Occupational safety audit checklist template (PDF & Excel)
Evidence-based checklist for internal occupational safety audits and for preparing for inspections by the labour inspectorate or the employers' liability insurance association – with 37 items, location, findings, actions and Excel evaluation.
As of PDF and ExcelAMS Go editorial team
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During an inspection in Germany, what counts is what you can prove: the occupational safety authority can request information and documents and inspect business records (Section 22 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, ArbSchG), and so can the inspectors of the employers' liability insurance association (Berufsgenossenschaft) under Section 19 of Social Code Book VII (SGB VII). An internal audit therefore checks not only whether a duty is fulfilled, but whether the evidence is complete, up to date and retrievable.
The template guides you through 37 audit items in eight themes – from the delegation of duties and the risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung) to inspection records, hazardous substances, first aid and contractors. Requirement, legal basis and evidence required are pre-filled; you rate each item, note where the evidence is filed and what you found, and define actions. If you run an occupational health and safety management system, you can use the checklist as a basis for internal audits under ISO 45001 (clause 9.2).
What the template contains
- Landscape PDF with header for audit scope, reason, auditor and interviewees
- 37 pre-filled audit items in eight themes with requirement, legal basis and evidence required
- Rating Yes / Partly / No / N/A with columns for location, finding, action, owner and deadline
- Results page with evaluation, key findings and signatures, plus an action plan page with effectiveness check
- Excel with drop-down lists, automatic evaluation and compliance rate per theme, plus an action list with status and effectiveness check
How to use the template
- 1
Define the scope, request evidence
Decide which sites, areas and topics the audit covers and mark items that do not apply. Ask the responsible persons in advance to have the evidence ready or to say where it is filed.
- 2
Look at the evidence instead of asking
Have every piece of evidence shown to you and take samples – individual instruction records, inspection reports, entries in the health check register. Also walk through the company: whether an operating instruction really hangs at the workplace can only be seen on site. Note the location and your finding directly in the checklist.
- 3
Define and track actions
For every item rated “Partly” or “No”, define an action with an owner and a deadline. In the Excel file you track it in the action list through to the effectiveness check. Discuss the result with management and in the occupational safety committee.
Legal basis
- Section 22 (1) and (2) ArbSchG: information, handing over of documents and inspection of business records at the authority's request
- Section 19 (2) SGB VII: powers of the accident insurance institutions' inspectors, including information and inspection of documents
- Section 6 (1) ArbSchG: documents showing the result of the risk assessment, the measures defined and the result of their review
- Section 3 (1) ArbSchG: review measures for effectiveness and adapt them to changing circumstances
- ISO 45001 clause 9.2: internal audits in occupational health and safety management systems
Frequently asked questions
How does the audit checklist differ from the employer duties checklist?
The duties checklist asks whether a duty applies in the company and is fulfilled. The audit checklist goes one step further and asks about the evidence: whether it exists, is complete and up to date, and where it is filed. That is exactly what is checked during an inspection or a certification audit.
How often should an internal occupational safety audit take place?
German occupational safety law does not prescribe a fixed interval – but it does require measures to be reviewed for effectiveness (Section 3 (1) ArbSchG). An annual audit per site makes sense, plus additional audits after major changes. In certified management systems, the audit programme sets the intervals (ISO 45001 clause 9.2).
Who should carry out the audit?
Someone with expertise in occupational safety who is not auditing their own area – for example the safety specialist (Fachkraft für Arbeitssicherheit), a colleague from another site or an external auditor. The managers of the area take part as interviewees and show the evidence.
You may use and adapt the template freely in your own company and for your own clients. It reflects the regulations named as they stand.
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Related guides
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Inspections by the labour inspectorate or the employers' liability insurance association in Germany: how to prepare
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ISO 45001 in Germany: implementing and certifying an OHS management system
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Liability in occupational safety in Germany: when management and supervisors are liable
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