Conducting safety inspections: process, checklist and report
Who has to inspect workplaces, how often and with whom? The process of a safety inspection in six steps – with typical checkpoints, report content and a checklist.
Last updated on 7 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- The occupational safety specialist and the company doctor are tasked with inspecting workplaces at regular intervals and reporting defects to the employer (Sections 3 and 6 of the Occupational Safety Act, ASiG).
- The law does not prescribe a fixed interval – it depends on the hazards in each area.
- If there is a works council, it must be involved in occupational safety inspections (Section 89 (2) of the Works Constitution Act, BetrVG).
- An inspection only works when the defects found are followed up as measures with people responsible and deadlines.
What is a safety inspection?
In a safety inspection (Sicherheitsbegehung, also called a workplace inspection), work areas are checked specifically for risks to safety and health. The participants walk through halls, workshops, warehouses or offices, talk to employees and record what is going well and where action is needed.
The inspection complements the risk assessment: the risk assessment defines which protective measures are needed. The inspection shows whether these measures are actually implemented and effective in everyday work.
Is a safety inspection mandatory?
Inspections are explicitly regulated in the Occupational Safety Act (Arbeitssicherheitsgesetz, ASiG): company doctors (Section 3 ASiG) and occupational safety specialists (Section 6 ASiG) are tasked with inspecting workplaces at regular intervals, reporting defects found to the employer, proposing measures to remedy them and working towards their implementation.
In addition, under Section 3 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG), the employer must check whether their protective measures are effective. Inspections are one of the most effective ways of doing so.
Carrying out a safety inspection in 6 steps
- 1
Prepare
Define the area, date and participants. Review the last inspection report, open measures, recent accident reports and the risk assessment for the area.
- 2
Choose a checklist
Use a checklist that suits the area – in a workshop, different points matter than in a warehouse or an office.
- 3
Inspect and talk to people
Walk through the area together, observe ongoing work and talk to employees. They often know best where problems lie.
- 4
Document defects
Record every defect with location, description and photo and assess how urgent it is. Immediate dangers are eliminated straight away.
- 5
Define measures
Define a measure for every defect with a person responsible and a deadline.
- 6
Follow up
Check whether the measures were implemented on time and review them at the next inspection.
Who takes part in the inspection?
- The occupational safety specialist
- The company doctor – depending on the area and occasion
- The manager responsible for the area inspected
- The safety representatives of the area
- A member of the works council, if there is one
Depending on the topic, others can join, such as fire safety officers, the representative of employees with severe disabilities or employees from the area. What matters is that someone who can decide on measures is present.
How often should inspections take place?
The Occupational Safety Act only speaks of “regular intervals”. How often an area is inspected depends on the hazards. In practice, these guide values have proven themselves, for example:
Production, workshops, warehouses
Guide value from practiceSeveral times a year, for example quarterly
Construction sites
Guide value from practiceFrequently and depending on construction progress, as conditions change constantly
Offices and administration
Guide value from practiceAt least once a year
Inspections for a specific reason also make sense – such as after an accident or near miss, after conversions, for new machines or processes and before external audits.
What to look for: typical checkpoints
Traffic and escape routes
Typical checkpointsClear, wide enough and marked; emergency exits not blocked or locked
Fire protection
Typical checkpointsFire extinguishers accessible, marked and inspected; fire doors not wedged open
First aid
Typical checkpointsFirst-aid kit complete, first aiders and emergency numbers displayed
Machines and installations
Typical checkpointsGuards present and effective, emergency stop within reach, inspection stickers current
Electrical equipment
Typical checkpointsNo damaged cables or plugs, no daisy-chained power strips
Hazardous substances
Typical checkpointsContainers labelled and stored properly, operating instructions at the workplace
Storage and racking
Typical checkpointsLoad information present, no damage, rack inspection documented
Personal protective equipment
Typical checkpointsAvailable, in good condition and worn
Order and cleanliness
Typical checkpointsNo tripping hazards, waste disposed of, workplaces tidy
Workplaces
Typical checkpointsLighting, noise, indoor climate and ergonomics appropriate
What belongs in the inspection report?
The law does not prescribe a specific form for the inspection report. For it to serve as a record and so that defects do not get lost, it should contain the following:
- Date, area inspected and participants
- Defects found with location, description and photo
- Assessment of urgency
- Measures with person responsible and deadline
- Completion note and effectiveness check
- Positive findings – they motivate too
Checklist: safety inspection
- Area, date and participants defined
- Works council invited, if there is one
- Last report and open measures reviewed
- Suitable checklist for the area chosen
- Conversations with employees held
- Defects documented with location, photo and urgency
- Measures defined with people responsible and deadlines
- Report distributed to everyone involved
- Implementation of measures followed up
Free templates for this guide
As PDF and Excel, no sign-up – free to use in your own company.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to carry out a safety inspection?
Under the Occupational Safety Act, inspecting workplaces regularly is one of the tasks of the occupational safety specialist and the company doctor. Responsibility for occupational safety and for implementing the measures remains with the employer.
How often must a safety inspection take place?
There is no fixed interval – the law speaks of regular intervals. In practice, production areas are often inspected several times a year and offices at least once a year, plus after accidents or changes.
Does the works council have to take part in the inspection?
The employer must involve the works council in all occupational safety inspections (Section 89 (2) BetrVG). The works council can decide which of its members take part.
What is the difference between an inspection and a risk assessment?
The risk assessment identifies hazards and defines protective measures. The inspection checks on site whether these measures are implemented and effective, and uncovers new hazards. Its results feed back into the risk assessment.
Does an inspection report have to be signed?
A signature is not required by law. What matters is that the report traceably records who inspected which area when and which measures were agreed.
Terms from the glossary
This guide gives a general overview of German occupational safety law and does not replace legal advice. The regulations in force and the rules of the statutory accident insurance institutions are authoritative.
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