What's in this template?
This Workplace Inspection Checklist gives Australian healthcare practices a structured proactive inspection covering every zone of a typical clinic. It supports the PCBU's primary duty under section 19 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and is the standard "housekeeping" evidence that WHS regulators, accreditors and workers compensation insurers expect to see.
The checklist covers 12 sections across the practice:
- Reception and waiting area — line of sight, duress alarm, trip hazards, hand sanitiser
- Consult and treatment rooms — sharps, hand basin, PPE, ergonomics, emergency call
- Sterilisation and clean / dirty zones — autoclave, ultrasonic, chemical store, eye wash
- Drug, vaccine and consumable storage — cold chain, S8 storage, drug register, expiry
- Electrical, equipment and fire safety — test-and-tag, RCDs, smoke alarms, exits
- Manual handling and ergonomics — trolleys, storage heights, workstation setup
- Workplace amenities and hygiene — toilets, drinking water, first aid kit
- Outside, parking and access — paths, lighting, lone worker safety
- Psychosocial environment — workload, bullying/harassment, sexual harassment positive duty, EAP
- Records, signage and documentation — WHS policy, SDS, training, incident register
- Items to add to Hazard and Risk Register — action capture
- Approval — sign-off by WHS Officer, HSR and PCBU
Editable placeholder fields
{{practice_name}},{{practice_address}}{{inspection_date}},{{whs_officer}},{{hsr_present}},{{inspection_frequency}}- Signature blocks for WHS Officer, HSR and PCBU
Who needs a Workplace Inspection Checklist?
Every Australian healthcare practice with workers should run scheduled workplace inspections. The checklist is suitable for:
- General practices, day procedure clinics and specialist medical practices
- Allied health practices — physiotherapy, podiatry, psychology, optometry, dental
- NDIS providers and disability support services
- Pharmacies, pathology and diagnostic imaging providers
- Aged care providers and home care services
- Multi-site practice groups — use the same checklist at every site for consistency
The checklist sits between the strategic Hazard and Risk Register and the reactive Incident Report Form. Inspections catch hazards before they cause harm.
WHS Act requirement at a glance
Section 19 — Primary duty of care. A PCBU must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others.
Safe Work Australia How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice. Identify hazards by walking the workplace, talking to workers, and reviewing incident records — this checklist operationalises step one.
Section 47 — Consult workers. Inspections must be conducted in consultation with workers, typically by including the elected Health and Safety Representative or a worker representative.
The Code of Practice expects inspections to be documented, scheduled, and used as evidence that the PCBU is identifying hazards proactively rather than only reacting after incidents.
Recommended inspection frequency
| Activity | Frequency | Who | |---|---|---| | Daily housekeeping (visual) | Every shift | Reception / clinical staff | | Monthly housekeeping check | Monthly | WHS Officer | | Full workplace inspection (this checklist) | Quarterly | WHS Officer + HSR | | External / accreditation review | Annually or before accreditation | External assessor or RACGP/NDIS auditor | | Triggered inspection | After every notifiable incident, change in work, equipment or premises | WHS Officer |
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with your details - Customise the items in each section to match your premises and services — delete items that don't apply (e.g., no sterilisation room) and add items that do (e.g., dental amalgam separator, MRI safety zone)
- Walk the practice with the WHS Officer and at least one HSR or worker representative
- Mark Pass / Fail / N/A for every item, photograph any failures, and write the action in the comments column
- Transfer all "Fail" items into the Hazard and Risk Register with a risk score, control plan, owner and due date
- Communicate any urgent fixes via toolbox talk or email
- File the completed inspection in the WHS records system
- Schedule the next inspection — calendar quarterly recurring meetings work well
Why every healthcare practice needs proactive inspections
Healthcare workplaces have a higher injury rate than the all-industry average, particularly for:
- Slips, trips and falls (cluttered or wet floors, cabling)
- Manual handling (stocking vaccines, moving records, patient transfers)
- Sharps injuries (needlestick, scalpel)
- Occupational violence (aggressive patients, family members)
- Psychosocial harm (workload, traumatic content, harassment)
- Biological exposure (respiratory, blood-borne, contact)
A scheduled inspection catches issues — a tipped sharps container, an unplugged duress alarm, a missing first aid kit — before they cause harm. WHS regulators routinely cite "no documented inspection process" in improvement notices issued after a notifiable incident.
