Free Health and Safety Audit Checklist Template

A health and safety audit checklist helps organisations review workplace safety standards, identify risks, assess compliance and improve health and safety performance. Whether you are responsible for a construction site, office, warehouse, manufacturing facility or public building, a structured audit checklist provides a consistent way to evaluate workplace conditions and ensure important safety procedures are being followed.

Many organisations now use digital tools such as health and safety management software to streamline inspections, manage corrective actions and maintain accurate audit records across multiple sites.

To help you get started, we have created a free health and safety audit checklist template. You can download it further down this page.

What is a health and safety audit checklist?

A health and safety audit checklist is a structured tool used to assess workplace health and safety performance, identify hazards, review compliance with regulations and document corrective actions. It helps organisations evaluate safety practices, risk assessments, training records, emergency procedures and workplace conditions in a systematic way.

A comprehensive health and safety audit checklist helps organisations:

• Review health and safety policies
• Assess workplace hazards and risks
• Verify training and induction records
• Evaluate safety measures and safety procedures
• Check compliance with regulations
• Identify areas for improvement
• Track corrective actions
• Support continuous improvement initiatives

Unlike routine inspections, a health and safety audit takes a broader view of an organisation’s health and safety management arrangements and examines whether systems, procedures and controls are working effectively.

Why conduct a health and safety audit?

The primary goal of a health and safety audit is to identify potential risks before they lead to incidents, injuries or enforcement action.

Although a health and safety audit is not legally required in the UK, employers must protect employees under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and comply with relevant health and safety regulations. Conducting audits can help organisations ensure compliance with legal requirements and demonstrate that health and safety responsibilities are being managed appropriately.

Regular audits help organisations:

• Identify and mitigate risks
• Protect employees and visitors
• Improve workplace safety
• Reduce the likelihood of legal fines
• Improve safety practices
• Support compliance with HSE guidance
• Improve safety protocols
• Strengthen workplace safety culture

Regular audits can also identify risks before they become systemic issues, allowing organisations to implement improvements before incidents occur.

What should a health and safety audit checklist cover?

A complete health and safety audit checklist should assess all relevant areas of workplace health and safety.

Health and safety policy

Every safety audit should review the organisation’s health and safety policy and associated safety policies.

The audit checklist should confirm:

• A current health and safety policy exists
• Responsibilities are clearly assigned
• Employees understand their duties
• Written safe working practices are documented
• Health and safety law posters are accessible to staff
• Safety procedures are regularly reviewed

Reviewing policy documentation forms an important part of the audit process and helps ensure compliance across the organisation.

Risk assessments

Risk assessments are one of the most important elements of any health safety audit.

Auditors should review whether:

• Risk assessments have been completed
• Assessments are regularly checked and updated
• Potential hazards have been identified
• Control measures are appropriate
• Risk level assessments remain accurate
• Unique risks associated with specific tasks have been addressed

Health and safety audits should cover risk assessments in all relevant areas of the workplace.

Training and competence

Training records provide evidence that employees understand workplace risks and safety procedures.

When conducting audits, organisations should review:

• Employee induction records
• Refresher training programmes
• Competency assessments
• Safety officer training
• Emergency response training
• First aid training

Training records must be reviewed during health and safety audits to ensure employees working in potentially hazardous environments have received appropriate instruction.

Personal protective equipment

Personal protective equipment plays a critical role in protecting employees from workplace hazards.

The audit checklist should assess:

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) availability
• Correct use of PPE
• Equipment condition
• Storage arrangements
• Replacement procedures
• Employee training

Personal protective equipment must be provided for hazardous tasks and maintained in good condition. Auditors should verify that equipment is suitable for the risks present and that employees understand the correct use of all protective equipment.

Hazardous substances

Where hazardous substances are used, stored or handled, additional health and safety checks should be completed.

The safety audit checklist should verify:

• Hazardous substances are properly labelled
• Safety data sheets are available
• Storage areas are ventilated
• Hazardous materials are secured
• Spill procedures are documented
• Employees receive suitable training

Hazardous materials should be stored in properly ventilated, labelled and locked areas to minimise potential hazards.

Fire safety

Fire safety remains a critical component of workplace compliance.

