Free WorkSafeBC workplace inspection checklist

What is a WorkSafeBC workplace inspection checklist?

A WorkSafeBC workplace inspection checklist is a structured document used to verify that a workplace in British Columbia complies with the BC Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (OHSR) administered by WorkSafeBC. The BC OHS Regulation is one of the most comprehensive provincial workplace safety frameworks in Canada, covering general conditions (Part 4), chemical agents and biological agents (Parts 5-6), noise, vibration and radiation (Parts 7-7.2), personal protective equipment (Part 8), confined spaces (Part 9), de-energisation and lockout (Part 10), fall protection (Part 11), tools, machinery and equipment (Part 12), ladders, scaffolds and temporary work platforms (Part 13), cranes and hoists (Part 14), rigging (Part 15), electrical safety (Part 19), fire and explosion hazards (Part 20) and many additional specialised parts. Each checklist item is marked as satisfactory, deficient or not applicable, with space for corrective action notes.

Under Section 3.5 of the OHSR, employers must ensure that regular inspections are made of all workplaces, including buildings, structures, grounds, excavations, tools, equipment, machinery and work methods and practices, at intervals that will prevent the development of unsafe working conditions. The joint health and safety committee (or worker health and safety representative, for workplaces with 10-19 workers) must inspect the workplace at least once per month under Section 3.7. This checklist provides a systematic framework that employers, supervisors, joint committee members and safety professionals can use to carry out these required inspections, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the BC OHS Regulation and producing the documented records that WorkSafeBC prevention officers review during inspections and investigations.

Learn more about compliance and inspections in MapTrack.

Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack

When you move your checklists from paper to MapTrack, you get:

• Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
• Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
• Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
• Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
• Ability to share forms digitally.
• Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
• Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
• Electronic signatures.
• Edit forms later without reprinting.
• Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
• Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
• Auto-apply the correct regulatory standard (OSHA, HSE, WHS) based on site location.
• Generate region-specific compliance reports that match local regulator expectations.
• Track jurisdiction-specific inspection intervals and certification requirements.

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What to include in a WorkSafeBC workplace inspection checklist

This WorkSafeBC workplace inspection checklist covers 9 key areas:

• Workplace and inspection details: employer name, workplace address, area or department inspected, inspection date, inspector name(s) and role (supervisor, joint committee member, worker representative), inspection type (monthly, quarterly, annual, post-incident).
• General conditions (Part 4): housekeeping adequate, floors clean and free of slip and trip hazards, lighting adequate for the tasks performed, ventilation sufficient, temperature within acceptable range, washroom and lunchroom facilities clean and maintained.
• Tools, machinery and equipment (Part 12): guards in place on all machinery, power tools in good condition, emergency stops accessible and functional, lockout procedures posted and followed, pre-use inspections documented.
• Electrical safety (Part 19): panel boards accessible with covers in place, ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) installed and tested on temporary and outdoor circuits, extension cords in good condition, no exposed wiring.
• Fall protection (Part 11): fall protection systems in use where workers are exposed to a fall of three metres or more, guardrails in place on open edges, floor openings covered or guarded, personal fall protection equipment inspected.
• Chemical and biological agents (Parts 5-6): WHMIS 2015 labels on all hazardous products, Safety Data Sheets accessible, chemical storage segregated, spill kits available, exposure controls in place for identified hazards.
• Personal protective equipment (Part 8): appropriate PPE available and in use, PPE in serviceable condition, workers trained on PPE selection and use, PPE storage adequate.
• Emergency preparedness (Part 4): emergency procedures posted, emergency exits clear and marked, fire extinguishers accessible and inspected, first aid attendant on duty, first aid supplies stocked.
• Documentation: inspection findings recorded, corrective actions assigned with responsible person and target completion date, previous corrective actions verified as completed, report signed and dated.

How often should you complete this checklist?

The BC OHS Regulation requires employers to inspect all workplaces at intervals that will prevent the development of unsafe working conditions (Section 3.5). Joint health and safety committees must inspect the workplace at least once per month (Section 3.7). For workplaces with 10-19 workers that have a worker health and safety representative instead of a committee, the representative must inspect at least monthly.

Beyond the monthly committee inspection, employers should conduct more frequent inspections based on the hazard profile of the workplace. Construction sites, industrial facilities and workplaces with high-hazard processes should have daily supervisor walkthroughs and weekly documented inspections. Office environments may be adequately served by the monthly committee inspection supplemented by quarterly management walkthroughs. After any workplace incident, near miss, change in process or equipment, introduction of new hazards, or receipt of a WorkSafeBC order, a targeted inspection of the affected area should be conducted before normal operations resume.

Applicable regulatory standards

This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:

• BC OHS Regulation, Section 3.5 (General duty to inspect)
• BC OHS Regulation, Section 3.7 (Joint committee monthly inspection)
• Workers Compensation Act (BC), Part 2 (Occupational Health and Safety)
• BC OHS Regulation, Part 4 (General Conditions)

Related resources

More geo-specific templates and guides:

• Ontario OHSA workplace inspection
• Alberta OHS inspection checklist
• Site safety inspection checklist
• Fire extinguisher inspection checklist
• Safety inspections
• Asset tracking
• Plant compliance
• Pricing