Free manufacturing workplace safety assessment

Start with these task groups. Use one worksheet per task, and add any task this list misses.

• Production and machine operation

  Moving parts, ejected material, pinch points, noise and operator access.

• Setup and changeover

  Tool changes, changes to guards, stored energy and unexpected movement.

• Cleaning and jam clearing

  Access to danger zones, energy control and chemical contact.

• Maintenance and contractors

  Energy isolation, electrical work, elevated access and coordination.

• Materials and finished goods

  Lifting, pushing, vehicle traffic and unstable loads.

• Chemical and process work

  Dust, fumes, liquids, heat and exposure information that needs review.

• Packing and repeated tasks

  Force, reach, repetition, workstation setup and shift duration.

• Shutdowns and abnormal conditions

  Restarts, faults, spills, emergencies and who authorizes the work.

5. 5

   Chemical hazards

   Metalworking fluids, solvents, paints, adhesives and process dust: container labels, skin contact, ventilation and airborne exposure during mixing, machining or cleanup.

6. 6

   Lifting and repeated strain

   Loading stock into machines, changing heavy dies, stacking cartons, pushing bins and repeating the same reaches at assembly or packing stations.

7. 7

   Noise and vibration

   Stamping presses, grinders, compressors and impact tools, including time spent nearby and hand-arm vibration from repeated use of powered tools.

8. 8

   Heat, cold and physical agents

   Furnaces, heated molds, steam lines and welding arcs, plus hot production areas where protective clothing and physical work add to heat exposure.

9. 9

   Biological hazards

   Microbial growth in poorly maintained metalworking fluids, contaminated process water, pest waste in storage, and blood exposure when responding to shop-floor injuries.

10. 10

    Fire and emergencies

    Welding near packaging, flammable solvents, combustible dust collectors, oily waste and pallets that narrow routes to exits, alarms or extinguishers.

11. 11

    Confined or restricted spaces

    Process tanks, mixing vessels, silos and pits entered for cleaning or repairs, where residues, moving equipment or stored materials may create entry hazards.

12. 12

    Violence and lone work

    Maintenance workers alone on night shifts, isolated loading areas, conflict on the production floor and how workers call for help over machinery noise.

13. 13

    Work organization and contractors

    Shift handovers, production targets, temporary operators, new equipment and contractors servicing a line while nearby employees continue production.

14. 14

    PPE and exposure-control gaps

    Eye protection for flying chips, hearing protection, chemical-resistant gloves and welding gear, including glove entanglement around rotating equipment and any separate respirator program.

15. 15

    Additional job-specific hazards

    Anything operators, packers, maintenance staff or contractors raise that this list misses, such as a new material, prototype process or changed production layout.

Consider eliminating or substituting the hazard first, then suitable engineering controls, administrative arrangements and PPE. The right combination depends on the job and the requirements that apply to it; PPE alone does not resolve every risk.

1. Elimination — remove the hazard or the task that creates it.
2. Substitution — use a less hazardous material, product, method or piece of equipment.
3. Engineering controls — separate people from the hazard with guards, barriers, ventilation or layout changes.
4. Administrative controls — change how the work is done through procedures, scheduling, instruction, signs and supervision.
5. Personal protective equipment (PPE) — protect each worker with equipment chosen, fitted and maintained for the task.

Ideas to discuss for this workplace:

• Review why jams recur and whether the process can be changed to remove the need to enter a danger zone.
• Have the appropriate people verify guarding and task-specific hazardous-energy controls. A reminder to be careful is not an isolation method.
• Record who may perform the task, which procedure applies and how the change will be checked during the relevant operating mode.

For each action, record the hazard, the people exposed, existing controls, the additional action, its priority and the basis for it, the responsible role, a target date, verification evidence and any remaining questions. Do not close a finding just because a document was created.

List your main processes, machines and nonroutine tasks. Bring relevant operating instructions, existing procedures, maintenance concerns and any available exposure results. Include temporary workers and contractors when their work interacts with the plant.