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Electrical safety checklist

A workplace electrical safety checklist for offices, factories, warehouses and schools, filled in on a phone as you walk round. Add each area, then the distribution boards and panels in it: access, cover, circuit chart, heat marks and the RCD or GFCI test buttons. Then check sockets, adaptors, extension leads, portable equipment, cables, wet areas and isolation. Enter the date of the last fixed installation inspection and its due date, and the form warns when it is overdue. It is a visual check, not a test: for testing use the EICR and PAT testing record.

For health and safety advisers, facilities managers and electrical contractors who check workplaces for clients and need a report the client can act on.

Written for Great Britain (Electricity at Work Regulations 1989) and US general industry (OSHA 1910 subpart S). Choose the rules you work to on page 1.

Areas as spaces, with each distribution board or panel as an item: label scan, access, cover, circuit chart and heat marks
RCD or GFCI test buttons counted per board, with a warning when one fails
Sockets, adaptors, extension leads, portable equipment, cables and wet areas checked in every area
Last fixed installation inspection and its due date, with an overdue warning
Findings with priority, owner and date, and signatures from you and the client

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What should a workplace electrical safety checklist cover?

It is useful when the client can act on every line: each board and area named, each problem described where it is and what it is, faulty items counted as taken out of use, and each action given a priority, an owner and a date. A list of ticks with no locations tells the client nothing.

Last updated 27 October 2026. Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 27 October 2026 against Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 4 (legislation.gov.uk), HSE: Introduction to electrical safety, HSE: Electrical safety frequently asked questions and OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303, electrical general requirements (eCFR).

How to do a workplace electrical safety check

Walk every area in use. Look, do not open covers or touch live parts.

Set the scope
Choose the rules you work to, list the areas you will cover, and enter the last fixed installation inspection date and its due date from the report.
Check the boards
For each board or panel, check that nothing is stored in front, the door closes, there are no missing covers, the circuit chart is readable and there are no heat marks. Press each RCD or GFCI test button you can reach safely.
Walk each area
Look at sockets, adaptors, extension leads, portable equipment, cables and wet areas. Take faulty leads and equipment out of use and count them.
Check isolation and people
Confirm lockout locks and tags are available, people know where the main switch is, and staff report faulty equipment.
Report
Add each finding as an action with a priority, owner and date, write a short summary for the client, and sign with them.

What makes a workplace electrical safety check useful

Each area: the boards in it, then sockets, adaptors, leads, equipment and cables

Print works in Northampton, 26 October. Press hall, DB-2: two pallets of paper and a pallet truck against the door, which opens a hand's width; moved during the visit, keep-clear zone to be marked by 2 November. Pre-press office: 4-way lead plugged into a second 4-way lead through an unfused cube adaptor, running a printer, two monitors, a heater and a kettle; the second lead's sheath split at the plug. Leads and adaptor taken out of use, two more sockets to be fitted.

Fictional example. Record the actual evidence and approved arrangements for your job.

A common recording mistake

Ticking 'sockets OK' for the whole building without walking under the desks, so the adaptor chain behind the printer is never seen.

What happens next

Send the report to the client with the actions, check the keep-clear marking and new sockets at the next visit, and keep the date of the next fixed installation inspection in view.

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Every question in the electrical safety checklist template

A visual workplace electrical safety inspection for offices, factories, warehouses and schools: each area with its distribution boards and panels (label scan, access, cover, circuit chart, heat marks, RCD or GFCI test buttons), sockets and adaptors, extension leads, portable equipment, cables, wet areas and isolation, the last fixed installation inspection with a due date warning, and findings with priority, owner and date. Written for the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and OSHA 1910 subpart S. Not a test certificate. 4 sections and 103 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.

Make it your own: every question is editable

This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.

Details you only enter once

Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.

