Quick Checks · 9 checks · 1 critical

Pre-Start Check
safety audit checklist

Quick check before commencing new works or shift start.

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.
    Work area clear of hazards
    What to look forPre-shift walk-around. No new hazards from other trades, weather, deliveries. Adjacent work activities checked for impact (overhead, below). Trip hazards, materials, water, ice cleared.
    Acceptable whenCDM 2015 Reg 19. MHSWR 1999 Reg 3 (dynamic risk assessment). HSG155.
    StandardCDM 2015 Reg 19. MHSWR 1999. HSG155.
    Common defectsOvernight build-up of materials/waterOther trade work dropped objects in our areaFrost / icy patches not grittedHazardous spill from earlier shift
  2. 2.
    Access/egress routes clear
    What to look forRoute to and from work area unobstructed. Ladders/towers in place. No locked doors on escape route. Lighting on dark routes.
    Acceptable whenCDM 2015 Reg 17. Work at Height Regs 2005 Reg 6 (safe access).
    StandardCDM 2015 Reg 17. Work at Height Regs 2005.
    Common defectsMaterials delivered overnight blocking routeLadder removed without noticeStair tower hatch left openExit door padlocked
  3. 3.
    Adequate lighting
    What to look forLighting on at start of shift. No dark spots. Task lighting at face of work. Backup/emergency lighting functional. 100 lux general / 200 lux task minimum.
    Acceptable whenCDM 2015 Reg 44. BS EN 12464-1:2021. HSG38.
    StandardCDM 2015 Reg 44. BS EN 12464-1:2021. HSG38.
    Common defectsFestoon bulbs blown overnightTask light cable damagedNo emergency backupGlare from poorly aimed flood
  4. 4.
    Services located and marked
    What to look forFor groundworks: scan completed today (CAT4 + Genny), markings still visible, drawings reviewed. For overhead: power lines / pipework noted. Marker tapes intact.
    Acceptable whenHSG47, Avoiding danger from underground services. GS6, Avoiding danger from overhead power lines.
    StandardHSG47. GS6.
    Common defectsMarkings washed away by rainScan from yesterday, assumed still validNo CAT scan todayOverhead line clearance not measured
  5. 5.
    Tools and equipment pre-use checked
    What to look forVisual check of every tool and piece of equipment: cables, body, guards, safety devices, PAT label. Damaged kit set aside and tagged.
    Acceptable whenPUWER 1998 Reg 6. Electricity at Work Regs 1989. INDG236.
    StandardPUWER 1998 Reg 6. Electricity at Work Regs 1989.
    Common defectsDamaged kit picked up first thing without inspectionGuards missing or wired openPAT label expiredPre-use checks not recorded
  6. 6.
    Correct PPE available and worn
    What to look forEach operative dressed for the activity, task-specific gloves, eye, ear, RPE. PPE in good condition. Replacements available if damage during day.
    Acceptable whenPPE at Work Regs 1992 (amended 2022). Task risk assessment.
    StandardPPE at Work Regs 1992. INDG174.
    Common defectsGeneric gloves where cut-resistant neededNo RPE where dust expectedDamaged hard hat, replacement not availableNo face fit test record for tight-fit RPE
  7. 7.
    RAMS briefed and signed by all operatives
    Critical: a fail stops the work
    What to look forWhole team briefed on RAMS for today's task before work starts. Briefing record signed. New hazards identified by team and added. Briefing not just sign-on-the-dotted-line.
    Acceptable whenMHSWR 1999 Reg 3 + 10. CDM 2015 Reg 13.
    StandardMHSWR 1999. CDM 2015 Reg 13.
    Common defectsSign-up sheet but no actual briefingNew starter not briefed before going to work faceRAMS topic doesn't match today's actual activityTeam member identifies hazard not in RAMS, no update
  8. 8.
    Permits in place where required
    What to look forFor hot works, confined space, excavation, isolation, working at height where required: permit in date, displayed at workplace, accepted by team. Conflicts with other permits resolved.
    Acceptable whenHSG250. Activity-specific regs (CSR 1997, CAR 2012, RR(FS)O 2005, etc.).
    StandardHSG250. CSR 1997. RR(FS)O 2005.
    Common defectsVerbal permission, no permitPermit time expiredConflicting permit in same locationPermit not accepted by team (not signed)
  9. 9.
    Emergency procedures known
    What to look forTeam can describe: alarm signal, assembly point, who calls 999, route out, location of nearest extinguisher and first aider. New starter checked.
    Acceptable whenCDM 2015 Reg 13(4). RR(FS)O 2005.
    StandardCDM 2015 Reg 13. RR(FS)O 2005.
    Common defectsNew starter doesn't know assembly pointNo designated 999 callerAssembly point changed but not re-briefedTeam unaware of nearest extinguisher

Questions people ask

How often should a pre-start check audit be done?

These are the short ones: daily or at the start of every shift, before the work begins. Two minutes and a signature.

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. 1 of the 9 checks here are marked critical: a fail on one of those 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.

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