A mine site safety inspection for open pits, quarries and underground workings: emergency readiness and escape, ground control and highwalls, haul roads and berms, mobile equipment and traffic, electrical, ventilation, gas and dust, explosives and blasting, conveyors and crushers, fire, PPE, housekeeping, workshops, high-risk work, fuel and water, fitness for work and contractors. Scored; underground and explosives sections fold away when they do not apply, and failures on ground, roads, traffic, explosives and emergency items are listed as safety findings.
Mine and Inspection Details
Which mine, what kind of operation, who walked it, and which parts of the form apply.
Inspection Title
Reference
Mine or site name
Address
Type of operation — Open pit, Quarry or aggregate pit, Sand and gravel, Underground, Surface and underground, Processing plant or mill only, Exploration or development
What is mined
Areas covered on this walk
Shift — Day, Afternoon, Night, Weekend, Shutdown
People on site during the walk (approx.)
Your Company
Inspected by
Your Role
Who walked with you (supervisor, miners' representative)
Date
Time the walk began
Weather and ground conditions today
Does this inspection include underground workings?
Are explosives stored or used on this site?
Are the actions from the last inspection closed, or on a dated plan? — Yes, No, N/A
Emergency Preparedness
If something went wrong now, could everyone get out, be counted and be reached?
Is a current site emergency and evacuation plan posted where crews gather? — Yes, No, N/A
Does the plan show exits, muster points, first aid, extinguishers and where you are standing? — Yes, No, N/A
Are muster points signed, and is the path to them clear of equipment and stockpiles? — Yes, No, N/A
Does the sign-in board, tag board or electronic system match who is actually on site? — Yes, No, N/A
Can the working areas raise the alarm — does the radio or phone get through from where crews are? — Yes, No, N/A
Emergency contacts posted at the phones and in the crib room — Ambulance, fire and police, Mine rescue team, Nearest hospital or clinic, Site manager or shift boss, Power utility, Chemical spill line, Site address or GPS location for responders
Are first aid kits and stretchers stocked, signed and close to the work? — Yes, No, N/A
Does each crew on this shift have a trained first aider, and do people know who it is? — Yes, No, N/A
Are eyewash stations and emergency showers working and unobstructed where chemicals are handled? — Yes, No, N/A
Has an evacuation or emergency drill been held within the planned interval, with the result recorded? — Yes, No, N/A
Date of the last drill
Is every person underground carrying a self-rescuer that is checked and within its service life? — Yes, No, N/A
Are spare self-rescuer caches where the plan says, signed and stocked? — Yes, No, N/A
Are refuge stations or chambers in place, signed, with air, water, and communications checked? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the second way out passable, marked, and walked recently by someone who recorded it? — Yes, No, N/A
Are lifelines or directional cones in the escapeways intact and continuous? — Yes, No, N/A
Has the underground warning system (stench gas, radio or lights) been tested, with the test recorded? — Yes, No, N/A
Is a trained mine rescue team available within the response time the plan relies on? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — emergency equipment and muster points
Ground Control
Highwalls, benches, faces and dumps on the surface; roof and rib underground.
Were the faces and highwalls in the working areas examined before work started this shift, and recorded? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the ground above and beside where people and machines work free of loose rock and overhangs? — Yes, No, N/A
Where loose material was found, has it been scaled down or the area barricaded off? — Yes, No, N/A
Are benches wide enough to catch falling rock, and kept clear of spillage? — Yes, No, N/A
Are cracks behind crests, bulging or seepage in the walls being watched, marked and reported? — Yes, No, N/A
Where slope monitoring is used (prisms, radar, crack pins), is it working and being read? — Yes, No, N/A
Is nobody working at the toe of a face that has not been checked or is known to be unstable? — Yes, No, N/A
Do dump points and tip heads have an edge berm or stop block, and is the edge stable? — Yes, No, N/A
Are stockpiles loaded from the face without undercutting, and kept at a stable slope? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the digging method keeping the face height within the reach of the loading machine? — Yes, No, N/A
Are open edges where people walk or park guarded by a berm, barrier or fence? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the roof and rib in every working place supported to the ground control plan? — Yes, No, N/A
Is everyone kept out from under unsupported ground, with the limit marked? — Yes, No, N/A
Is barring down done after each blast and before work starts, with the right bar and stance? — Yes, No, N/A
Are bolts, mesh and straps intact, with no loaded or broken plates and no bagged-out mesh? — Yes, No, N/A
Are falls of ground and any change in conditions reported and logged? — Yes, No, N/A
Ground conditions — where, and what you saw
Photos — faces, crests and support
Haul Roads, Ramps and Berms
The roads the big trucks use: berms, width, grade, surface, signs and drainage.