Project: the project name
Premises address: the site address, from the space or the project
Client or employer: the project's customer

Premises and fixed installation

ProjectShort answer
Filled in from the project in SiteSurvey.
Fills in from the project name
Premises addressShort answer
Fills in from the site address, from the space or the project
Client or employerShort answer
Fills in from the project's customer
Location (GPS)Short answer
Inspection date*Date
Inspected by*Short answer
Role or companyShort answer
Type of workplace*Choose one
- Office
- Factory or workshop
- Warehouse
- Shop or showroom
- School or college
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Other
Rules you work to*Choose one
- Great Britain: Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
- United States: OSHA 29 CFR 1910 subpart S
- Other: local rules
Areas covered and anything left outNotes
GuidanceWhat this is. A visual workplace electrical safety check of boards, sockets, leads, equipment and cables, by a manager or other competent person. It does not test the installation or appliances, and it is not an EICR, a PAT record or a certificate.
GuidanceThe law in Great Britain. The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 reg 4(2): electrical systems are maintained, as necessary, to prevent danger so far as reasonably practicable. HSE advises user checks of equipment, more formal inspection or testing by a competent person where needed, and inspection and testing of the fixed installation often enough that there is little chance of deterioration leading to danger.
Shown when “Rules you work to” is “Great Britain: Electricity at Work Regulations 1989”
GuidanceOSHA general industry. Electric equipment is free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm (29 CFR 1910.303(b)(1)). Cord-and-plug equipment and extension cords are checked by eye before use on any shift, and damaged items are removed from service (1910.334(a)(2)).
Shown when “Rules you work to” is “United States: OSHA 29 CFR 1910 subpart S”
Last fixed installation inspection and testDate
In the UK this is usually the electrical installation condition report (EICR). Take the date from the report.
Done by (company)Short answer
Overall result on that reportChoose one
- Satisfactory
- Unsatisfactory
- No report found
- Not known
Next inspection dueDate
From the report, or the interval your client or your policy sets.
Days until it is due (minus means overdue)Worked out by the form
Shown when “Next inspection due” is answered
Fixed installation inspectionWorked out by the form
Shown when “Next inspection due” is answered
WarningThe fixed installation inspection is past the due date entered. Arrange it with a competent electrician and add an action.
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Items on that report still not fixed?Yes or No
Shown when “Overall result on that report” is “Unsatisfactory”
CheckNo report found. Ask the client for the last inspection report of the fixed installation, or arrange one, and add an action.
Shown when “Overall result on that report” is “No report found”
Copy of the report (optional)Photos
install_flagWorked out by the form

