Washington site safety inspection report template

Washington rules for this report

These rules are about how and when you report, not the template's fields. Check them before you deliver.

• At the beginning of each job and at least weekly after that, the employer conducts a walk-around safety inspection jointly by one member of management and one employee elected by the employees as their authorized representative; walk-around inspections are documented, available to the department, and kept until the job is completedWAC 296-155-110 (9)
• Crew leader-crew safety meetings are held at the beginning of each job and at least weekly, tailored to the operation; they review any walk-around safety inspection since the last meeting, any citation, and any accident investigation; attendance and subjects are documented, minutes are kept where most of the site's employees report each day, and minutes are retained for at least one yearWAC 296-155-110 (5) to (8)
• Construction employers have a written accident prevention program tailored to the operation and its hazards, including a safety orientation on reporting injuries and unsafe conditions, first aid locations, protective equipment, emergency exits, hazardous materials and an on-the-job review of safe practicesWAC 296-155-110 (2) to (4)
• Employees exposed to fall hazards of 4 feet or more to the ground or a lower level are protected by a guardrail system, personal fall restraint, personal fall arrest, a safety net, a catch platform or a warning line system; holes 4 feet or more deep are guarded, covered or protected the same way, and skylights are guardedWAC 296-880-20005
• In construction work, fall protection is required at 6 feet or more for roofing work on a low pitched roof (a safety monitor may be used) and for constructing a leading edge, and at 10 feet or more for erecting or placing structural members (unless done from a floor, deck or roof) and in excavation and trenching work, except for employees directly involved in the excavation at its top edge or where the walls are slopedWAC 296-880-30005 (1), (2)
• Where fall hazards of 10 feet or more exist, the employer has a written fall protection work plan for each area that identifies the fall hazards, the fall arrest or restraint method, how the system is assembled, inspected and taken down, how tools and materials are secured, overhead protection for people below, and how an injured worker is promptly removed; it is kept on site, and workers are trained in it before entering the area; no plan is needed where a guardrail eliminates the hazardWAC 296-880-10020
• All components of personal fall arrest, fall restraint and positioning systems are inspected before each use, following the manufacturer's specifications, for mildew, wear, damage and other deterioration, and defective components are removed from service; safety nets are inspected at least weekly and after any event that could affect them; the employer plans for prompt rescue after a fallWAC 296-880-10005 (2), (4)
• Employees inspecting, investigating or assessing roof conditions on a low pitch roof before construction work starts or after it is finished are exempt from the fall protection rules, but not on steep pitch roofs, not while construction work is underway, and not where fall protection is already installed and availableWAC 296-880-30005 (3) (b)

What is in it

• Site access, housekeeping and storageDebris, scrap lumber with nails and combustible scrap cleared from work areas and stairs, Access routes, walkways and stairways clear and safe, Site perimeter, fencing, gates and warning signs, Materials stacked stable and kept back from edges and openings, Protruding rebar capped or guarded against impalement
• Fall protection and openingsOpen sides and edges protected by guardrails, nets or fall arrest, Floor holes, openings and skylights covered or guarded and marked, Harnesses, lanyards and anchors inspected before use and worn where needed, Roof work: guardrails, warning lines, nets or fall arrest in use, Written fall protection work plan on site where falls of 10 feet or more exist
• Scaffolds and aerial liftsScaffolds inspected by a competent person before the shift (tag or record), Scaffold fully planked, with guardrails, base plates or mudsills, ties and safe access, Aerial and scissor lifts: pre-use check, gates closed, operators tied off in boom lifts
• LaddersLadders free of damage; defective ladders tagged Do Not Use and removed, Ladders set up correctly: extended above the landing or secured, on firm footing
• Excavations and trenchesExcavations inspected daily by a competent person, and after rain, Cave-in protection (sloping, shoring or a trench box) in place where needed, Spoils and equipment kept back from the edge; a ladder or ramp close by to get out, Underground utilities located and marked before digging
• Electrical and temporary powerGround fault protection (GFCI) or an assured grounding program on temporary power, Cords and plugs undamaged, ground pins present, kept out of water and traffic, Panels covered and labeled; no exposed live parts, Overhead power lines identified and kept clear of equipment and ladders
• Cranes, heavy equipment and vehiclesCranes inspected each shift by a competent person; rigging and slings in good condition, Swing radius barricaded; backup alarms working or a spotter used, Equipment run only by trained, authorized operators; seat belts used
• Tools and machine guardsGuards on saws and grinders in place and working, Damaged or noncompliant tools tagged out or removed, Powder-actuated tools and nail guns used by trained workers
• Fire prevention and hazardous materialsFire extinguishers on site, charged and within reach, Fuel, propane and flammables stored and labeled safely, Hot work: area cleared of combustibles, extinguisher and fire watch where needed, Chemical containers labeled; safety data sheets available; dust controlled when cutting
• Personal protective equipmentHard hats worn where there is a risk of falling or flying objects, Eye and face protection worn for cutting, grinding, nailing and chemicals, High-visibility vests, hearing protection, gloves and footwear suited to the work
• First aid, emergency and site facilitiesFirst aid kit stocked and a trained first aider on site when no clinic is close by, Emergency numbers, site address and plan posted; everyone knows the muster point, Toilets, drinking water and hand washing available
• Corrective actionsHazard and location, Corrective action, Responsible, Due, Status
• Items from earlier inspectionsItems from earlier inspections or reports, and whether each has been fixed.

Rules last reviewed October 12, 2026. Read the full Washington site safety inspection report requirements.