CHECKLIST | 10 MINUTE READ
General Hazard Identification Checklist
Effective hazard identification is the foundation of any strong incident management program. When operations, equipment, materials, workflows or stagging change, new hazards can be introduced or existing risks can shift in ways that aren’t immediately obvious.
This checklist is designed to help you identify where harm is most likely to occur before it leads to an incident.
What‘s inside:
- A general workplace hazard inspection checklist you can use across many operations
- A structured way to document hazards, corrective actions, owners and due dates
- Clear steps for conducting a more effective hazard identification walkthrough with workers
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What Introduces New Hazards Into the Workplace?
Changes in the workplace are one of the most common sources of new risk. Hazards can be introduced when:
- Processes or workflows change, altering how tasks are performed or where exposures occur
- New equipment or machinery is installed, especially before procedures or training are updated
- Materials or chemicals are introduced, bringing new handling, storage or exposure risks
- Staffing or roles shift, including turnover, new hires or contractors unfamiliar with site conditions
- Production increases or timelines tighten, leading to shortcuts or non-standard practices
- Work environments change, such as construction activities, layout modifications or temporary setups
As the checklist highlights, when operations, equipment or workflows change, hazards can emerge or existing risks can shift in ways that are not immediately obvious.
Without a structured approach to hazard identification, these changes can introduce risk faster than teams can recognize it.
Why Do Some Hazards Continue to Persist?
Not all hazards are new. Many persist because they are not fully identified, documented or addressed. Common reasons include:
- Incomplete or inconsistent inspections, where hazards are missed or not revisited
- Lack of visibility into existing controls, making it difficult to verify whether they are effective
- Poor documentation or follow-through, where corrective actions are not tracked to completion
- Overreliance on memory or observation, instead of using data and historical records
- Limited worker input, missing insights from those who perform the work daily
- Normalized risk, where unsafe conditions become accepted as “just the way things are”
When hazards are not systematically identified and validated against existing controls, they can remain in place even as conditions change, increasing the likelihood of incidents.
Before Using Our Hazard Identification Checklist
This checklist is most effective when it is used with the information you already have about your workplace. Before you start any inspection, collect and review available documentation, records and prior assessments so you understand what hazards are likely, where exposures may occur and what controls are supposed to be in place. This allows you to verify whether those controls are working as intended rather than relying on observation alone to identify risk.
Use the sources below, alongside this checklist, to prepare for workplace inspections:
- Equipment and machinery manuals
- Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
- Previous inspection findings and CAPAs
- OSHA injury and illness records, such as OSHA 300 and 301 logs
- Incident investigation reports and near-miss reports
- Exposure monitoring data
- Existing EHS programs and procedures, such as lockout tagout, confined space, hazard communication, PPE and machine guarding
- Job Hazard Analyses
- Worker input sources
How To Use This Checklist
This checklist is intended to support the workplace assessment process. Below is an example of how you may use this resource:
- Review background information: Utilize the documentation listed above to understand what hazards may already exist. This will help determine which sections of the checklist are most relevant.
- Walk the jobsite with workers: Conduct the inspection with people who perform the job. Their insight helps identify conditions and behaviors that may not appear in written procedures.
- Use the checklist section by section: Move through the work area focusing on one hazard category at a time.
- Document findings thoroughly: For each identified hazard, note the location, equipment involved, photos if helpful and the potential risk.
- Assign and track corrective actions: For anything marked as needing action, assign an owner and due date. Verified, completed actions should be recorded to confirm hazards were corrected. Analyze inspection findings to determine if updated training, procedures or maintenance is required.
- Reassess controls: Reevaluate controls regularly to verify effectiveness.
Find the risks before they turn into incidents.
Use this checklist to uncover hidden hazards across your operations. It takes just 10 minutes to revolutionize your hazard identification process.
