You can download a free, editable workplace inspection checklist from E-lia: the workplace inspection form has 16 fixed inspection points, works in Word and is easy to adapt to your own site. It is a practical starting point for manufacturing companies, construction sites and warehouses.
A template only helps if it fits your risks, though. This article explains which points must never be missing from a workplace inspection checklist, how to create a custom inspection form, what a completed form looks like and how the checklist differs for construction and warehouses.
Points that must never be missing from a workplace inspection checklist
Whatever your sector, a workplace inspection checklist should cover these core areas. They follow directly from the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, PUWER 1998, COSHH 2002 and the PPE at Work Regulations 1992.
| Area | What to check |
|---|---|
| Housekeeping | Clean, tidy work areas; waste removed; materials stored safely; no obstructions |
| Floors and traffic routes | No trip hazards, spills or damage; marked walkways; pedestrian and vehicle segregation |
| Access and egress | Safe access to all work areas; stairs, handrails and ladders in good condition |
| Work at height | Edge protection, guard rails, secured platforms; ladders only for short, low-risk work |
| Machinery and work equipment | Guards in place, emergency stops working, pre-use checks done, inspection tags in date |
| Electrical safety | No damaged cables or plugs, panels closed, no overloaded sockets, portable equipment checked |
| Hazardous substances | Correctly labelled and stored, safety data sheets available, controls such as ventilation working |
| PPE | Right PPE available, in good condition and actually worn where required |
| Fire safety | Fire exits clear and signed, extinguishers in place and in date, fire doors closed |
| First aid and emergency | First-aid kit stocked, first aiders known, emergency numbers and assembly point displayed |
| Welfare | Toilets, washing facilities, drinking water and rest areas clean and available |
| Environment | Lighting, temperature, ventilation and noise within acceptable limits |
| People and behaviour | Safe working methods followed, permits in place where needed, inductions completed |
Add a final section for open actions from the previous inspection. Checking that last time's findings are fixed is one of the most valuable parts of any inspection.
Workplace inspection checklist for manufacturing companies
On a production floor, the checklist should go deeper on machines and processes:
- Machine guarding, interlocks and emergency stops on every line.
- Lock-out and isolation procedures followed during cleaning, maintenance and changeovers.
- Forklift and pallet truck routes separated from pedestrians; daily pre-use checks recorded.
- Local exhaust ventilation working and examined; dust and fume controls in place.
- Noise zones signed and hearing protection worn.
- Manual handling: lifting aids available and used, workstation heights suitable.
- Chemical storage, spill kits and eyewash stations.
Sector variant: construction site inspection checklist
On a construction site, conditions change daily and several contractors work side by side. Under CDM 2015 the principal contractor must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase. Add these points to your construction site inspection checklist:
- Site boundary secure and unauthorised access prevented.
- Site inductions completed for everyone on site, including drivers and visitors. See what a site induction is.
- Scaffolds tagged and inspected at least every 7 days and after bad weather (Work at Height Regulations 2005).
- Excavations supported, edge-protected and inspected at the start of every shift.
- Plant and vehicles: banksmen where needed, exclusion zones, reversing controls.
- Openings and edges protected; materials secured against falling.
- Temporary electrics protected and tested.
- Dust controls for cutting and drilling (on-tool extraction, water suppression, RPE).
- Welfare facilities in place from day one.
Sector variant: warehouse inspection checklist
In warehouses, the main risks are vehicles, racking and manual handling:
- Racking undamaged, load notices displayed, damage reported and inspected.
- Aisles clear, floor markings visible, pedestrian routes separated.
- Forklift operators trained and authorised; pre-use checks done.
- Loading bays: vehicle restraints or procedures to prevent drive-aways, dock edges protected.
- Stacking stable and within height limits; no climbing on racking.
- Battery charging area ventilated and signed.
How to create a custom workplace inspection form
A template is a starting point. To make it your own:
- Start from your risk assessment. Every significant risk should have at least one inspection point that checks whether the control is in place.
- Group points by area or topic in the order you walk the site.
- Write closed, observable questions. "Are guard rails fitted on all open edges?" is better than "Is work at height safe?"
- Add a severity scale. For example: stop work now, fix within a week, fix within a month.
- Make a photo mandatory for every finding. It saves discussion later.
- Add fields for action, owner and deadline.
- Keep it short. 15 to 25 points per area is usually enough. Longer forms get skimmed.
- Test it on one site and adjust before rolling it out everywhere.
Review your form at least once a year and whenever your risk assessment changes. If the same points never produce a finding, ask whether they still earn their place.
What a completed inspection form looks like
A completed form should allow someone who was not there to understand exactly what was found and what happens next. A short example from a production site:
| Point | Result | Finding | Action, owner, deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine guards line 2 | Not OK | Guard on conveyor transfer point removed for cleaning and not refitted (photo) | Refit before restart; line supervisor; immediately (done on the spot) |
| Forklift routes | OK | Markings clear, no pedestrians in route | None |
| Chemical storage | Not OK | Two containers without labels in cleaning store (photo) | Label or dispose; facilities lead; within 2 days |
| Fire exits | OK | All clear and signed | None |
| PPE | Not OK | Hearing protection not worn at press 4 (photo) | Brief team in next toolbox talk; shift leader; this week |
The header records the site, area, date, time and inspector. At the bottom: number of findings, number fixed on the spot, and the date the open actions will be checked. For a full example of a report, see what a complete workplace inspection report looks like.
Who should complete the checklist?
The checklist is normally completed by the supervisor, team leader or site manager responsible for the area, often together with a worker or safety representative. Statutory inspections, such as scaffold inspections or LOLER examinations, need a competent person with the right training.
Whoever uses the checklist should know why each point is on it. A short briefing on what "good" looks like for each point, with example photos, makes the results far more consistent between inspectors. Rotating inspectors now and then also helps: a fresh pair of eyes spots what regular staff have stopped noticing.
Paper checklist or digital?
A paper form is fine for a one-off check. When you inspect weekly across several sites, paper creates problems: forms get lost, photos stay on phones and actions are hard to track. A digital checklist on the phone keeps the same structure but adds photos, time stamps and automatic follow-up. Read more about workplace inspection apps for construction and production.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I download a free workplace inspection checklist?
You can download E-lia's free, editable workplace inspection form in Word. It has 16 fixed inspection points and is easy to adapt to manufacturing, construction or warehouse sites.
What should a workplace inspection checklist include?
At minimum: housekeeping, floors and traffic routes, access, work at height, machinery, electrical safety, hazardous substances, PPE, fire safety, first aid, welfare, environment and safe working methods. Add sector-specific points and a check on open actions from the last inspection.
How many points should a checklist have?
Usually 15 to 25 per area. Enough to cover the significant risks from your risk assessment, short enough that the inspector actually looks instead of ticking.
Is there a legal template for a workplace inspection form in the UK?
No. UK law does not prescribe a general workplace inspection form. Some statutory inspections, such as scaffold and excavation inspections, require a report with set content. For everything else, you design the form to fit your risks.
Can I use the same checklist for every site?
Use one core checklist for consistency, with a site-specific section for risks that differ. That way you can compare sites while still covering local hazards.
How E-lia helps
With E-lia your own inspection checklist runs on WhatsApp. Your site manager walks the round on their phone, adds a photo to every finding and signs it off on the spot. Every inspection lands in one dashboard, ready for your ISO 45001 audit, alongside your toolbox talks. See how workplace inspections via WhatsApp work.
From paper checklist to WhatsApp
Try the workplace inspection on your own phone and see the finished report in the dashboard.
