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Health and safety

Workplace Safety Inspection Checklist

Who checks
Site manager, health and safety officer or regional manager
When
Monthly; unscheduled after any injury on site
Time
~40 min · 29 items
Run it in jeCheck
LocationDate and timeInspectorSignature

Across a chain's sites — restaurants, stores, hotels or gyms — employees get hurt in much the same ways: slipping on wet floors, cuts and burns on unguarded equipment, falls from ladders and boxes, back strain from unloading, chemical burns from improperly diluted products. A safety walk looks for exactly these conditions before they lead to an injury.

Walk every back-of-house area: walkways and stairs, stockroom, production areas, places where chemicals are used, then check the first aid kit and records and talk to staff. Fire safety is covered by a separate checklist. Give every issue an owner and a deadline, and start the next walk by checking whether the previous ones were closed.

Floors, walkways, stairs and lighting

  1. 1
    Wet floor areas are marked with a wet floor sign During cleaning and after spills, the sign stands right on the wet area, not off to the side; it's removed once dry. Critical Photo
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  2. 2
    Back-of-house flooring has no potholes, torn vinyl or loose thresholds Walk the routes where staff carry loads and hot items: nowhere to catch a foot. Photo
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  3. 3
    Cables don't cross walkways without cable protectors Extension cords and power cables don't lie in staff traffic routes.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  4. 4
    Stair handrails are secure and step edges aren't slippery Shake the handrail — it doesn't wobble; step edges have anti-slip nosing or a non-slip surface.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  5. 5
    No dark spots on stairs, in the stockroom or back rooms Check stairs, stockroom, back rooms and dish area: all lights work, and nobody handles knives, chemicals or loads in poor light.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  6. 6
    Carts, crates and ladders aren't left in walkways after use Equipment is returned to storage and walkways are clear across their full width.
    ☐ Yes☐ No

Stockroom and working at height

  1. 7
    Racking is anchored to the wall or floor, and uprights and shelves aren't damaged Shake the rack: it doesn't sway; no bent uprights or beams from cart impacts. Critical Photo
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  2. 8
    Heavy boxes are stored on lower shelves Light goods up top; anything heavy that would have to be lifted overhead is moved down.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  3. 9
    Shelf loads don't exceed the rating on the racking label A load rating label is present; shelves aren't bowed under the weight.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  4. 10
    Step ladders are in good condition and crates or chairs aren't used instead Steps intact, feet have rubber pads, the spreader lock works; no upturned crates next to racking "for reaching". Critical
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  5. 11
    Carts or pallet jacks are available for moving heavy loads, and they're used Equipment works and is available in the receiving area; watch unloading — staff don't carry several boxes at once by hand.
    ☐ Yes☐ No

Equipment and tools

  1. 12
    Guards and covers on moving parts of equipment are in place Slicers, meat grinders, dough mixers, ironers, conveyors and shredders run only with guards fitted. Critical Photo
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  2. 13
    Emergency stop buttons are accessible and not blocked The Stop button on equipment that has one isn't obstructed and works per the instructions.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  3. 14
    Faulty equipment is disconnected and tagged out Faulty equipment has a "Do not use" tag, and the plug is pulled or the breaker is off.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  4. 15
    Knives and cutting tools are stored in holders, not loose No knives blade-up in drawers or sinks; there are magnetic strips or knife blocks.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  5. 16
    Power tools and appliances have no damage to housings or cords Check maintenance tools, vacuums, irons and kettles: insulation intact, no cracked plugs.
    ☐ Yes☐ No

Cleaning chemicals and PPE

  1. 17
    Chemicals are kept in original containers or labeled containers No products in water or drink bottles; every working container shows the product name. Critical Photo
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  2. 18
    Chemicals are stored separately from food, merchandise and tableware A separate cabinet or rack; chemicals aren't stored above food or on work surfaces.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  3. 19
    Safe use instructions are available where products are used Safety data sheets or short dilution and first aid instructions are posted near where solutions are mixed.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  4. 20
    Staff handling concentrates wear gloves Watch dilution or cleaning; eye protection if the product label requires it.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  5. 21
    Enough personal protective equipment (PPE) has been issued Stock of gloves, heat-resistant mitts and, where needed, safety shoes and aprons; issue is recorded.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  6. 22
    Staff in wet-floor areas wear closed, slip-resistant shoes Check staff footwear in the kitchen, dish area, laundry and stockroom; flip-flops and open shoes aren't allowed.
    ☐ Yes☐ No

