Process plantsMinesWorkshops

SHE Representative Inspection Checklist (Monthly Workplace Safety Inspection)

A monthly safety, health and environment inspection for a plant area, workshop or mine working place, done by the health and safety (SHE) representative for that area with the supervisor. Both the OHS Act and the MHSA give representatives the right to inspect at intervals agreed with the employer. Every finding gets an owner and a due date, and last month's findings are checked as closed.

Monthly per area, or as your SHE plan requires · 37 checks · free printable PDF

Legal basis checked 26 October 2026

Two construction workers in hard hats and hi-vis working among rebar on a building site

What the checklist covers

Before the inspection

The area is one the representative is designated for
Reasonable notice given to the employer, who may take part
Inspection falls on the interval agreed with the employer

Housekeeping and access

Walkways and stairs clear, marked and in good repair
Floors dry and free of slip and trip hazards
Materials stacked stably and within safe heights
Waste and scrap removed to the correct bins
Emergency exits clear, unlocked and signed

Fire and emergency

Fire extinguishers in place, accessible, sealed and within their service date
Hose reels and hydrants accessible
Emergency lighting working
Evacuation plan displayed; assembly point marked
Alarm tested as scheduled

Machinery and equipment

Guards in place on all moving parts
Emergency stops tested and working
Isolation points labelled
Pre-use checks completed for mobile equipment
Lifting equipment tagged and within its inspection date
Portable electrical tools inspected and tagged

Electrical

Distribution boards closed, labelled and unobstructed
No exposed or damaged wiring
Extension leads undamaged and not daisy-chained
Earth leakage units tested as scheduled

Hazardous chemicals

Containers labelled with contents and hazards
Safety data sheets available where the chemicals are used
Chemicals stored by compatibility, with bunding where needed
Spill kit available and stocked

PPE, work at height and first aid

Required PPE worn and in good condition
Ladders inspected and tagged
Edges and openings protected; harnesses inspected
First aid box stocked and checked
Trained first aider on every shift
Ablutions clean; drinking water available

Findings and close-out

Last month's findings closed, with evidence that each fix worked
Every new finding recorded with an owner and a due date
Serious findings escalated to the manager the same day
Findings not resolved with the employer raised at the health and safety committee

How to use this checklist

1Give the employer reasonable notice of the area and the date, and invite the area supervisor to walk it with you.
2Start with last month's findings: check each one is closed, and carry open ones forward.
3Walk the area section by section, looking at conditions and at how people are working.
4Mark every item OK, Defect or N/A, and photograph or describe each finding so someone else can find it.
5Give every finding an owner and a due date in the findings table, and sign it off with the supervisor before you leave.

A general guide. Add your site's own standards and the hazards your risk assessment names. Section 18(1)(g) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993 lets a health and safety representative inspect the workplace they are designated for, including its plant, machinery, substances and safety equipment, at intervals agreed with the employer, after reasonable notice; the employer may be present. On a mine, section 30(1)(m) of the Mine Health and Safety Act, 29 of 1996 gives the representative the right to inspect working places at intervals agreed with the employer, and section 30(5) requires reasonable notice and lets the employer take part.

Legal basis checked on 26 October 2026 against: Occupational Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993, section 18; Mine Health and Safety Act, 29 of 1996, section 30.

Convert this checklist into a digital form

Run it on an Android phone with no signal, attach photos as evidence, and every failed item raises an issue with an owner and a due date.

Start the trial from here and this checklist is waiting in your workspace as a ready-made form.

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Paper finds the defect. Then what?

On paper, a ticked "Defect" box often stays a ticked box. In Inspecable the same checklist keeps going after it is signed:

Run the checklist on an Android phone with no signal; it syncs when the crew is back in range.
A failed item raises an issue with an owner and a due date.
A corrective action cannot close without evidence and a signature.
Every completed inspection produces a signed PDF with its photos.

Questions

Who should do a SHE inspection?

The health and safety representative for the area, with the supervisor. Section 18(1)(g) of the OHS Act and, on a mine, section 30(1)(m) of the MHSA let representatives inspect the places they are designated for, and doing it together means findings are agreed on the spot.

How often should a SHE representative inspect?

At the interval agreed with the employer; neither the OHS Act nor the MHSA fixes one. Monthly per area is common, and high-risk areas often get a weekly check as well. What matters most is that it happens on schedule, with notice to the employer, and that findings are closed.

What is the difference between a SHE inspection and an audit?

An inspection looks at conditions and practices in one area on one day. An audit checks whether the whole system works: appointments, risk assessments, training and records. Use this checklist for the first and the OHS Act compliance audit checklist for the second.

What happens to the findings?

Each finding gets an owner and a due date, and next month's inspection starts by checking they are closed. Findings that stay open month after month are the ones to raise at the health and safety committee.

Get the free printable PDF