potential safety and health hazards before they result in incidents or OSHA violations.
Key Components to Include in OSHA Compliance Checklists
Here are the key components every OSHA safety checklist should have.
1. Workplace Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
Begin by systematically identifying potential hazards in your workplace. This involves collecting existing information, inspecting the workplace, and analyzing tasks to uncover risks. Assess the severity and likelihood of each hazard to prioritize mitigation efforts.
👉 Use these free GoAudits checklists to identify workplace hazards and associated risks.
2. Work Environment
The OSHA audit checklist should include environmental factors, such as assessing lighting, ventilation, noise levels, and exposure to hazardous substances. Ensure that the workplace layout promotes safe operations and that emergency exits are clearly marked and unobstructed.
👉 GoAudits offers a free work environment survey template and environmental health inspection checklist to help you assess your work environment.
3. Walking and Working Surfaces
Inspect all walking and working surfaces to prevent slips, trips, and falls. Ensure that floors are clean, dry, and free from obstructions. Verify that stairways, ladders, and scaffolding meet safety standards and are in good condition.
👉 Here are some related checklists:
- Stair Inspection Checklist
- Fall Prevention Checklist
- Scaffold Inspection Form
- Scaffold Safety Checklist
4. Equipment and Machinery
OSHA inspection forms should help you confirm that machines have appropriate guards in place and that safety features are functional.
👉 GoAudits equipment inspection software offers free checklists to help you perform regular maintenance checks and ensure all equipment and machinery are functioning properly and safely.
5. Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan
Develop and maintain a comprehensive emergency action plan tailored to your workplace’s specific hazards. This emergency response plan should outline procedures for various emergencies, including fires, chemical spills, and natural disasters.
6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
The OSHA checklist template should help you identify tasks that require PPE and determine the appropriate equipment needed, such as gloves, safety glasses, or respirators. Ensure that PPE is readily available, and properly maintained and that employees are trained on its correct use.
👉 GoAudits offers a wide range of PPE checklists to help you perform regular PPE inspections to assess the effectiveness of PPE and update requirements as necessary.
- PPE Hazard Assessment Template
- Daily PPE Inspection Checklist
- Donning and Doffing PPE Checklist
- Arc Flash PPE Suit Inspection Checklist
- Confined Space PPE Checklist
- Monthly PPE Inspection Checklist
7. Electrical Safety
An OSHA checklist should include criteria for identifying electrical hazards. This involves verifying compliance with all electrical systems and components, including proper wiring, circuit load management, and grounding. The presence of lockout/tagout procedures and employee awareness of electrical safety practices.
8. Fire Safety
Fire safety elements should be clearly outlined in the checklist. These include the placement and accessibility of fire extinguishers, visibility and functionality of fire doors and emergency exits, and the presence of operational fire alarms and smoke detectors. OSHA inspection forms must also account for the maintenance of fire suppression systems, documentation of fire drills, and employee training in evacuation procedures.
👉 GoAudits fire inspection software offers a wide range of fire safety audit checklists. You can use these checklists to assess whether fire safety systems are functioning properly.
- Fire Prevention Inspection Checklist
- Fire Safety Inspection Checklist
- Fire Safety Risk Assessment Checklist
- Fire Sprinkler System Inspection Checklist
- Fire Extinguisher Checklist
- Fire Protection Equipment Checklist
- Fire Door Inspection Checklist
- Fire Pump Inspection Checklist
- NFPA 25 Fire Pump Inspection
- Workplace Fire Safety Checklist
- Fire Protection System Maintenance Checklist
9. Chemicals and Hazardous Substances
The OSHA safety audit checklist should contain provisions for managing chemicals and hazardous substances, including up-to-date chemical inventories, accessible Safety Data Sheets (SDS), proper labeling, and designated storage practices. It should also address the availability of PPE, the presence of ventilation systems, and containment measures for spills.
👉 You can use these checklists to ensure the proper use, storage, and handling of disposal, in addition to assessing risks and ensuring compliance with COSHH.
- Chemical Safety Checklist – COSHH
- Chemical Risk Assessment Template
- Hazardous Material Inspection Checklist
- MSDS Checklist – COSHH
10. First Aid and Medical Services
A well-structured OSHA safety inspection checklist should cover a first aid and medical services plan. Key components include the presence and accessibility of fully stocked first aid kits, designated trained personnel, and clear medical emergency procedures. It should also require documentation of workplace injuries and incidents for ongoing evaluation.
11. Employee Training and Awareness
Training and awareness must be reflected in the OSHA safety checklist as a core compliance area. This includes verifying records of safety orientations for new employees, ongoing training in hazard recognition and response, and safe equipment operation. OSHA checklists should also ensure that training sessions are documented and updated regularly.
12. Regular Safety Audits and Inspections
OSHA compliance checklists should incorporate requirements for periodic safety audits and inspections. These include documented inspections of workspaces, machinery, and equipment, as well as procedures for identifying and correcting hazards.
13. Incident Reporting and Recordkeeping
OSHA audit checklists must include a structured process for incident reporting and documentation. It should cover elements, such as accessible reporting systems, protections against retaliation, and detailed records of all incidents.
👉 Learn more: check our our Complete guide on the ISO Audit Process.
How to Make an ISO Internal Audit Report?
Traditionally, companies use paper or spreadsheet-based ISO evaluation forms. This approach requires auditors to go back to their desks, analyze data, and create an audit report manually, which consumes several hours and is prone to error.
However, an ISO audit software like GoAudits automates this process, saving a significant amount of time and resources. The GoAudits app enables auditors to complete inspections using their mobile or tablet devices, e-sign the audit, and create reports in just a few clicks.
These inspection reports contain all the inspection and nonconformance data, photographic evidence, audit scores, date, time, and location of the audit, and suggested corrective actions. Moreover, based on the workflow defined, the reports can be shared with all the stakeholders in just one click.
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