Key points
- Employers must provide a working environment that is safe and without risks to health, so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Control a hazard at its source first. Signs, procedures and PPE support the stronger controls, they do not replace them.
- Safety signs, first aid, electrical equipment and PPE are four areas most sites can check in a single walk-through.
- Write down what was checked, what was fixed and when it is due again.
This checklist is a starting point for workshops, warehouses, factories, trade contractors and facilities teams. It covers eight areas, in the order most sites work through them, and links to a detailed guide or the relevant product range for each one.
1. Know your duty of care
In Victoria, section 21 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 requires an employer to provide and maintain, so far as is reasonably practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risks to health. Most other states and territories work under the model Work Health and Safety laws, which place a similar primary duty on the person conducting a business or undertaking. The detail differs between jurisdictions, so the guidance of your own regulator is the one to follow.
- One named person is responsible for safety on each site or shift.
- Workers and their health and safety representatives are consulted when work or equipment changes.
- The team knows which regulator and which codes apply to the work.
2. Find the hazards and control them in order
Walk the site with the people who do the work and list what could hurt someone. Then work down the hierarchy of control, starting with the strongest option:
- Eliminate the hazard altogether.
- Substitute it with something safer.
- Isolate people from it, for example with barriers or guarding.
- Use engineering controls, such as extraction or interlocks.
- Use administrative controls: procedures, training and safety signs.
- Provide personal protective equipment for the risk that remains.
Signs and PPE sit at the bottom of the hierarchy. They matter, but a sign next to an unguarded machine is not a control for the machine.
3. Safety signs
Signs tell people what they must do, what they must not do, where the hazards are and where to find emergency equipment. AS 1319 sets the colours and shapes, so a sign means the same thing on every site.
- Every hazard that remains after other controls has the right type of sign: prohibition, mandatory, warning or danger.
- First aid, eyewash and fire equipment are signed and easy to find.
- Signs are large enough for the distance they are read from, clean, lit and not hidden behind stock.
Read the full guide: Safety sign colours and meanings under AS 1319.
4. First aid
The number of first aid kits and trained first aid officers depends on how many people work at the site and how risky the work is. In Victoria the WorkSafe compliance code gives exact numbers for low risk and higher risk workplaces.
- There are enough kits for the number of employees, and each kit is easy to reach and not locked.
- Kits are checked every quarter and after every use.
- Enough first aid officers are trained and their names are displayed.
Read the full guide: Workplace first aid kit requirements.
5. Electrical equipment and test and tag
Leads, power tools and other plug-in equipment wear out fastest where there is moisture, heat, vibration, dust or rough handling. Regular inspection and testing by a competent person finds the damage before it hurts someone.
- Plug-in equipment has a current test record or tag for the environment it is used in.
- Damaged equipment is taken out of service straight away.
- New equipment is visually checked and entered in the register.
Read the full guide: How often to test and tag electrical equipment, or see our power lead test and tag service.
6. PPE and workwear
Choose protective equipment for the specific hazard that remains, then make sure it fits the person wearing it. Equipment that is uncomfortable or the wrong size does not get worn.
- Each task lists the eye, hearing, respiratory, head, hand and foot protection it needs.
- Workers are shown how to wear, check and store their equipment.
- Worn or damaged items are replaced, and spares are on hand.
- PPE and workwearBrowse every protection category
- Eye and face protectionSafety glasses, goggles and face shields
- Hearing protectionEarplugs and earmuffs
- Respiratory protectionDisposable and reusable respirators
7. Ladders, access and work at height
Falls are prevented first by choosing the right way to reach the work. A platform or order picker gives a stable place to stand, and a non-conductive ladder is the usual choice near electrical hazards.
- The access equipment suits the task, the height and the load, including tools and materials.
- Ladders and platforms are inspected before use and damaged ones are tagged out.
- People who work at height are trained for it.
- Ladders and height accessStep, platform and extension ladders
- Fall protection and height safetyHarnesses, lanyards and anchors
- Working at heights trainingCourse details and booking
8. Emergencies, spills and isolation
Plan for the day something goes wrong. People need to know how to raise the alarm, where to go and what equipment to use.
- Emergency eyewash is available wherever chemicals or infectious substances could reach the eyes.
- Spill kits match the liquids stored on site and are kept where the spill would happen.
- Machinery is isolated and locked out before cleaning, maintenance or repair.
- Emergency showers and eyewashStations and portable units
- Spill controlSpill kits and site equipment
- Lockout tagoutPadlocks, hasps, kits and stations
- Safety tags and logbooksOut of service tags and registers
Keep records and review
A check that is not written down is hard to prove and easy to forget. A simple register with the date, the result and the next due date is enough for most small sites.
| Area | What to record | When to check again |
|---|---|---|
| First aid kits | Contents, expiry dates, items used | Every quarter and after every use |
| Electrical equipment | Who tested, date, outcome, next test date | By operating environment, see the test and tag guide |
| Safety signs | Missing, faded or hidden signs | During routine site inspections |
| PPE | Issue, fit and replacement | Before each use and as the maker advises |
| Ladders and access | Condition and any tag-outs | Before each use |
Review the whole list whenever the work, the site or the team changes, and after any incident or near miss.
Where to start
- Safety sign colours and meaningsThe AS 1319 sign types, sizes and placement
- First aid kit requirementsHow many kits and what goes in them
- How often to test and tagIntervals, tags and records
- Talk to the teamHelp matching products to your site
Sources
- WorkSafe Victoria, Compliance code: First aid in the workplace (2021).
- Safe Work Australia, model Code of Practice: Managing electrical risks in the workplace.
- WorkSafe ACT, Signage.