Areas, boards and equipment

GuidanceAdd each area you walk. Inside it add the boards and panels, then check sockets, leads, equipment and cables. Press the test button on each RCD or GFCI you can reach safely: it should trip, then reset. Look, do not open covers or touch live parts.
Walk-round videoWalk Cam video with voice-to-text
Optional. Film a guided walk-round on the SiteSurvey app.
Areas inspected
Repeat for each entry. Each one asks:
- Area*Short answer
  For example: Press hall; Ground floor office; Warehouse bay 2.
- Type of areaChoose one
  - Office
  - Production or workshop
  - Warehouse or stores
  - Kitchen or welfare
  - Plant or switch room
  - Outside
  - Other
- Distribution boards and panels in this area
  Repeat for each entry. Each one asks:
  - Board or panel*Short answer
    For example: DB-1 main switchroom; Panel L2.
  - Type*Choose one
    - Distribution board or consumer unit
    - Panelboard
    - Switchboard or main switch
    - Isolator or switch fuse
    - Machine control panel
    - Other
  - Board label or rating plateScan a label: make, model, board reference, rating
    Optional. Scan the data plate or label to capture the numbers.
  - Access clear: nothing stored in front, door opens fullyChoose one
    Kept clear as your rules require. US: working space is not used for storage, and for equipment likely to be worked on live it is at least 30 in wide (or the width of the equipment), lets the door open 90 degrees and is at least 3 ft deep at 0 to 150 V to ground (1910.303(g)(1)).
    - Acceptable
    - Action needed
    - Not checked
    - Not applicable
  - What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - Door or cover closed, locked where possibleChoose one
    HSE: isolators and fuse-box cases kept closed and, if possible, locked.
    - Acceptable
    - Action needed
    - Not checked
    - Not applicable
  - What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - No missing blanks or covers, no live parts exposedChoose one
    US: unused openings closed and live parts at 50 V or more guarded (1910.303(b)(7)(i), (g)(2)(i)).
    - Acceptable
    - Action needed
    - Not checked
    - Not applicable
  - What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - Circuit chart or directory present and readableChoose one
    US: each circuit legibly marked for its purpose at its breaker or fuse, unless evident (1910.303(f)(2)).
    - Acceptable
    - Action needed
    - Not checked
    - Not applicable
  - What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - No damage, burn or heat marks, burning smell or buzzingChoose one
    US: no parts deteriorated by corrosion, chemical action or overheating (1910.303(b)(7)(iv)).
    - Acceptable
    - Action needed
    - Not checked
    - Not applicable
  - What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - RCDs or GFCI devices in this board?Yes or No
  - How many tested with the test buttonNumber
    Shown when “RCDs or GFCI devices in this board?” is Yes
  - How many did not trip or would not resetNumber
    Shown when “RCDs or GFCI devices in this board?” is Yes
  - WarningAn RCD that does not trip on its test button is faulty. HSE: faulty or inoperative RCDs are removed from use. Get an electrician to replace it and add an action.
    Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
  - Photos (door open and closed, circuit chart, any damage)Photos
  - b_flagWorked out by the form
  - b_ncWorked out by the form
  - Board resultWorked out by the form
- Sockets and switches: none cracked, loose, scorched or missing a faceplateChoose one
  US: each outlet box has a cover or faceplate (1910.305(b)(2)(i)).
  - Acceptable
  - Action needed
  - Not checked
  - Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
  Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Enough sockets; none overloaded with unfused adaptors or leads plugged into each otherChoose one
  HSE: overloading sockets with unfused adaptors can cause fires.
  - Acceptable
  - Action needed
  - Not checked
  - Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
  Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Extension leads undamaged and not used as permanent wiringChoose one
  US: flexible cords not used in place of fixed wiring (1910.305(g)(1)(iv)).
  - Acceptable
  - Action needed
  - Not checked
  - Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
  Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Cables and leads: no trailing leads across walkways, none run through doors or holes or fixed to wallsChoose one
  HSE: no trailing cables that can cause trips. US: 1910.305(g)(1)(iv).
  - Acceptable
  - Action needed
  - Not checked
  - Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
  Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Portable equipment: plugs, leads and cases undamaged, no taped repairs, no burn marksChoose one
  HSE: remove from use if the plug is damaged, the cable is taped or not secure, wires show, or there are burn marks.
  - Acceptable
  - Action needed
  - Not checked
  - Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
  Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Wet or damp areas: equipment suitable, sockets protected, RCD or GFCI protection where neededChoose one
  HSE: in wet surroundings unsuitable equipment can become live; consider an RCD. US: bathroom and rooftop 15 and 20 A, 125 V receptacles have GFCI protection (1910.304(b)(3)(i)).
  - Acceptable
  - Action needed
  - Not checked
  - Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
  Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Machines have an accessible switch or isolator to cut the power quicklyChoose one
  HSE.
  - Acceptable
  - Action needed
  - Not checked
  - Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
  Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Electrical cupboards and plant rooms kept clear, signed and locked where neededChoose one
  US: entrances to rooms with exposed live parts carry warning signs forbidding unqualified persons to enter (1910.303(g)(2)(iii)).
  - Acceptable
  - Action needed
  - Not checked
  - Not applicable
- What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
  Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
- Portable items taken out of use hereNumber
  Count each lead, adaptor or appliance you stopped using.
- Photos of what you foundPhotos
- a_boardsWorked out by the form
- a_board_failsWorked out by the form
- a_rcd_testedWorked out by the form
- a_rcd_failedWorked out by the form
- a_failsWorked out by the form
- a_ncWorked out by the form
- Area resultWorked out by the form
Areas inspectedWorked out by the form
Boards and panels checkedWorked out by the form
RCDs or GFCIs testedWorked out by the form
RCDs or GFCIs that failedWorked out by the form
Portable items taken out of useWorked out by the form
Problems at boards and in areasWorked out by the form