Do berms or barriers along drop-offs stand at least half the wheel height of the largest truck using the road? — Yes, No, N/A
Are berms continuous, with no gaps, washouts or sections knocked down? — Yes, No, N/A
Is each road wide enough for the traffic on it, including passing where two-way? — Yes, No, N/A
Are ramp grades within the design for the trucks using them? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the running surface firm and graded, without deep ruts, potholes or rocks big enough to cut a tire? — Yes, No, N/A
Is road dust kept down without making the surface slippery, especially on grades and corners? — Yes, No, N/A
Are speed limits, stop signs, right-of-way rules and road names posted where drivers can read them? — Yes, No, N/A
Are road edges and intersections marked with reflectors or delineators for night and poor visibility? — Yes, No, N/A
Do intersections and bends have clear sight lines, with no stockpile or berm blocking the view? — Yes, No, N/A
On long downhill grades, is there an escape lane or runaway berm that works? — Yes, No, N/A
Do drains and culverts keep water off the road? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — roads, berms and intersections
Mobile Equipment and Traffic
How trucks, loaders, dozers, light vehicles and people share the site.
Is there a current traffic plan that matches the roads and dumps as they are today? — Yes, No, N/A
Are light vehicles kept apart from haul trucks — separate roads, or clear rules where they must mix? — Yes, No, N/A
Are light vehicles in the pit fitted with a flag, beacon and radio so the big trucks can see and hear them? — Yes, No, N/A
Do drivers call before entering a haul road, passing a machine or approaching a loading unit? — Yes, No, N/A
Are park-up areas marked and used, with machines parked away from edges and faces? — Yes, No, N/A
At loading, do trucks spot where the operator directs and drivers stay in the cab? — Yes, No, N/A
Are people on foot kept out of machine swing and travel paths, and do they make contact before approaching? — Yes, No, N/A
Has every machine in use had its pre-shift check done today, with defects written up? — Yes, No, N/A
Is equipment with a defect that affects safety parked up and tagged until repaired? — Yes, No, N/A
On the machines you looked at, do brakes, horn, lights and reversing alarm work? — Yes, No, N/A
Are seat belts worn in every vehicle and machine seen moving? — Yes, No, N/A
Are operators trained and signed off for the machines they are running? — Yes, No, N/A
Where collision warning or proximity detection is fitted, is it switched on and working? — Yes, No, N/A
Are cabs, steps and windows clean, with nothing loose to jam a pedal or block the view? — Yes, No, N/A
Do drills, cranes and tipping trucks stay well clear of overhead power lines? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — equipment and traffic
Electrical
Substations, switchgear, trailing cables and the tools plugged into them.
Are substations, switch rooms and transformers locked, fenced or signed, with nothing stored inside? — Yes, No, N/A
Are trailing cables to shovels, drills and pumps undamaged, and protected or hung where vehicles cross? — Yes, No, N/A
Is earth-fault protection in place on mobile plant and portable equipment, and tested? — Yes, No, N/A
Is electrical isolation and lockout used before work, with personal locks and tags? — Yes, No, N/A
Are extension leads, plugs and portable tools in good condition, inspected and tagged? — Yes, No, N/A
Are leads kept off the ground and out of water in wet areas? — Yes, No, N/A
Are panels closed, labeled and kept clear in front? — Yes, No, N/A
Are welding cables and return clamps free of cuts, burns and loose joints? — Yes, No, N/A
Are the required electrical examinations done on schedule, with the records available? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — electrical
Ventilation, Gas, Dust and Noise
The air people breathe and the noise they hear — and, underground, the ventilation that keeps them alive.
