Workplace Safety Checklist

Pull the OSHA 300 log for the current year. Every recordable injury or illness should be logged within 7 calendar days of the event. Common gotcha: first-aid-only events get logged in error, or recordable lost-time events get missed because the manager handled it informally.

OSHA 300A annual summary must be posted in a visible location (break room, time-clock area) Feb 1 through April 30 each year. Confirm the prior-year summary is still posted if in window, or archived with the certifying-executive signature on file.

Print the certified 300A, obtain executive signature, and post in the location seen by the most employees. Photograph the posting for the audit file.

Each entry on the 300 log must have a corresponding 301 (or equivalent workers' comp first report). Cross-check that narrative, body part affected, and treating physician are populated. Missing 301s are the most common citation in a recordkeeping inspection.

Check the federal poster set (OSHA Job Safety and Health, EEO is the Law, FMLA, FLSA, USERRA, Polygraph Protection) plus state-required posters. Replace any that have been updated by DOL or the state agency in the past year.

Walk each work area with the supervisor and a safety committee member. Update the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) for each task category. Note new equipment, process changes, and near-miss patterns from the last quarter.

29 CFR 1910.132(d) requires a written certification of the PPE hazard assessment — workplace evaluated, person certifying, date, identification of the document. A verbal walk-through alone is a citation.

Check stocked levels of safety glasses, cut-resistant gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, respirators, and any task-specific PPE called out in the JHA. Replace expired items (particularly respirator cartridges and first-aid stock).

Reconcile the SDS binder against current inventory. New chemicals introduced since last review require an SDS on file and Hazard Communication training before use.

Add SDS for each new product, update the chemical inventory list, and deliver Hazard Communication retraining to affected employees per 29 CFR 1910.1200(h).

Export completion data from the LMS (TalentLMS, Litmos, BambooHR, or Paylocity LMS) for OSHA-mandated topics: Hazard Communication, Bloodborne Pathogens (if applicable), Emergency Action Plan, Fire Prevention, and any task-specific certifications (forklift, lockout/tagout, fall protection).

Block calendar time with the affected supervisors. Forklift recertification (every 3 years per 29 CFR 1910.178), respirator fit-test (annual), and bloodborne-pathogens refresher (annual) are common make-up items.

While not strictly OSHA, anti-harassment training is on the same compliance cadence many HR teams track. CA requires biennial; NY and IL require annual. Document completion in the same training record system.

Pull all incident reports filed since the last review. Categorize by body part, root cause, and work area. Patterns across reports often reveal a single training or engineering fix.

OSHA requires reporting fatalities within 8 hours and inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or eye loss within 24 hours. Review any qualifying events from the quarter and confirm the report was filed within the window. Late reports trigger separate citations.

Confirm the file contains: OSHA report confirmation number, witness statements, photographs, root-cause analysis, corrective-action plan with owner and date, and proof of corrective-action completion. Plaintiff counsel and OSHA will both ask for this packet.

Confirm the current reporting flow is posted in break rooms and on the intranet — who to call, when (immediately for any injury), and the anti-retaliation language required under 29 CFR 1904.35(b).

Fire extinguishers require monthly visual inspection (initialed tag) and annual certified inspection per 29 CFR 1910.157(e). Test emergency-lighting battery backups; replace any failed units.

Confirm energy-control procedures are written for each piece of servicing-eligible equipment. Inspect LOTO locks, tags, and devices. Annual review of procedures is required by 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(6).

Tag out any ladder with a damaged rung or splintered rail. Inspect harnesses for cut webbing, deformed D-rings, or out-of-date manufacture stamps. Pull from service immediately if defective.

Walk workstations for repetitive-motion risk, lift-frequency hot spots, and seating issues. Soft-tissue injuries dominate workers' comp claim cost; an ergonomic intervention often pays back faster than the comp premium.

29 CFR 1910.38 requires a written EAP for employers with 11+ employees. Verify it covers fire, severe weather, medical emergency, active threat, and evacuation routes. Update if floor plan, headcount, or evacuation assembly point has changed.

Walk each posted map. Verify exits, extinguisher locations, AED locations, and assembly points match reality. Office reconfigurations are the most common reason maps go stale.

Confirm fire/EMS/security numbers, on-site safety officer, building management, utility shut-offs, workers' comp carrier, and HR escalation. Pull from the HRIS to update employee emergency contacts that have changed.

Drills should run at least annually; some jurisdictions and tenant agreements require semi-annual. Coordinate with building management. Document attendance, evacuation time, and corrective actions.

HR Director or designated safety officer signs off after reviewing findings, open corrective actions, and any escalations from this run. The signed sign-off lives in the safety committee file.