Safety Checklist
Plumbing · Daily pre-task check
Not cleared — checks outstanding
12 stop-work checks still outstanding. Mark each OK or N/A to clear the sign-off.
Checked
0/33
OK
0
Issues
0
Stop-work
12
1Work context & jobWhich OSHA standard covers this work decides the numbers on the rest of the sheet.Sewer line repair
Work contextConstruction work is covered by 29 CFR 1926; service, maintenance and repair on an existing system is general industry, covered by 29 CFR 1910. The two set different fall-protection trigger heights, different confined-space rules and different fire-watch requirements.
Fall protection triggers at 6 ft on this sheet (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1)). The other standard triggers at 4 ft (29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i)).
Checklist #
Date
Task today
Location
Supervisor
Crew on siteoptional
Company detailsNothing set
2Pre-start checksGatedMark each OK, Issue or N/A. Items marked stop-work hold the sign-off.Nothing checked yet
Site & access5 checks
Site walked; new hazards noted since the last visitOvernight changes are what catch crews out — a new floor opening, stored material in the exit path, another trade's excavation. The walk is the check; the tick is only the record of it. 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2) — frequent and regular inspections by a competent person.
Overhead lines and buried utilities located; clearance confirmedStop-workUnderground installations must be located before anything goes in the ground, and overhead lines stay live until the utility says otherwise. Assume energised, not de-energised. 29 CFR 1926.651(b) (underground installations); 29 CFR 1926.416(a)(1) (work near live overhead parts).
Access route, exit path and work area clear and litEgress matters most on the day something goes wrong, which is the day nobody re-checks it. 29 CFR 1926.25 (housekeeping); 29 CFR 1926.56 (illumination).
PPE5 checks
Written PPE hazard assessment on file covers today's tasksThe assessment has to exist in writing, and the certification must name the workplace evaluated, the person certifying, the date, and identify itself as a hazard-assessment certification. Handing out gloves is not the requirement. 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1) and (d)(2).
Eye and face protection worn, rated for the taskStop-workRated for the hazard actually present — impact, chemical splash, or arc. Prescription glasses are not eye protection. 29 CFR 1910.133; construction 29 CFR 1926.102.
Head protection worn where there is an overhead or electrical hazardWhere contact with exposed energised conductors is possible the helmet has to be rated for it, not just for impact. 29 CFR 1910.135; construction 29 CFR 1926.100.
Tools, cords & power4 checks
GFCI on every 120 V, 15 and 20 A receptacle not part of the permanent wiringStop-workOn a construction site this covers all temporary power in use by employees. The only alternative OSHA allows is a documented assured equipment grounding conductor program — not "the tool has a ground pin". 29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)(ii); assured grounding alternative at (b)(1)(iii).
Cords and tools inspected today — insulation intact, ground pin presentDaily visual inspection before use. Under an assured grounding program equipment is also tested at intervals not exceeding 3 months — 6 months for cord sets and receptacles that are fixed and not exposed to damage. 29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)(iii)(B) and (b)(1)(iii)(C).
Guards in place on every powered tool; no safety defeatedA zip-tied trigger or a swung-back blade guard is the finding, and it is the one that turns up after the injury. 29 CFR 1926.300(b)(1).
Ladders & elevated work6 checks
Fall protection in place at the trigger height that applies to this workStop-workConstruction triggers at 6 ft to a lower level (1926.501(b)(1)); general industry at 4 ft (1910.28(b)(1)(i)). Neither is "the OSHA height" — the height follows the standard that covers the work, not the size of the fall. Set the work context at the top of this sheet and it will state which one applies. 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1) — 6 ft, construction; 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i) — 4 ft, general industry.
Ladder inspected by a competent person; no visible defectsInspection is required on a periodic basis and after any occurrence that could affect safe use — a drop off the rack counts. 29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(15).
Ladder side rails extend at least 3 ft above the landing, and the ladder is securedThe extension is what you hold on the transition on and off the ladder. Without it the step across is the fall. 29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(1).
Energy isolation4 checks
Lockout/tagout applied — each worker's own lock and tag on the isolating deviceStop-workGroup lockout still means every authorised employee has their own lock on. A pulled disconnect with nothing on it is not lockout. 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4) and (d).
De-energised state verified with a tester, proved live–dead–liveStop-workA qualified person must use test equipment to verify the parts are de-energised, and the tester itself must be proved on a known live source immediately before and after. Verifying with a tester that was already dead proves nothing. 29 CFR 1910.333(b)(2)(iv)(B); tester proving at 29 CFR 1910.334(c)(2).
Stored energy released — capacitors, springs, pressure, refrigerant, water, steamStop-workIsolation stops the supply; it does not empty what is already in the system. This is the step people skip on equipment they have worked on a hundred times. 29 CFR 1910.147(d)(5).
Plumbing hazards6 checks
Excavation 5 ft or deeper has a protective system, inspected today by a competent personStop-workProtective systems are required at 5 ft unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock, or is under 5 ft AND a competent person's examination shows no indication of a potential cave-in. Inspections are daily, and again after rain. 29 CFR 1926.652(a)(1)(i)–(ii); daily inspection 29 CFR 1926.651(k)(1).
Trench 4 ft or deeper has a ladder or ramp within 25 ft of lateral travelStop-workThe same 4 ft depth triggers atmospheric testing before entry wherever a hazardous atmosphere or oxygen deficiency (under 19.5% oxygen) could reasonably be expected — sewer work qualifies. 29 CFR 1926.651(c)(2); atmospheric testing 29 CFR 1926.651(g)(1)(i).
Hot work set up — combustibles cleared 35 ft, extinguisher at hand, fire watch assignedStop-workA fire watch is required whenever appreciable combustible material sits closer than 35 ft to the point of operation. General industry sets the watch at a minimum of 30 minutes after the work stops; the construction rule says only "a sufficient period of time" and gives no number, so 30 minutes is the defensible floor either way. 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(iii)(A)–(B); construction 29 CFR 1926.352(d)–(e).
Vehicle & driver3 checks
Vehicle walk-around done — tyres, lights, leaks, mirrorsEmployer program, not a single OSHA rule: the DOT pre-trip inspection requirement (49 CFR 396.13) applies to commercial motor vehicles, which most service vans are not. Employer program. 49 CFR 396.13 applies only to commercial motor vehicles.
Load secured; ladders tied, compressed gas cylinders upright with valve caps onValve protection caps must be in place when a cylinder is not in use or connected. A cylinder rolling loose in a van is the classic near-miss. 29 CFR 1926.350(a)(1).
Driver licensed, rested and unimpairedDriving is the highest-exposure part of most service days and the one nobody puts on a checklist. Employer program.
Other hazards noted todayoptional
3Emergency informationThe block that matters on the one day it matters.Nothing set
Emergency contact
Emergency phone
Nearest hospital
Muster point
First aid trainedoptional
Utility shut-offoptional