Is the main fan running, monitored, and alarmed if it stops? — Yes, No, N/A
Is airflow measured at the working faces and recorded, and is it enough for the diesel in use? — Yes, No, N/A
Are doors, stoppings, regulators and ducting intact and doing their job? — Yes, No, N/A
Are gas checks done before entry and during the shift with a calibrated, bump-tested detector? — Yes, No, N/A
Are old workings and unventilated areas barricaded and signed against entry? — Yes, No, N/A
Are water sprays, enclosures or extraction working at crushers, screens and transfer points? — Yes, No, N/A
Do drills run with water or dust collection, and are cabs sealed and air-conditioned? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there no heavy visible dust where people work? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there a current dust and silica sampling plan, with results shared with the crews? — Yes, No, N/A
Are high-noise areas signed, and is hearing protection worn there? — Yes, No, N/A
Where respirators are used, are wearers fit-tested and the filters right for the hazard? — Yes, No, N/A
Are seats and suspensions on mobile plant in good repair, to limit whole-body vibration? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — dust and air
Explosives and Blasting
Storage, transport, handling, the blast itself and what happens after it.
Are magazines locked, signed, in good condition and sited away from roads, buildings and power? — Yes, No, N/A
Are detonators stored apart from explosives? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the explosives register up to date, and does the stock in the magazine match it? — Yes, No, N/A
Are keys controlled and only authorized people handling explosives? — Yes, No, N/A
Is every blast loaded and fired by a qualified blaster? — Yes, No, N/A
Are vehicles carrying explosives marked, fitted with extinguishers, and loaded per the rules? — Yes, No, N/A
Are smoking, open flame and hot work kept away from explosives and loaded holes? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the blast area cleared, guarded at every access, and warned with an audible signal before firing? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there a procedure for lightning and storms when holes are loaded? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there a misfire procedure, and does the blaster check the shot before the all-clear? — Yes, No, N/A
Is each blast recorded — design, charges, timing and any misfires? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — magazines and blast area
No explosives on this site — nothing to check here.
Conveyors, Crushers and Guarding
The fixed plant: belts, pulleys, crushers, screens, and the guards and stops that keep hands out.
Are head, tail and take-up pulleys and drives fully guarded so nobody can reach a nip point? — Yes, No, N/A
Are return idlers and snub pulleys guarded where people walk or clean? — Yes, No, N/A
Does the emergency pull-wire along each conveyor stop the belt when tested? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there a start-up warning (horn or light) before conveyors move? — Yes, No, N/A
Do people cross conveyors only at a crossover or under a guarded crossunder? — Yes, No, N/A
Is spillage cleaned only with the belt stopped and locked out? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the crusher locked out before anyone clears a blockage or enters it? — Yes, No, N/A
Are walkways beside conveyors and around crushers clear, with handrails and toe boards? — Yes, No, N/A
Are all guards in place, with none tied back or left off after maintenance? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — conveyors and crushers
Fire Prevention
Extinguishers, suppression on big machines, fuel, and what feeds a fire.
Are extinguishers in place on machines and at fixed points, charged, tagged and easy to reach? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the fire suppression system on large mobile plant inspected and in date? — Yes, No, N/A
Are engine bays and hot surfaces free of oil, grease and coal or dust build-up? — Yes, No, N/A
Are fuel and hydraulic hoses free of leaks and rubbing near exhausts and turbos? — Yes, No, N/A
Are no-smoking and no-ignition zones signed and respected around fuel and explosives? — Yes, No, N/A
Are flammable liquids and gas cylinders stored in a ventilated, signed area away from ignition? — Yes, No, N/A
Is fire detection working along underground belts and at fixed plant? — Yes, No, N/A
Do underground fire doors close and seal? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — fire
Personal Protective Equipment
What people are wearing, and whether it fits the job they are doing.