State variations
The harmonised model WHS Act applies in NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, ACT, NT and the Commonwealth. Victoria operates under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. Western Australia operates under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020. The proactive inspection methodology is materially identical across jurisdictions; only the regulator name changes (see the Incident and Hazard Report Form for the full list).
A few state-specific items in the checklist:
- Test-and-tag intervals — AS/NZS 3760 sets healthcare equipment intervals (typically 12 months for environments with fluids and movement)
- Emergency lighting — AS 2293 requires 6-monthly testing of emergency and exit lighting
- Evacuation diagrams — AS 3745 requires the diagram to be reviewed every 5 years or after any change in layout
- Drug storage (S8) — state pharmacy regulations apply (NSW Poisons Regulation, Victorian Drugs Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations, etc.)
Related templates and tools
The inspection checklist is one third of the proactive WHS toolkit:
- Hazard and Risk Register — every "Fail" item feeds the register
- Incident and Hazard Report Form — used when an inspection finds something that has already caused harm
- Manual Handling Policy — control document for manual handling items in section 6
- Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Wellbeing Policy — control document for section 9
- Emergency Evacuation Plan — checked against section 5 (fire safety)
- WHS Induction Checklist for New Workers — new worker version of this inspection tour
- Cold Chain Management Policy — control document for vaccine fridge items in section 4
For the high-level policy, see the Work Health and Safety Policy in the RACGP library.
Frequently asked questions
Is a workplace inspection mandatory under the WHS Act?
The Act does not name workplace inspections specifically, but it does require PCBUs to identify hazards. The Safe Work Australia How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice — which has legal weight as evidence of "reasonably practicable" — describes documented walkarounds as the standard hazard identification method. Regulators and accreditors treat scheduled inspections as effectively mandatory for any healthcare workplace.
Who should do the inspection?
The WHS Officer (often the practice manager or senior nurse) leads the inspection, accompanied by an elected Health and Safety Representative or a worker representative if no HSR is in place. Section 47 of the WHS Act makes worker consultation a legal duty. Some practices rotate workers through the inspection role to build WHS awareness.
How long does an inspection take?
A first inspection of a single-site general practice typically takes 90 to 120 minutes including the discussion with the HSR. Subsequent quarterly inspections usually take 45 to 60 minutes once the workforce is familiar with the checklist.
What if we're a solo practitioner with no employees?
The checklist still applies — section 19 covers "any other person whose health and safety may be put at risk", which includes contractors, students, patients and visitors. A solo GP can do a simplified self-inspection annually using a cut-down version of this checklist.
Should patients be involved in the inspection?
No — but patient feedback often surfaces hazards (long waits, slippery floors after rain, inaccessible toilets). The checklist's section 1 (reception) and section 7 (amenities) capture the patient-facing items.
How does this inspection differ from an infection prevention and control (IPC) audit?
This is a WHS inspection — it covers worker and visitor safety, not clinical infection control standards. IPC audits use the RACGP IPC Standards or AS/NZS 4187 framework. The two overlap in section 2 (consult and treatment rooms — sharps, PPE, hand hygiene) and section 3 (sterilisation), but a full IPC audit goes deeper. Run both annually.
Will accreditors accept this template?
Yes, when populated and signed. RACGP 5th Edition Criterion C3.5 (work health and safety), NDIS Practice Standards Core Module 1 (governance) and ISO 45001 (clause 7.4 communication and consultation, clause 8.1.2 hazard identification) all require evidence of proactive hazard identification. A signed quarterly inspection meets the bar for all three.