Free workplace safety assessment

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

• Routine work

  Operating, serving, stocking, administration and repeated tasks.

• Setup and changes

  New equipment, different products, changed layouts and unfamiliar work.

• Cleaning and waste

  Products, exposure, access, waste handling and contact with equipment.

• Maintenance and servicing

  Hazardous energy, electrical work, access and coordination with contractors.

• Handling and deliveries

  Loads, vehicles, routes, pushing, pulling and storage.

• Support and public-facing roles

  Reception, lone work, violence concerns and communication with workers.

• Health exposures

  Chemicals, noise, heat, biological agents and information that needs measuring.

• Abnormal work and emergencies

  Faults, spills, evacuation, shutdowns and restarting safely.

5. 5

   Chemical hazards

   Product identity, safety data sheets, skin or eye contact, airborne exposure and products that react together.

6. 6

   Lifting and repeated strain

   Force, awkward posture, repetition, pushing, pulling and vibration.

7. 7

   Noise and vibration

   How long the task lasts, what exposure information exists and where measurements are missing.

8. 8

   Heat, cold and physical agents

   Hot surfaces, heat and cold stress, radiation and other physical exposures that apply.

9. 9

   Biological hazards

   Possible infection, sharps, contaminated material and exposures specific to the task.

10. 10

    Fire and emergencies

    Ignition sources, combustible materials, explosive dust or vapor concerns, exit access and emergency procedures.

11. 11

    Confined or restricted spaces

    Whether a space has been evaluated, atmosphere or engulfment concerns, and separate entry or rescue arrangements.

12. 12

    Violence and lone work

    Worker concerns, contact with the public, working in isolation and how help arrives.

13. 13

    Work organization and contractors

    Shift changes, workload, staffing, training, temporary workers and shared responsibilities.

14. 14

    PPE and exposure-control gaps

    Why the equipment was chosen, its fit, how items work together and the need for separate programs or specialist review.

15. 15

    Additional job-specific hazards

    Anything workers, records or the actual task identify that is missing from this starting list.

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:

• Check whether the hazardous task or material can be eliminated or substituted before relying on reminders.
• Review physical separation, guards, layout and suitable equipment for the real job.
• Assign procedures, instruction and suitable PPE where needed, and record who checks the action and when it is followed up.

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.

Bring a list of jobs, shifts, worker concerns, recent changes and the procedures that apply. Include work done by contractors and temporary workers, and describe each job without employee names or confidential details.