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Annual Shop Safety Audit

Once a year, stop and look at the shop as a stranger would. Problems you stopped noticing years ago stand out.

Why do an annual audit?

Shops change. Equipment is added, wiring is extended, stock piles up and habits drift. A yearly review catches slow changes and gives you a chance to plan fixes. It also fits well with a regular date such as winter, when work is slower.

An audit is not about blame. It is about finding what to fix before it hurts someone.

Pick the same time each year and put it on the calendar. Winter or the slow weeks before spring work are common choices, but any regular date works.

How do I get ready?

Choose a date, gather the checklists, past inspection records and manuals, and invite the people who use the shop. Fresh eyes help, so ask a neighbor, your insurer, a fire department officer or an extension educator to join.

Bring a notebook or phone to record findings and take photos.

Take your time on the first audit and keep your notes. Next year you will be able to compare, and you will see progress.

• Checklists and last year's notes.
• Manuals and inspection logs.
• A camera or phone for photos.
• A notebook for findings.

What should I walk through?

Go area by area. Check fire and emergency items: exits, extinguishers, alarms, first aid kit. Check electrical items: cords, outlets, panels, ground-fault protection. Check lifting gear, tools and guards, chemicals and fuel, housekeeping and floors, lighting, signs, ergonomics and personal protective gear.

Use official sources such as OSHA and NIOSH for checklists, and ask professionals for items you cannot judge, such as wiring.

If you hire help, include them in the audit. They see the shop from a different angle and may be more willing to point out problems than family.

• Fire and emergency readiness.
• Electrical and lighting.
• Tools, lifting and machine guarding.
• Chemicals, housekeeping and exits.
• People and habits: training, plans and who speaks up.

How do I check people and practices?

Safety is also about habits. Ask how new workers and teens are trained, who knows the emergency plan, whether shutoffs and exits are known and whether injuries and near-misses are talked about. Watch people work if you can.

Ask each person what worries them. Their answers often point to the real hazards.

Pay particular attention to places where people work alone, since a problem there is more serious if no one is nearby to help. Consider a check-in routine for solo work.

• Ask how new workers were trained.
• Ask who knows the plan and shutoffs.
• Ask what worries each person.

How do I rank what I find?

Sort findings into things to fix today, this month and this year. Anything that could cause serious injury or fire gets fixed first, or the item is taken out of service until it is. Be honest about what you can do yourself and what needs a professional.

Assign a person and a date to each item. A list without owners rarely gets done.

For items that need an expert, such as wiring, lifting equipment or fire systems, schedule the visit now. Professionals are often booked weeks ahead.

• Fix today: anything that could cause serious injury or fire.
• Fix this month: wear, clutter, missing signs.
• Plan this year: wiring upgrades, new storage, training.

What about training and drills?

Schedule training for the gaps you found, such as first aid, fire extinguisher use, lifting or equipment operation. Run an exit drill, test alarms and emergency lights and review your plan to call 911 and give the address.

Use hands-on classes from recognized providers when you can.

Check that the farm address is posted clearly at the road and that 911 can find you, and that everyone knows a meeting place and the plan.

How do I follow through?

Record the date, the findings and what was done. Keep it with your other safety records. Revisit the list in a few months to see that items were completed, and review last year's list before beginning this year's.

Share the results with the crew and thank them for their input.

Keep your audit checklist and update it each year with lessons from incidents, near-misses and changes in the shop.

• Write down what was fixed and when.
• Check progress in a few months.
• Share results with the crew.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.