Systems & Documentation · 6 checks

Documentation
safety audit checklist

RAMS, inductions, CSCS, permits, insurance.

Every check below says what good looks like, when it passes, the regulation or HSE guidance it rests on and the defects that usually fail it. Critical checks are marked: a fail on one of those stops the activity.

  1. 1.
    RAMS available on site for current works
    What to look forRisk Assessment + Method Statement specific to the activity, location, equipment. Reviewed/in date. Signed off by author and reviewer (competent). Briefed to operatives with signature record. Updated when method or hazards change. Hard copy on site, accessible to operatives, not locked in office.
    Acceptable whenManagement of Health and Safety at Work Regs 1999 Reg 3 (risk assessment) + CDM 2015 Reg 13 (PC) + Reg 9 (Designer/PD). Generic RAMS not acceptable, must be project/task specific. Briefed and signed.
    StandardMHSWR 1999 Reg 3. CDM 2015. INDG163, Five steps to risk assessment. HSG65.
    Common defectsGeneric supplier RAMS, not site-specificNo signature record of briefingRAMS in office only, not at workplaceActivity changed, RAMS not updatedOperatives can't describe controls when askedRAMS author not competent for the activity
  2. 2.
    Site induction records up to date
    What to look forEvery person inducted before going to work face. Induction covers: site rules, hazards, emergency, welfare, PPE, no-go areas, supervision. Records signed and retained for project + 3 years. Refresher when site changes phase or major risk added. Induction quiz/assessment to confirm understanding.
    Acceptable whenCDM 2015 Reg 13(4), site induction for everyone working on site. Records retained at minimum project duration + 3 years for limitation purposes. Refresher on phase change.
    StandardCDM 2015 Reg 13(4). MHSWR 1999. CITB Site Safety Plus / SMSTS / SSSTS.
    Common defectsOperatives on site without record of inductionGeneric 2-minute "sign here" inductionNo quiz / no proof of understandingRecords lost / not retrievableNo refresher when site moved into new phase
  3. 3.
    CSCS cards checked for all operatives
    What to look forCSCS card (or recognised partner card per CSCS Alliance, CISRS, CPCS, NPORS, EUSR, ECS, JIB) for every operative. Card colour matches role (e.g. Blue Skilled Worker, Gold Supervisor, Black Manager). In date. Photo matches operative. Verified at induction (Smart Check app), checked again randomly.
    Acceptable whenCSCS card not legally mandated but contractually required across UK construction. Construction Leadership Council mandate to phase out non-trade-tested cards. CSCS Smart Check app for verification.
    StandardCSCS Alliance scheme rules. CDM 2015 Reg 13 (competence). Construction Leadership Council policy.
    Common defectsCard expiredCard colour wrong for role (Labourer card on skilled trade)Photo doesn't match operative, card sharingSmart Check not used, paper card photocopied without verificationOperative on site without any card
  4. 4.
    Permit to work system in operation where required
    What to look forPTW for hot works, confined space, working at height (sometimes), excavations, isolation, roof work, lifting. Issued by trained authoriser. Time-bound. Closed out at end. Records retained. Linked to RAMS. Site procedure defines who issues, who accepts, conflict resolution.
    Acceptable whenHSG250, Permit to work systems. Activity-specific regs (Confined Spaces, Asbestos, RR(FS)O for hot works, etc.). Authoriser trained; permit time-limited; close-out signed.
    StandardHSG250. CDM 2015. Confined Spaces Regs 1997. Control of Asbestos Regs 2012. RR(FS)O 2005.
    Common defectsVerbal permits / no documentPermits not closed outSame permit reused day after dayIssuer not trainedMultiple conflicting permits at same location (e.g. hot work + working at height directly above flammables)
  5. 5.
    Insurance and H&S policy displayed
    What to look forEmployers' Liability Insurance certificate (min £5m, often £10m) on display, in date. Public Liability separately. Health and Safety Policy Statement signed by Director, dated within last 12 months. Accessible at welfare/induction area.
    Acceptable whenEmployers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, min £5m EL cover, certificate displayed where employees can see. HSWA 1974 s.2(3), written H&S policy if 5+ employees, brought to attention of employees.
    StandardEmployers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969. HSWA 1974 s.2(3). Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regs 1998.
    Common defectsEL certificate expiredCertificate not displayed, kept in office filing cabinetNo PL cover on displayH&S policy 5 years old, never reviewedPolicy not signed by current Director
  6. 6.
    Toolbox talk records available
    What to look forWeekly TBT minimum on relevant topics (rotating: WAH, manual handling, PPE, weather, site-specific). Records: date, topic, attendees signed in, deliverer name, key points. Linked to recent incidents/near misses. Posters/handouts retained. Subjects pre-planned in TBT calendar.
    Acceptable whenCDM 2015 Reg 8 + 13, competent persons receive instruction. MHSWR 1999 Reg 10 (information) + 13 (training). HSG65, Plan-Do-Check-Act with regular communication.
    StandardCDM 2015 Reg 8 + 13. MHSWR 1999 Reg 10 + 13. HSG65.
    Common defectsNo TBT records, verbal "we covered it"Same topic every week, superficialSign-in sheet but no record of actual contentTBTs not adapted to recent site issuesNew starter onboarding without back-catalogue of TBTs

Questions people ask

How often should a documentation audit be done?

Weekly is the common rhythm for a live site, plus whenever the work, the plant or the people change and after any incident or near miss. What matters is that it is scored, recorded, dated and the actions are closed out, not the exact frequency. Guidance, not legal advice.

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

An inspection looks at the site. An audit checks the system as well: is the paperwork there, do the people know it, is what was promised actually happening. On a small site the words blur, and that is fine. The checks below cover both.

What happens with a failed item?

A corrective action with an owner and a date, and a photo of the fail so nobody argues later. Where a check is marked critical, a fail stops that activity until it is put right.

Who should carry out the audit?

A competent person, and where possible not the person whose work is being looked at. The site manager auditing the site manager's housekeeping is better than nothing, but a visiting supervisor or the SHEQ lead sees what the regular eye has stopped noticing.

Is a site safety audit a legal requirement?

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require arrangements for monitoring your health and safety measures (regulation 5), and CDM 2015 requires every contractor to plan, manage and monitor the work under their control (regulation 15). A recorded, scored audit is how you show that is happening. Guidance, not legal advice.

Score it on a phone, actions raised for you

The same 6 checks with the guidance a tap away, a score out of 100, photos against each fail, corrective actions with owners and dates, and a branded PDF. 14 days free.

Start free trial