Is everyone seen wearing a hard hat, safety-toe boots and high-visibility clothing? — Yes, No, N/A
Is eye protection worn for grinding, drilling, cutting and chemical work? — Yes, No, N/A
Are earplugs or muffs on in the loud areas, not hanging around necks? — Yes, No, N/A
Are the right gloves worn for the task? — Yes, No, N/A
Is fall protection worn and anchored when working near unguarded edges or on top of equipment? — Yes, No, N/A
Is PPE in good condition and replaced when worn or damaged? — Yes, No, N/A
Is spare PPE stocked in sizes that fit the crews? — Yes, No, N/A
Is every person underground carrying a working cap lamp and a tag for the check-in system? — Yes, No, N/A
Housekeeping, Walkways and Facilities
The surfaces people walk on, how things are stored, and the places they eat and wash.
Are walkways, stairs and platforms clear of spillage, tools and trip points? — Yes, No, N/A
Do stairs, platforms and walkways have firm handrails and toe boards? — Yes, No, N/A
Are materials stacked stable and level, with nothing leaning or overhanging? — Yes, No, N/A
Are exposed stakes, pickets and rebar ends capped or removed? — Yes, No, N/A
Are hoses and leads routed off walkways? — Yes, No, N/A
Is waste sorted into bins and removed before it piles up? — Yes, No, N/A
Is lighting enough for night work in every area used after dark? — Yes, No, N/A
Are safety signs in place, clean and readable? — Yes, No, N/A
Are crib rooms clean, with drinking water and a place to wash before eating? — Yes, No, N/A
Are toilets clean, stocked and working, with no sign of sewage leaks? — Yes, No, N/A
Are offices free of overloaded power boards, trailing cords and blocked exits? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — housekeeping
Workshops and Maintenance
Where machines are repaired: blocking, tires, lifting, tools and hot work.
Is equipment under repair isolated and locked out by every person working on it? — Yes, No, N/A
Are raised bodies, buckets and blades blocked or pinned before anyone goes under them? — Yes, No, N/A
Are large tires inflated in a cage or from a safe distance, with the procedure followed? — Yes, No, N/A
Are wheel chocks available and used on parked vehicles in the workshop? — Yes, No, N/A
Are cranes, hoists, slings and shackles tagged with their capacity and inspected? — Yes, No, N/A
Do grinders have guards, the correct disc for the speed, and a dead-man switch where required? — Yes, No, N/A
Are hand and power tools in good condition and stored properly? — Yes, No, N/A
Are gas cylinders upright and chained, with flashback arrestors fitted to oxy-fuel sets? — Yes, No, N/A
Are ladders sound, footed on firm ground and tied off where needed? — Yes, No, N/A
Are chemicals in labeled original containers, with safety data sheets nearby? — Yes, No, N/A
Is a stocked spill kit within reach of where oils and fuels are handled? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there a list of who is authorized to operate each piece of workshop plant? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — workshop
High-Risk Work
Cranes, work at height, confined spaces and hot work happening during the walk.
Is a crane lift happening or set up today?
Is the crane on firm, level ground, with outriggers fully out on pads? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there a lift plan, and is the load within the crane's chart for this setup? — Yes, No, N/A
Are the operator and rigger qualified, with the crane's inspection records in the cab? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the area under the load barricaded so nobody walks beneath it? — Yes, No, N/A
Is anyone working at height today?
Could the work be done from the ground or a platform instead? — Yes, No, N/A
Is a work-at-height permit or plan in place, with fall protection anchored? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the drop zone below barricaded and tools tethered? — Yes, No, N/A
Is anyone entering a confined space today — a bin, chute, tank or sump?