First aid and injury records

  1. 23
    The first aid kit is fully stocked and nothing is expired Check contents against the list; the kit is in a place everyone knows and isn't locked.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  2. 24
    A first-aid-trained employee is on every shift Compare the shift schedule with the list of trained staff; the list is posted next to the first aid kit.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  3. 25
    All injuries and minor injuries for the period are recorded in the log Ask staff about cuts and burns in the past month and compare with the log; each case has a cause and corrective action.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  4. 26
    The injury procedure and emergency number are posted A short notice in the staff area: who to call for, which number to dial, the site's exact address.
    ☐ Yes☐ No

Training and feedback

  1. 27
    New hires completed safety training before starting work Compare the start date of recent hires with the date they signed the training log. Critical
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  2. 28
    Staff know who to report a hazard to Ask two employees: they name a specific person or a way to report.
    ☐ Yes☐ No
  3. 29
    Issues from the last walk have been fixed Go through the last walk's list: each issue is closed or has a justified new deadline.
    ☐ Yes☐ No

This template is a starting point. Check the limits and wording against your local regulations, your company standards and the equipment manufacturers' instructions.

jeCheck · https://jecheck.io/en/templates/workplace-safety-walk

Common violations

  • The wet floor sign stands in a corner all day, so people stop noticing it. A sign only works when it's on the wet area and removed once dry.
  • Cleaning product is poured into an empty water bottle "for convenience". This is a common cause of chemical burns and poisoning, especially among new staff.
  • The guard on a slicer or dough mixer is removed because "it's quicker to clean" and never put back. Finger injuries on such equipment are severe.
  • Minor injuries aren't recorded so as "not to spoil the stats". As a result, nobody sees that staff cut themselves at the same station every week.
  • Issues are recorded on the walk but without an owner or deadline. A month later, the next walk finds the same list.

Frequently asked questions

A fire safety check looks at evacuation routes, extinguishers, alarms and electrics. A health and safety walk looks at the conditions where staff get hurt every day: floors, heights, equipment, chemicals, manual handling, first aid. In practice it's convenient to do both on the same day, but with separate checklists.

Usually the site manager, with the regional manager going through the same checklist once a quarter as a control. It helps to involve someone from the shift: they know best where the real hazards are.

Give first aid, call an ambulance if needed, record the case in the log and report it to management as required by local law and internal policy. Then do an unscheduled walk of the area where the injury happened and remove the cause.

Employee test on this topic

Food hygiene and safety Dishwasher Test: Washing, Sanitizing and Chemicals Dishwasher (kitchen porter) test with answers and explanations: washing sequence, dish machine, sanitizing, chemical safety, drying and order. 17 questions · ~13 min Food hygiene and safety Hot Line Cook Test: Recipes, Temperatures and Safety Hot line cook test with answers: recipe cards, probe thermometer, hot holding, reheating, plates returned from the floor, deep frying, burns and stop-dish. 18 questions · ~15 min Safety Gym Trainer Test: Safety and Working with Clients Gym trainer test with answers: initial consultation and contraindications, spotting, technique, feeling unwell, equipment, ethics. 16 questions · ~13 min Product knowledge Storekeeper Test: Receiving, Storage and Stock Counts Storekeeper test with answers and explanations: receiving and discrepancies, shelf life, FIFO and FEFO, racking, stock counts, mix-ups and safety. 18 questions · ~15 min Safety Fire Safety Test for Employees Fire safety test with answers: emergency exits, what to do in a fire, evacuating people, using an extinguisher, burning oil and electrical equipment. 16 questions · ~12 min Safety First Aid Test for Employees: Basic Actions First aid test with answers: safety and calling for help, CPR and AED, choking, severe bleeding, burns, recovery position. 16 questions · ~13 min Safety Workplace Safety Test for Staff: Basic Rules Workplace safety test with answers: briefings, PPE, slippery floors, lifting, stepladders, knives, electrical safety, chemicals, injuries at work. 16 questions · ~12 min

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Move the checklist into jeCheck: photos on every item, tasks for each issue with an owner and a deadline, and location comparison by results.

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