In many factories, health and safety is still approached in a reactive way: we wait for an incident to occur before acting. Yet, every day offers an opportunity for prevention. And OSH tours are one of the most concrete ways to achieve this.
But for these tours to have a real impact, they must be structured, observable, and tracked. That’s why we offer you here the 10 key elements to validate systematically, whether you are a supervisor, manager or OHS manager.
And if you don’t want to forget anything along the way, we have prepared a downloadable checklist for you, which you can also integrate directly into Gemba-Walk for more fluid and collaborative management.
1. Cleanliness and clutter: the often overlooked base
Let’s start with what jumps out at the eyes, but which sometimes we end up no longer seeing. A factory that accumulates bins on the ground, misplaced cables or parts in the aisles quickly becomes a slippery slope… both literally and figuratively.
It’s not just about appearance. A blocked driveway can delay an evacuation. A forgotten oil puddle can lead to a fall. Cleanliness is the first line of defense against accidents.
💡 In Gemba-Walk, you can easily photograph a clutter, create a task and assign it to the right person and track it.
2. Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
We all know this scenario: when you arrive, the employees quickly put on their glasses or helmet. But what about when you are not there?
The wearing of PPE should not depend on the presence of the manager. During your tour, observe discreetly. Are they worn at all times, or only when you pass? Do they look comfortable? Are they in good condition? These discussions often open the door to improvements.
3. Condition of the equipment
It is not a question here of doing a complete mechanical inspection, but of developing your observer’s eye: a machine that vibrates abnormally, an open panel, a neglected indicator light… All that, these are weak signals to pick up.
And if an employee mentions that “the machine has been doing it forever”, this is not a reason to ignore it. On the contrary, this is a good time to check if preventive maintenance is up to date—and if the right communication channels are being used.
💡 Add to your tour a section to ask the operator: “Have you noticed a change in the behavior of the machine?”
4. Signage display: visible does not mean understood
Pictograms hidden behind a pile of boxes, instructions erased or simply ignored: the signage can be omnipresent, but invisible for the accustomed eyes. Ask an employee what a pictogram means – it’s often revealing.
5. Working methods: standardized risk gestures?
It is not uncommon to see an experienced employee adopt risky postures out of habit or concern for efficiency. During your tour, take the time to observe the gestures, the repetitive movements, the physical efforts.
💡 In your tour canvas, add a question like: “Do employees adopt ergonomic and safe postures for all of their tasks?”
Include a comment field to describe or suggest an improvement.
6. Dangerous products: well-organized or within reach of everyone?
Hazardous materials are often used without incident… until the day when a bad label or improper storage causes a reaction, an inhalation or a leak. Your tour should always validate the compliance of the storage locations, but also the accessibility of the data sheets (FDS).
💡 Tip: create a specific check point for chemical areas, with a photo capture of the storage or nearby records.
7. Mechanical and electrical risks: the invisible that hurts
A missing electrical panel cover, an unprotected moving part, a barrier bypassed temporarily… as many small deviations that can lead to serious injuries. These elements are sometimes ‘temporarily accepted’, but quickly become standard.
8. Lighting and ventilation: ambient safety
You may not notice right away that the lighting is low… until an employee has to work in the shadow to read a code or inspect a room. Similarly, insufficient ventilation can impair comfort, alertness, and health.
9. How do you react to risky behavior?
What you see is important, but what others do when you are not there is even more. Observe: is risky behavior reported? Ignored? Corrected? Does the environment reflect a culture of intervention or silence?
10. Follow-up of previous rounds: the credibility of the process
An OHS tour only has impact if the actions that result from it are followed. If employees notice that the same issues are coming back, without corrective action, they will stop taking the process seriously.
👉 If the same weak point comes up three times in the month, it is no longer an oversight, it is a signal of improvement on a larger scale.
📥 Download your customizable SST checklist
To help you structure your next SST tour and ensure complete risk coverage, we have prepared a ready-to-use customizable template.
You can download the document or request a demo of our Gemba-Walk tool to see how our clients structure their SST tours with rigor and simplicity.