Is entry under a permit, with the space isolated and the air tested? — Yes, No, N/A
Is an attendant posted outside, with a rescue plan and equipment ready? — Yes, No, N/A
Is welding, cutting or grinding happening outside the workshop today?
Is a hot work permit in place, with combustibles cleared and an extinguisher at hand? — Yes, No, N/A
Is a fire watch kept during and after the work? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — high-risk work
Fuel, Water and Spills
Fuel and oil storage, ponds and water, and what could run off the site.
Are fuel tanks, oil drums and waste oil stored inside containment that would hold a leak? — Yes, No, N/A
Is the ground around fuel bays, wash pads and workshops free of fresh stains? — Yes, No, N/A
Is refueling done in a set place, with drip trays and a spill kit? — Yes, No, N/A
Are ponds, sumps and settling dams fenced or signed, with a way for someone to climb out? — Yes, No, N/A
Are drains, sediment traps and diversion banks working, with no erosion of stockpiles or slopes? — Yes, No, N/A
Are water meters or pumping records kept where water use is controlled? — Yes, No, N/A
Photos — fuel and water
Workplace Exams, Training and Fitness for Work
Whether the systems behind the work are being used, not just filed.
Is each working place examined before work starts each shift, and the exam recorded and acted on? — Yes, No, N/A
Is a job hazard analysis done for non-routine tasks, and can the crew explain it? — Yes, No, N/A
Are permits and isolations in place for the work that needs them? — Yes, No, N/A
Have new workers had site-specific hazard training before starting, and task training for their machine? — Yes, No, N/A
Are training and authorization records current for the people you saw working? — Yes, No, N/A
Are shift lengths, hours worked and rest breaks managed to limit fatigue? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there an alcohol and drug policy, with testing carried out as the policy says? — Yes, No, N/A
Do workers know how to report a hazard or incident, and is there a log being followed up? — Yes, No, N/A
Do workers know they can stop work they believe is unsafe, without penalty? — Yes, No, N/A
Is there a register of hazardous substances used on site? — Yes, No, N/A
Are pre-shift or toolbox meetings held, and do they cover today's hazards? — Yes, No, N/A
What workers told you during the walk
Contractor Management
Contract crews on site: signed in, inducted, supervised and working to the same rules.
Are contractors working on site today?
Are contractors signed in and on the headcount system? — Yes, No, N/A
Have they completed the site induction and hazard training before starting work? — Yes, No, N/A
Does each contract crew have a named supervisor on site who knows the mine's rules? — Yes, No, N/A
Was contractor equipment inspected and accepted before it came onto the site? — Yes, No, N/A
Do contractors have task risk assessments for their work, reviewed by the mine? — Yes, No, N/A
Are licenses and tickets checked for contractors doing high-risk work? — Yes, No, N/A
Contractor companies on site
Findings, Actions and Sign-Off
What was found, who fixes it by when, anything stopped on the spot, and who signed.
Summary of the inspection
Was any area, machine or task stopped or withdrawn during the inspection?
What was stopped, and why
Corrective actions
Area or equipment
What was found
What will be done
Priority — Immediately — stop or barricade, Before next shift, This week, This month
Owner
Due by
Done on
Next inspection due
Inspector — signature
Mine manager or shift supervisor — name
Mine manager or shift supervisor — signature
Miners' representative — signature
Health & Safety
Mining Safety Inspection Checklist
A mine site safety inspection for open pits, quarries and underground workings: emergency readiness and escape, ground control and highwalls, haul roads and berms, mobile equipment and traffic, electrical, ventilation, gas and dust, explosives and blasting, conveyors and crushers, fire, PPE, housekeeping, workshops, high-risk work, fuel and water, fitness for work and contractors. Scored; underground and explosives sections fold away when they do not apply, and failures on ground, roads, traffic, explosives and emergency items are listed as safety findings.
