Free Manufacturing Safety Audit Checklist Template (PDF)

Workplace safety remains a significant issue, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022, representing a 7.5% increase from the previous year. The necessity for robust safety measures is further emphasized by the fact that there were 5,486 fatal work injuries in the same year. 

This article emphasizes the importance of meticulous safety audits, aided by a comprehensive safety audit checklist, as a vital tool for maintaining a safer workplace environment.

What is a Safety Audit Checklist for Manufacturers?

A safety audit checklist for manufacturers is a structured tool used to assess and improve safety measures in manufacturing facilities. It serves as a guide for internal or external auditors to identify potential hazards, evaluate risk management strategies, and ensure compliance with local, national, and international safety standards.

This checklist typically covers various aspects of a manufacturing facility, including, but not limited to:

  1. Housekeeping and Organization: This section assesses cleanliness in work areas, ensuring they are free of clutter. It promptly addresses spills and debris cleanup and checks that workers properly store tools and equipment when not in use.
  2. Stored Materials: Auditors verify the correct stacking and spacing of materials. This action aims to prevent accidents related to falling objects or improperly stored items.
  3. Electrical Equipment: The checklist mandates an inspection of electrical equipment to confirm its inspection, testing, tagging, and compliance with company and safety regulations.
  4. Job Design: The checklist evaluates individual jobs to identify potential injury causes and recommends designs that minimize prolonged repetitive motions as much as possible.
  5. Compliance Gaps: The checklist outlines safety criteria to address compliance gaps effectively and offers recommendations to enhance overall safety conditions.
  6. Safety Standards: A safety audit checklist ensures that workspaces are compliant with industry health and safety standards.

The Safety Audit Checklist is a critical component in maintaining a safe and healthy environment in manufacturing facilities. It helps companies identify areas for improvement and develop action plans to mitigate risks, thereby promoting a culture of safety and continuous improvement.

Safety Audit Checklist Free PDF Template

Ready to make your safety audits more efficient? Download our free safety audit checklist template today. This user-friendly tool will help you conduct thorough, efficient audits with ease. Get started now and make safety a priority in your organization.

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Do Manufacturers Need a Safety Audit Checklist?

Yes, manufacturers absolutely need a safety audit checklist. It serves as an invaluable tool for ensuring that workspaces are compliant with industry health and safety standards. The checklist provides a structured approach to inspecting and evaluating the safety conditions of a manufacturing facility, thereby reducing the risk of workplace accidents and potential liabilities.

One of the key benefits of a safety audit checklist is that it allows for a much easier examination of all possible hazards in the workplace. By maintaining a standardized list of safety aspects for inspection, manufacturers can ensure they overlook nothing, resulting in a more thorough and effective audit.

Safety Audits

  • Customize pre-built templates.
  • Guide staff with on-demand instructions, call-outs and tutorials.
  • Capture photos, sketches and digital signatures.
  • Automated alerts and create investigation action plans.
  • Automate dashboard reporting and share data with other business systems in real-time.

How Can Software Optimize Safety Audits?

Weever specializes in digitizing operational workflows, including Safety Audits. We work with organizations of all shapes and sizes who are frustrated with paper forms and spreadsheets. They want to save money, become more efficient, and spend their time more wisely. If that sounds like you, feel free to read on.

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Capture Date on Any Device

Digitization allows staff to load the form on any device, go through it quickly and feel successful doing it.

Configure Templates

Have you ever created a form and then needed to make changes, which requires you to find and destroy all the copies of the old form, which still get submitted a year later. With digital form builders, updates happen in real-time so you don’t have to worry about staff using the wrong form.

Automate Rewards

Software makes it easy to allocate points to staff that can be redeemed in a rewards marketplace.

Guide Staff Through the Experience

Conditional logic allows you to guide staff through the experience to ensure they capture the correct information the first time and every time.

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Add Photos

Photo capture is perhaps the most immediate benefit of going paperless. Multiple photos can be captured in the report, complete with sketches to highlight the issue.

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Real-Time Communication

Should the observer require immediate help, digital forms provide a means to connect instantly with a safety manager.

Optimize the Evaluation Process

Each submission creates a workflow ticket that is organized in the appropriate digital folder. Supervisors review each submission and create action plans if necessary. Supervisors can also receive notifications if you wish although you may not want to load up their inbox.

Assign Next Steps and Due Dates

Supervisors can create action plans, assign them, and add due dates. Assignees are notified and supervisors are made aware of approaching and overdue deadlines. 

Automate Real-Time Dashboard Updates

Save administrative time by automating reporting. Create stunning and highly configurable dashboard reports that are updated in real-time. Spend less time in front of spreadsheets and more time doing what you want to make your site safer.

Broadcast Results

Set up real-time updates that can be broadcast to staff that show how the program is “moving the needle”.

Questions You Can Include in a Safety Audit Checklist

By now, you know that a safety audit checklist typically consists of a set of questions designed to guide the auditor through a thorough inspection of the workplace.

These questions help identify potential hazards, assess the effectiveness of current safety measures, and determine whether the organization is in compliance with applicable safety regulations. By asking specific, targeted questions, auditors can ensure that they do not overlook any important safety factors.

We gathered for you a few examples of questions that could be included in a safety audit checklist:

  • Equipment: Is all machinery regularly checked and in good condition?
  • Work Practices: Are safe work practices observed during inspections?
  • Hazardous Materials: Are flammables and combustibles stored properly?
  • Access and Storage: Is there a safe means of accessing high shelves? Is stored material secured to prevent shifting?
  • Hygiene: Are food or beverages adequately separated from hazard areas?

Note: These questions are just a starting point. The actual questions on a safety audit checklist will vary depending on the specific industry, the nature of the work performed, and the applicable safety regulations.