Isolation and management

Locks, hasps and tags available for isolating equipmentChoose one
US: the employer provides locks, tags and other hardware for isolating machines from energy sources (1910.147(c)(5)(i)).
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
People know where the main switch and boards are, and the way to them is clearChoose one
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Staff know to stop using faulty equipment and report itChoose one
HSE checklist.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Equipment brought in by staff, hired or borrowed is checked before useChoose one
HSE checklist.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Electrical repairs and work done only by competent peopleChoose one
HSE: repairs only by a competent person.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Portable equipment inspection and testing arranged as the client decidedChoose one
HSE: frequency depends on the equipment and where it is used; the law does not set a yearly test.
- Acceptable
- Action needed
- Not checked
- Not applicable
What needs doing, or why not checkedNotes
Shown only when the answers above make it relevant
Last portable appliance inspection or test round, if knownDate
Management items needing actionWorked out by the form

Findings, actions and sign-off

Items needing actionWorked out by the form
ResultWorked out by the form
Actions
Repeat for each action. Each one asks:
- Action*Notes
- PriorityChoose one
  - Now: isolate or take out of use
  - Within 24 hours
  - Within a week
  - At the next planned work
- Who will do it*Short answer
- Due byDate
- Status*Choose one
  - Open
  - In progress
  - Done, checked
- Photo when donePhotos
  Shown when “Status” is “Done, checked”
Actions still openWorked out by the form
Decision*Choose one
- No danger found
- Safe to continue: actions listed
- Danger found: equipment isolated or taken out of use
Next check or re-inspection dateDate
Summary for the clientNotes
Inspector nameShort answer
Inspector signature*Signature
Client or manager nameShort answer
Client or manager signatureSignature

See it filled in

A completed electrical safety checklist report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.

See completed form (PDF) ↗

Electrical safety checklist FAQs

What does the law say about electrical safety at work in the UK?

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 reg 4 says electrical systems are built, and maintained as necessary, to prevent danger so far as reasonably practicable, and work on or near them is done so as not to cause danger. The regulations do not set a checklist or an interval. HSE advises user checks of equipment, more formal inspection or testing where needed, and inspection and testing of the fixed installation by a competent person.

Sources: Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 4 (legislation.gov.uk) and HSE: Introduction to electrical safety.

Is this the same as an EICR or PAT testing?

No. This form records a visual check by a manager, adviser or other competent person. An EICR is the electrician's inspection and test of the fixed installation, and PAT is the inspection and testing of portable equipment. Use the EICR template and the PAT testing record for those. This checklist records when the last fixed installation inspection was done and warns when it is past the due date you enter.

How often should RCDs be tested with the test button?

HSE says RCDs should be regularly tested by pressing the test button and making sure the RCD trips, and faulty or inoperative ones removed from use. It does not give a fixed interval on that page; follow the maker's instructions or your client's policy. The form counts the RCDs tested at each board and flags any that did not trip.

Source: HSE: Electrical safety frequently asked questions.

Do portable appliances have to be tested every year?

Not by law in Great Britain. HSE says the Electricity at Work Regulations require equipment that could cause injury to be maintained in a safe condition, but do not make annual testing a legal requirement; how often depends on the equipment and where it is used. The form asks when the last inspection or test round was done and lets you record faulty items taken out of use.

Source: HSE: Portable appliance testing FAQs.

How much space has to be kept clear in front of an electrical panel?

In the US, OSHA 1910.303(g)(1) says the working space is not used for storage, and for equipment likely to be examined or serviced while energized it is at least 30 inches wide (or the width of the equipment), lets doors open at least 90 degrees, and is at least 3 feet deep for 0 to 150 volts to ground (Table S-1 gives more for higher voltages). In the UK the form asks you to keep access clear as your rules require; HSE advises that isolators and fuse-box cases are kept closed and, if possible, locked.

Sources: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303, electrical general requirements (eCFR) and HSE: Introduction to electrical safety.

Does OSHA require extension cords to be checked?

Yes, in general industry. 1910.334(a)(2) says cord-and-plug equipment and extension cords are visually inspected before use on any shift for external defects and signs of internal damage, and a damaged item is removed from service until it is repaired and tested. This checklist records what you find in each area; it does not replace those daily checks or make the site compliant.

Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.334, use of equipment (eCFR).

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