Workshop Hazard Checklist
Hazards in a workshop include everything from accidents and injuries when using power tools to tripping over wires and noise and hearing damage due to loud machinery. It’s vital that all hazards and risks in any workshop are identified and controlled. This helps protects those working in, using, and passing through the workshop.
As an employer, you have a legal and moral duty to provide a safe workspace for staff, which includes in any workshop. Reviewing workshop hazards is key whether you run a garage workshop or one for woodwork and furniture repairs, or anything else. Identifying and managing risks helps protect staff and reduce the chance of accidents and injuries.
Our health and safety experts have created this workshop hazard checklist to help inform any required risk assessments. Check each section and if you spot any issues then you can escalate them to create appropriate risk assessments. Try our online risk assessment software where you can produce unlimited risk assessments to safeguard any workshop.
Workshop risk assessment checklist
There are many risks and potential hazards in a workshop – including those from working at height to hand-arm vibration when working with certain tools and machinery. Reviewing workshop practices and identifying where any hazards exist helps keep them under control. This minimises the chance of injuries and protects staff.
Every workshop needs regular risk assessments to identify hazards and outline ways to effectively manage and control them. This checklist covers common safety hazards in a workshop that you should look for and build into any risk assessments if they’re present. It is not a risk assessment itself.
Potential hazards and risks in a workshop are grouped together for a quick and easy checklist. Look at each section and answer all the questions to see where you may need to introduce risk assessments in your workshop. Use this free online workshop risk assessment checklist to improve your safety levels.
Slips, trips, and fall hazards in workshops
Are there any obstructions on the workshop floor that could cause a slip, trip, or fall from:
- Stored materials, work pieces, storage bins, or pallets?
- Electrical equipment such fan heaters or pressure cleaners?
- Trailing leads supplying power tools, portable pumps, or vacuum cleaners?
- Loose mats and/or decking around machinery?
- Access routes blocked by general debris, waste bins, and swarf?
- Open access panels in the floor?
- Unguarded stairwells?
- Unguarded edges on ramps and loading bays?
- Uneven floors?
- Cleaners’ equipment such as vacuum cleaners or floor polishers?
Falling object hazards in the workshop
Are there any objects that could fall on people in the workshop, such as:
- Goods, stores, or tools on shelves and racking?
- Unstable freestanding stacks of goods or materials?
- Objects carried by overhead gantry or hoists?
- Loose electrical or mechanical equipment like lighting, pipework, and ventilation equipment?
- Loose ceiling tiles?
- Ladders or access equipment?
Electrical workshop hazards
Is there any risk of persons receiving an electrical shock from:
- Loose or broken sockets, switches, light fittings, conduits, and trunking?
- Worn, frayed, or split cables or conduits?
- Missing lids on trunking and control panels?
- Trailing leads?
- Overloaded extension leads or multi-socket adaptors?
- Exposed cables into plugs, computer equipment, kettles, fan heaters, microwaves, food and drinks dispensers?
- Exposed live parts of electrical switchgear including controls, motors, and pumps?
- Is any item of portable electrical equipment overdue for a portable appliance test (PAT)?
- Is any item of electrical equipment poorly or dangerously positioned?
Explore this electrical equipment checklist
Substance-related hazards
Are there any substances used that could cause harm from contact or inhalation, such as:
- Metalworking fluids used that could cause adverse health effects?
- Cleaning or degreasing chemicals?
- Solvents in inks, dyes, adhesives, and paints?
- Dusts from powdered goods or supplies?
- Dusts or fumes from machining?
- Smoke or exhaust fumes from vehicles or combustion processes?
- Welding, brazing, or soldering fumes?
- Asbestos in fire retardant panelling, ceiling tiles, or pipe lagging?
- Do the procedures for cleaning up organic and chemical substance spills need improving?
- Does the disposal of waste products from spills need improving?
- Are there any new substances being used since the last review?
- Has any staff member complained of any persistent or increasing allergic reactions like running nose or eyes, coughing, sneezing, or itching skin?
Workshop machinery hazards
Is machinery installed and used in a safe manner across the workshop to minimise danger to others, such as:
- Are there any moving or rotating parts of machinery that require guarding?
- Does existing machinery guarding need repair or replacement?
- Can work or tooling be ejected from moving machinery?
- Do you have to raise your voice above the working noise?
- Do workers require protection against the effects of vibrating tools or machinery?
- Can exposed hot surfaces burn skin if contact is made?
- Do airlines and/or compressed gas lines need repair or replacing?
- Can machinery move without warning?
- Has any new machinery been introduced since the last review?
Fire hazards in workshops
Are flammable materials stored or used in a manner that could cause a fire in the workshop, such as:
- Any flammable substances on or near sources of heat or direct sunlight?
- Any flammable substances that are not correctly stored in flameproof cupboards (solvents and adhesives)?
- Any potential for a flammable substance to be spilled onto sources of heat or electrical equipment?
- Flammable waste materials left in waste bins overnight?
- Covered convector heaters?
- Process heaters left on overnight?
- Chemicals that can react or spontaneously combust?
- Oily paper towels or rags disposed of carelessly?
Use this free fire safety checklist
Ventilation hazards
Are there any hazards associated with ventilation, such as:
- Insufficient ventilation, natural and forced?
- Fumes getting into the area caused by work processes?
- Contamination of air conditioning filters by dust or bacteria?
- Does local exhaust ventilation (LEV) require testing? (required not less than every 14 months)
Manual handling and workstation hazards
Do working positions in workshops pose a hazard that could cause muscular strains, such as:
- Poor lifting positions?
- Heavy workpieces or large heavy tools?
- Bad posture over desks or benches?
- Repetitive twisting or turning?
- Does any workshop equipment show signs of damage or imminent collapse (desks, chairs, benches, shelving, and steps)?
Hygiene hazards
Do sanitary provisions require improving to reduce the risk of infection or contamination, such as:
- Hot water temperature requires raising to remove legionella risk (60°C)?
- Toilet and hand basin cleaning requires improving?
- Improved hand washing and drying facilities?
- The use of rubber gloves for personal protection?
- Does the provision of barrier creams and hand cleaners need improving?
Workshop accidents and first aid
- Does accident treatment require improving?
- Is there a requirement for a (or additional) trained first aider?
- Do those trained as first aiders require refresher training? (required every 3 years)
- Do accident records need reviewing?
- Is there anything in the first aid boxes that is past its use by date?
- Are extra first aid boxes required?
- Are there any specific requirements for accident treatment?
Follow our first aid kit contents checklist
Any identified workshop hazards should be evaluated using a risk assessment. Start your free 15-day trial of our health and safety software to create unlimited risk assessments online. Adapt existing templates and save your workshop risk assessments online quickly and easily.