The audit checklist should include:

• Fire extinguishers available and accessible
• Fire extinguishers suitable for specific fire risks
• Fire emergency protocols documented
• Emergency exits clearly marked
• Escape routes unobstructed
• Emergency evacuation plans documented
• Fire drills completed regularly

Emergency exits should be easy to open from the inside and regularly inspected. Emergency evacuation plans should also be practised regularly to ensure employees understand procedures.

Workplace conditions

A safety audit should review general workplace conditions to identify hazards that could affect employee wellbeing.

Areas to assess include:

• Adequate lighting
• Housekeeping standards
• Walkway conditions
• Storage arrangements
• Ventilation
• Noise exposure
• Welfare facilities

Regular inspections of workplace conditions can identify hazards before they result in incidents.

Equipment and maintenance

Equipment inspections are essential for maintaining workplace safety.

The audit should review:

• Maintenance records
• Inspection schedules
• Defect reporting procedures
• Asset condition
• Calibration records where required

Equipment inspection records are a key area of health and safety audits and should be maintained accurately.

Common health and safety audit findings

Audit findings often reveal recurring issues that require attention.

Common findings include:

• Outdated risk assessments
• Missing training records
• Incomplete audit reports
• Poor housekeeping
• Inadequate PPE management
• Missing safety procedures
• Inadequate fire safety arrangements
• Unresolved corrective actions

Audit findings should be graded by severity and tracked to closure. The purpose of the audit is not simply to identify issues, but to drive meaningful corrective actions that improve health safety performance.

Digital health and safety audits

Many organisations are replacing paper-based inspections with digital tools.

Using digital solutions such as health and safety compliance software offers several benefits:

• Digital tools enhance audit efficiency with real-time tracking
• Automated reporting reduces errors and saves time
• Digital checklists centralise data for easier analysis
• Corrective actions can be assigned immediately
• Audit reports can be generated automatically
• Safety officers spend less time on administration
• Records are accessible from any location

Digital checklists also support more consistent inspections and make it easier to demonstrate compliance during internal health reviews and external assessments.

How often should health and safety audits be conducted?

The frequency of audits will vary based on workplace risks, industry requirements and organisational needs.

As a general guide:

• High risk industries should conduct audits quarterly
• Medium risk workplaces should conduct audits every six months
• Lower risk workplaces should conduct audits annually

Organisations should also conduct audits following major incidents, significant operational changes or regulatory updates.

Regular inspections and audits help organisations identify risks, assess compliance and maintain effective safety measures over time.

Conclusion

A health and safety audit checklist is an essential tool for assessing workplace safety, reviewing compliance and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Although a health and safety audit is not a legal requirement, regular audits help organisations protect employees, mitigate risks and maintain high standards of workplace health and safety.

By reviewing risk assessments, training records, emergency procedures, equipment inspections and workplace conditions, organisations can identify potential hazards early and implement corrective actions that strengthen safety performance over time.

Organisations looking to streamline inspections, improve audit reporting and centralise compliance records can also benefit from modern EHS software, helping teams manage audits more efficiently while maintaining a safer workplace.

Frequently asked questions

Is a health and safety audit legally required in the UK?

A health and safety audit is not legally required in the UK. However, audits are widely regarded as best practice and help organisations demonstrate compliance with health and safety obligations.

What is included in a health and safety audit checklist?

A health and safety audit checklist typically covers risk assessments, training records, incident documentation, emergency procedures, fire safety, equipment inspections, hazardous substances and workplace conditions.

How often should a health and safety audit be completed?

Most organisations conduct audits annually. However, high risk industries may complete audits quarterly or every six months depending on their risk profile and regulatory obligations.

What is the difference between an inspection and an audit?

Inspections focus on specific equipment, hazards or work areas. An audit reviews the wider work system, management arrangements, procedures and compliance controls across the organisation.

Why use digital health and safety audit software?

Digital tools improve efficiency, automate reporting, centralise audit data and allow corrective actions to be assigned immediately. They also reduce administrative burdens for safety officers and improve visibility across compliance activities.

What records should be reviewed during a health and safety audit?

Audits should cover risk assessments, training records, incident records, equipment inspection records, emergency procedures, induction records and documentation relating to workplace safety and compliance.