An electrical safety checklist is a walk round a workplace looking at the electrics you can see — boards, sockets, cords, extension leads, residual current protection, test labels — and catching the damage and misuse that build up between formal tests. It is meant for managers, facilities staff and safety reps, needs no tools, and you can fill it in here and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
What this checklist is, and what it is not
This is a visual inspection by someone who is not an electrician. Nothing is opened, unscrewed or tested with an instrument. It finds the things anyone can see: a cracked socket, a scorched plug, an extension lead feeding another extension lead, a board with its door hanging open and boxes stacked in front of it.
It is NOT an electrical installation condition report (EICR), a periodic inspection and test of the fixed wiring, or a licensed electrician's inspection. Those are done by a qualified electrician with test equipment, on a fixed interval, and produce a formal report with coded observations. For the formal test — what it involves, how often, and what the codes mean — see blog.reportwalk.com/eicr-landlords-guide/.
The two belong together. The formal test proves the installation was safe on the day; this walk catches what has happened to it since. The form asks for the date of the last formal inspection so the PDF shows both.
Leads and sockets find the most
In most workplaces the fixed wiring is fine and the problems are at the end of a cable. Walk the floor, not just the boards. The most common findings:
- Extension leads plugged into extension leads, or a power strip doing the job of a permanent socket.
- Cables run under carpets, through doorways or across walkways where they get crushed and kicked.
- Plugs where the inner wires show because the outer sheath has pulled out of the grip.
- Taped joins, cracked casings and scorch marks around a socket or plug.
- Heaters and kettles running from multi-way adapters.
RCDs, GFCIs and test tags vary by country
Residual current devices (RCDs) in the UK, Europe and Australia, and ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in North America, do the same job: they cut the supply fast when current leaks to earth, which is what saves someone who touches a live part. Look for them where portable tools are used, outdoors and near water, and check there is a record of their test button being pressed.
Portable appliance testing is where regions differ most. Australia and New Zealand have formal test-and-tag schemes with set intervals in many workplaces; the UK expects equipment to be maintained and leaves the testing interval to a risk-based judgement; other places have no tag scheme at all. Record what you see — tag present, date, in or out of date — rather than assuming a rule.
Stop when something looks live
If you find exposed conductors, a hot or buzzing board, or a smell of burning, do not touch it and do not investigate. Keep people away, isolate the supply only if you know how and can do it safely, and call an electrician. Then record what you found and what you did.
Speak while you walk, and the record writes itself: "Kitchen, socket left of the sink, faceplate cracked, kettle lead melted at the plug, unplugged and labelled" takes a breath to say on the spot.
Common questions
Who can carry out a workplace electrical safety check?
Anyone sensible who has been shown what to look for — a facilities manager, an office manager, a safety rep. The visual walk needs no qualification. Anything that needs a cover removed, a test instrument or a repair is work for a qualified electrician.
Is this the same as an EICR?
No. An electrical installation condition report is a formal inspection and test of the fixed wiring by a qualified electrician, done on a set interval. This checklist is a visual walk between those tests and does not replace one.
How often should I do an electrical safety walk?
Monthly or quarterly is common, more often in workshops, kitchens and on sites where cables and tools take a beating. Users should also look over portable equipment before each use.
Are daisy-chained extension leads allowed?
They are a common cause of overheating and fires, and most workplace rules ban them. If you find a chain of leads, the fix is more fixed sockets in the right places, not a bigger power strip.
How much clear space is needed in front of an electrical panel?
Enough to open the door fully and work safely. In the US, 36 inches (about 1 m) of working depth is the usual rule for low-voltage panels; elsewhere, keep at least a similar zone clear and never store anything in front of a board or inside a riser cupboard.
What should I do with a damaged lead or appliance?
Unplug it, label it "do not use", and take it out of circulation so nobody plugs it back in. Record what was wrong and who is dealing with it. Do not repair it yourself unless you are competent to.