# Workplace Safety Audit Checklist for Manufacturing > Source: https://netray.co/tools/workplace-safety-audit-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A 30 point manufacturing safety audit covering walking surfaces, machine guarding, energy control, electrical, chemicals and emergency readiness. ## Category ehs-workforce ## Industry Manufacturing ## Region United States ## Audience - Safety manager - Plant manager - Internal auditor ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### Housekeeping and walking surfaces **Items:** **Text:** Aisles and exits are marked, clear and unobstructed **Critical:** true Floors are dry, free of oil, chips and trip hazards Stairs and platforms have handrails and guardrails in good condition Material storage is stable and within rack load ratings Lighting is adequate in work areas and walkways Waste and scrap containers are labeled and not overfilled #### Machine guarding and energy control **Items:** **Text:** Point of operation and moving parts are guarded on all machines **Critical:** true **Text:** Guards and interlocks are in place and not bypassed **Critical:** true **Text:** Machine-specific lockout tagout procedures exist and are posted **Critical:** true Annual periodic inspection of LOTO procedures is documented Emergency stops are accessible and tested Authorized employees have current LOTO training records #### Electrical and fire protection **Items:** **Text:** Electrical panels have 36 inch clear access and covers in place **Critical:** true No damaged cords, extension cords used as permanent wiring or daisy chains Fire extinguishers are charged, inspected monthly and accessible Hot work permits are used and fire watch is assigned Flammable liquids are in approved cabinets or containers Sprinklers have 18 inch clearance below the heads #### Chemicals, PPE and health **Items:** **Text:** Safety data sheets are available for every hazardous chemical **Critical:** true Containers are labeled in line with the hazard communication standard Written PPE hazard assessment is current and certified Eye wash and shower stations are accessible and flushed weekly Hearing protection and noise monitoring are in place where required Respirator program, fit tests and medical evaluations are current #### Emergency readiness and programs **Items:** **Text:** Emergency action plan is current, with evacuation routes posted **Critical:** true Evacuation drills are held and recorded at least annually First aid kits are stocked and trained responders are on every shift Powered industrial truck operators are trained and evaluated OSHA 300 log and 300A summary are complete and posted when required Incident investigations and corrective actions are closed on time **Scoring Note:** Each checked item counts toward the score. Any unchecked critical item should be treated as an immediate corrective action regardless of the overall score. This checklist is a general guide and not a substitute for the OSHA standards and local regulations that apply to your site. ## Content **Intro:** Regular, structured safety walks find hazards before they become incidents. This checklist covers the areas OSHA cites most often in manufacturing, from machine guarding and lockout to hazard communication and emergency readiness. Tick what you verified, flag the critical gaps and export the result. **Sections:** #### How to use this checklist **Body:** Walk the area with a supervisor or worker representative and verify each item by observation and by checking records, not by asking. Tick the items that pass, leave the failures unticked and note the location and the action in your export. Items marked critical relate to hazards that can cause severe injury quickly, such as missing guards, no energy control or blocked exits. Run the checklist monthly for each area, rotate who leads it, and compare results over time to see whether the same weaknesses recur. #### What the groups cover **Body:** The five groups follow common OSHA focus areas. Walking and working surfaces, machine guarding, lockout tagout, hazard communication, powered industrial trucks, respiratory protection and electrical safety appear regularly on lists of frequently cited standards. Emergency action planning and fire protection round out the audit. Adapt the items to your site: a foundry, a defense electronics assembly line and a fiber optic cable plant have different chemical, laser and ergonomic exposures, so add lines for those hazards. **Bullets:** - Add site-specific items such as laser safety or solder fume extraction - Check records as well as the physical condition - Photograph each finding - Assign an owner and a due date to every gap #### Reading the result **Body:** A high percentage does not guarantee a safe site, because the items are not weighted by risk. Read the critical items first. Then look at patterns: repeated housekeeping findings suggest a process or staffing problem, while repeated guarding findings may point to maintenance practices or production pressure. Track the percentage and the number of open actions per month alongside lagging indicators such as TRIR, so you see whether prevention is improving. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Frequent errors are auditing only on a quiet day, relying on a single auditor who stops noticing familiar problems, and leaving findings without owners. Another is recording only negative findings, so there is no evidence of what is working. Close findings with verification, not just a note that someone was told. If you manage audit findings in a spreadsheet, link them to work orders so corrective maintenance is scheduled and tracked. **Cta:** If audit findings should become tracked maintenance work orders automatically, we can help connect your safety checks to your ERP or CMMS. **Faq:** #### How often should a safety audit be done? **Answer:** Many plants do a short area walk weekly or monthly, with a fuller management audit each quarter or year. High-hazard areas deserve more frequent checks. OSHA requires some inspections on set schedules, such as annual LOTO inspections. #### Is this checklist enough for OSHA compliance? **Answer:** No. It is a screening tool for common issues. OSHA standards contain many more requirements, and your hazards may differ. Use it with your safety program, site hazard assessments and the standards that apply to you. #### What is a critical finding? **Answer:** A condition that could cause serious injury or death if it is not corrected, such as a bypassed interlock, a blocked exit, or work without energy isolation. Fix or stop the work immediately and document it. #### Who should perform the audit? **Answer:** A trained person with knowledge of the process, ideally with a worker from the area. Rotating auditors between departments gives fresh eyes and builds shared ownership. ## Search terms safety audit checklist, workplace safety inspection checklist, manufacturing safety audit checklist, osha compliance checklist, plant safety inspection form, ehs audit checklist, safety walk checklist, factory safety checklist --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json