What is an Electrical Inspection Checklist?
An electrical inspection checklist is an essential tool to determine if your workers and worksite conditions adhere to electrical compliance safety rules. Electrical equipment should undergo quality and safety checks before operating. Inadequate checks and poor training can lead to serious electrical injuries and fatalities.
What Do Electrical Safety Checks Involve?
An electrical safety checklist accompanies a site walkthrough to identify and report on common electrical hazards. This involves checking if safety barriers and signs are in place, ensuring that tools and equipment are in pristine condition, and looking for exposed wiring that needs proper guarding mechanisms, among others.
What to Include in an Electrical Inspection Checklist?
A thorough electrical inspection checklist covers the physical condition of equipment, the environment around it, and whether your workers are following safe procedures. Here's what to include:
Site and equipment basics
Site name, location and date of inspection
Name and qualifications of the inspector
List of electrical equipment on-site (panels, switchboards, tools, appliances)
Electrical equipment condition
Switches, outlets and circuit breakers in working order
No exposed, frayed or damaged wiring
Cables and cords properly routed — no trip hazards or pinch points
Electrical panels labelled, accessible and free from obstruction
Equipment grounded and bonded correctly
Lockout/tagout (LOTO) compliance
LOTO procedures posted and visible at relevant equipment
Workers trained and following procedures before maintenance begins
Locks and tags available and in use
Worker awareness
Workers can identify and report electrical hazards
PPE (insulated gloves, safety footwear) available and used correctly
Emergency procedures known and posted
Environment and surroundings
No water, moisture or flammable materials near electrical equipment
Adequate clearance around all panels and switchboards
Safety signs and hazard warnings in place
Overall assessment
Summary of findings and risk rating
Photos of identified hazards
Recommended corrective actions and deadlines
Sign-off from inspector
Why Perform Electrical Inspections
An electrical inspection is performed by a qualified person who is trained and knowledgeable in the construction and operation of electrical systems. It helps to identify unsafe equipment, faulty installation, and unfollowed work practices. Here are the key reasons why you should perform electrical inspections:
1. To Keep Electrical Hazards at Bay
OSHA recorded that electrocution is the most common hazard and one of the fatal 4 across the construction industry (e.g., during the post-construction cleaning process). Performing electrical inspections help prevent electrical hazards in the workplace and ensures a safe environment for all employees.
2. To Ensure Compliance with Regulatory Standards
Businesses need to comply with regulatory standards to prevent unnecessary incidents, lawsuits, and criminal investigations. Complying with OSHA’s electrical standards helps to protect employees from exposure to danger such as electric shock, electrocution, fires, and explosions.
3. To Secure Insurance Claims
Insurance companies require evidence to support insurance claims. Accurate record-keeping serves as a record in the event of incidents and damages. It substantiates the facts that you have gathered during the electrical inspection.
Developing an Electrical Maintenance Checklist and Plan
Electrical safety inspections are an essential part of an overarching electrical maintenance plan. Coming up with an effective electrical maintenance checklist and plan requires the following resources:
A dedicated team and budget
An in-house facilities team must have at least one electrician, maybe more depending on the size of the building and how much equipment and wiring is involved in its operation. Allocating sufficient funds to the facilities team to cover electrician salaries, including maintenance tools, and equipment, is the first step to having an effective electrical maintenance plan.
Knowledge of the specific electrical equipment on-hand
While almost all equipment and facilities used in business operations are powered by electricity, not all of them work the same way. For example, fuses and circuit-breakers need to match the circuits they are protecting so they can effectively stop electrical overloads when they occur. Knowing the working details of your operation’s electrical equipment is a must since electrical maintenance plans should be tailored in order to be effective.
Back-up equipment and materials for necessary repairs and replacements
Finding out what needs fixing and replacing is half the electrical maintenance plans’ job. The other half is actually fixing and replacing the electrical equipment critical to the continued operation of the business. For this reason, an inventory of back-up equipment and materials must be available so the necessary repairs and replacements can be done as soon as potential problems are identified.
A regular electrical maintenance schedule
In most business operations, electrical equipment and wiring are constantly at work. After sufficient wear and tear, dangerous electrical malfunctions are more likely to occur. A regular electrical maintenance schedule must be established and diligently followed in order to identify dangerous instances of equipment and wiring damage before they cause accidents that can lead to injuries or fatalities.
Complete, easily accessible electrical maintenance logs
Each time a scheduled or ad-hoc electrical maintenance check is done, electricians and other maintenance personnel must record and document their findings and observations. Prior to performing the subsequent electrical maintenance check, they must consult the previous maintenance check’s observations and notes to inform their inspection. This is why a complete database of easily accessible electrical maintenance logs must be maintained.
How to Conduct an Electrical Inspection Using a Checklist
An electrical inspection requires a thorough assessment of electrical equipment, surroundings, and other factors that may result in an electrical hazard. Some inspections may require evidence through captured photos or videos.
To start the electrical inspection, use this checklist as a guide:
Enter basic information about the site and the personnel conducting the inspection.
Check if all electrical equipment is maintained and in good working condition.
Assess surroundings whether they are a risk or at risk of electrical hazards.
Ensure that safety procedures are practiced by other employees.
Double-check if lockout tagout procedures are followed.
Summarize with an overall assessment of the workplace.
Add recommendations, action points, or other notes regarding the inspection.
Electrical Inspection Sample PDF Report
Here’s an example of a completed electrical inspection report.
Electrical Inspection Checklist Sample Report | Mitti (by SafetyCulture)
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