An OSHA Safety Walkthrough List is a list of potential hazards individuals with a responsibility for safety should be alert to when conducting a walk-around safety inspection of a workplace. For example, a general OSHA Safety Walkthrough List could consist of hazards such as:

• Slip, trip, and fall hazards
• Blocked through routes and exits
• Frayed or exposed electrical wires
• Missing machine guards
• Poorly maintained equipment
• Substandard housekeeping
• Damage to property or equipment

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has produced two OSHA Safety Walkthrough Lists – one for managers and business owners, and the other for safety officers. Both advocate a similar process for walk-around safety inspections inasmuch as there should be pre-inspection activities, the walk-around, and post-inspection activities.

Pre-Inspection Activities

OSHA recommends that safety inspectors (regardless of role) prepare for an inspection by familiarizing themselves with hazards that have been previously identified, accident investigation reports, and recent near-miss incidents. These hazards, reports, and incidents should be prioritized to determine whether they have been abated or if further action is required.

Thereafter, OSHA suggests obtaining an OSHA compliance checklist from the Internet that is relevant to the business’s activities and appropriate to the workplace environment. Although it is likely that no checklist will be an exact match for the business’s requirements, OSHA recommends tailoring an existing checklist to the business’s requirements rather than starting from scratch.

Onsite Inspection Activities

The goal of an OSHA Safety Walkthrough List is to help develop a comprehensive list of hazards and prioritize them for addressing. Therefore, in addition to looking for general hazards as listed above, OSHA recommends talking with members of the workforce and asking open-ended questions such as “What is the most hazardous task in your job?” and “What makes it hazardous?”

It can also be advantageous to seek out and speak with new employees to get a “fresh eyes” perspective on safety. Although there will be those who do not want to create a bad impression in their new job, by observing new employees, safety inspectors will be better able to understand which areas of OSHA training require reinforcing or where further OSHA training should be provided.

Post-Inspection Activities

Following the inspection, safety inspectors should prioritize identified hazards based on the likelihood of a hazard occurring compared with the consequences of the occurrence. For example, hazards that cause minor cuts and happen only occasionally would be low priority, whereas hazards that occur frequently or could have a catastrophic outcome should be assigned a high priority.

The prioritization of hazards will enable safety inspectors to create an abatement plan. The plan should include a list of the corrective actions needed and a timeline for implementing the corrective actions. It is important this timetable is adhered to rather than cherry-picking easily controlled hazards in order to remove them from the OSHA Safety Walkthrough List quickly.

Get Help with an OSHA Safety Walkthrough List

If you have no experience in compiling an OSHA Safety Walkthrough List, there are plenty of sources from which to get help. In addition to the two Lists linked to above, OSHA provides a searchable list of safety and health topics and offers on-site consultations for qualifying businesses. If you cannot find the help you need on the OSHA website, or your business does not qualify for an on-site consultation, it is recommended you seek professional advice from an OSHA compliance specialist.

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