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Want to watch one crew do one job against its procedure, rather than inspect the whole site? Use the task observation: Planned task observation
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A mining operation safety inspection checklist is the written record of a walk around a working mine: the pit or the underground workings, the haul roads, the plant, the workshops and the people. Mines change shape every shift. A face is advanced, a ramp is cut, a berm gets knocked down by a grader, a new contractor crew arrives — and the hazards move with them. This checklist starts with whether everyone could get out and be found, then works through the ground, the roads and the machines that cause most serious mining accidents, before the plant, the workshops and the systems that keep people fit and trained. Underground workings and explosives each sit behind a single question, so the same form works for a sand and gravel pit and an underground mine. Fill it in here and download a scored PDF without creating an account.
Start with emergency readiness, not paperwork
The first section asks the questions that matter if something goes wrong in the next hour: is the evacuation plan posted and still accurate, does the headcount system know who is on site, can the muster point be reached, and does the radio or phone get through. Underground, it adds the items people stake their lives on — self-rescuers that are carried and in date, refuge stations that are stocked, and a second way out that someone has actually walked.
If you only have time for one part of this inspection, make it this one. A crew can work around a messy workshop; it cannot work around a blocked escapeway.
Ground, roads and machines are where people get hurt
Falls of ground, vehicles going over an edge, and people being struck or run over by mobile equipment are the accident types that keep showing up in mine fatality reports, in the US and elsewhere. That is why this form spends most of its questions on highwalls and benches, roof and rib support, berms and road grades, and how light vehicles and haul trucks share the road.
A No on any of those items is listed as a safety finding in the report, even when the overall score looks healthy. A mine with a 95 percent score and one undercut dump edge has one problem, and it is a serious one.
Surface, underground, or both
One question in the details asks whether the inspection covers underground workings. Answer No and the self-rescuer, refuge, escapeway, roof support and ventilation questions fold away and never count against the score. Answer Yes and they appear in the sections where you would naturally check them. A second question does the same for explosives, and the high-risk work section has its own switch for cranes, work at height, confined spaces and hot work.
Walking it, and what the regulator expects
In the US, mine safety is regulated by MSHA, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and most mines already have their own required examinations of working places and equipment. This checklist does not replace those, and it does not make a mine compliant with anything. It is a structured, scored record of a broader safety inspection, with photos and actions attached, that you can keep alongside them.
On the phone, speak while you walk, and the document writes itself. Saying "bench three, crest crack about ten meters long, no barricade" with the camera on it is quicker than writing it in a cab with gloves on, and the note lands next to the right question.
Common questions
What should a mine safety inspection cover?
At minimum: emergency preparedness and escape, ground conditions, roads and berms, mobile equipment and traffic, electrical systems, air quality and dust, explosives if they are used, guarding on conveyors and crushers, fire prevention, PPE, housekeeping, workshops, training and fitness for work, and contractors. This form covers all of these and switches off the parts a site does not have.
How often should a mine site be inspected?
Working places are usually examined at the start of every shift by a competent person, and that daily examination is often a legal requirement. A broader inspection like this one is commonly done weekly or monthly by a supervisor, safety lead or manager, with extra walks after a change in mining method, a new area opening, or an incident.
Does this checklist work for quarries and sand and gravel pits?
Yes. Answer No to the underground question and, if you do not blast, to the explosives question. What is left — ground, roads, equipment, plant, conveyors, workshops and people — fits a quarry or an aggregate pit as well as a large open-pit mine.
How is the score calculated?
It is the share of checks answered Yes out of those that applied. N/A answers and the switch questions are left out. Separately, any No on ground control, haul roads, traffic, explosives or emergency items is listed as a safety finding in the report, so a good percentage cannot hide a critical failure.
Is this an official MSHA inspection form?
No. It is an independent inspection checklist. It does not reproduce any regulator's form and completing it does not make a mine compliant. It records what was looked at, what was found and what will be done, which is useful evidence alongside the examinations and records your mine is already required to keep.