Safety action plan template (Excel & PDF)
Central Excel list for all health and safety measures (Maßnahmenplan) – from risk assessments, inspections, accidents, audits and authority orders – with STOP type, priority, deadline, overdue alerts, effectiveness check and summaries, plus a PDF list.
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The Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) requires more than defining measures: the employer must implement them, check their effectiveness and adapt them where necessary (Section 3 (1) ArbSchG). The records must show the measures defined and the result of their review (Section 6 (1) ArbSchG). In practice, however, measures arise in many places – in the risk assessment (Gefährdungsbeurteilung), during inspections, after accidents, in audits or from authority requirements – and get lost in separate lists.
The action plan (Maßnahmenplan) brings everything together in one Excel table: source, defect, measure with its type under the STOP principle, priority, owner and deadline. A formula shows day by day what is overdue, due soon or waiting for its effectiveness check; two summary sheets count open and overdue measures per source and per type. The PDF print list is handy for inspections and meetings of the safety committee (Arbeitsschutzausschuss).
What the template contains
- Excel action plan with 17 columns from source and reference to measure, STOP type, priority, owner and deadline through to the effectiveness check
- Drop-down lists for source, type, priority, status and result of the effectiveness check
- Automatic alert by formula: “Overdue”, “Due within 14 days”, “Check effectiveness” or “Improve measure”
- Two summary sheets per source and per STOP type with open and overdue measures
- PDF print list in landscape format with 20 rows on two pages for inspections and meetings
How to use the template
- 1
Collect measures
Transfer open measures from risk assessments, inspection reports, accident and near-miss reports, test reports and letters from the authorities into the plan – one row per measure with source and reference.
- 2
Define and assign
Following the STOP principle, choose solutions at source first, then set the priority, a responsible person and a realistic deadline. Priority A means immediate action – if necessary, the work is stopped until the defect is fixed.
- 3
Follow up and check effectiveness
Filter regularly for “Overdue” and discuss progress in the safety committee. Once a measure is implemented, check whether it works – for example at the next inspection – and enter the date and result. If it is not or only partly effective, add a new measure.
Legal basis
- Section 3 (1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG): take the necessary measures, check their effectiveness and adapt them where necessary
- Section 3 (2) ArbSchG: provide a suitable organisation and the necessary resources
- Section 4 ArbSchG: tackle hazards at source, individual protective measures come last
- Section 6 (1) ArbSchG: records showing the result of the risk assessment, the measures defined and the result of their review
- Section 6 of the Occupational Safety Act (ASiG): the occupational safety specialist inspects the workplaces, reports defects, proposes measures and works towards their implementation
Frequently asked questions
What is a health and safety action plan?
A central list of all defined health and safety measures with owners, deadlines and status. No particular format is prescribed – but measures must be implemented, checked for effectiveness and documented together with the result (Sections 3 and 6 ArbSchG). The action plan is the practical way to prove this for all sources together.
What does STOP mean for safety measures?
S = substitution, T = technical, O = organisational, P = personal. The order follows from Section 4 ArbSchG: hazards must be tackled at source, individual protective measures come last. For hazardous substances, Section 7 of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV) explicitly requires substitution first and a ranking of protective measures. The summary by type shows whether too many measures rely only on protective equipment or behaviour.
How do I check whether a measure is effective?
After implementation, check whether the hazard has actually been removed or sufficiently reduced – at the next inspection, by talking to employees, by measurements or based on further accidents and near misses. The result belongs in the records (Section 6 (1) ArbSchG). The law sets no fixed deadline; schedule the check a few weeks after implementation, depending on the measure.
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.
Never search a spreadsheet for a deadline again
In AMS Go, what this template covers lives in one system with reminders, history and records at the push of a button – mobile and with AI support.
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