Free WHS Inspection (Shipyard) Template

Purpose of the Free WHS Inspection (Shipyard) Template

Shipyards are dynamic, high-risk environments with a unique combination of hazards, from heavy lifting and hot work to confined spaces and working over water. Our Free WHS Inspection (Shipyard) Template provides a structured starting point for systematically identifying and managing these risks.

By formalising your inspection process, you can enhance hazard reporting, promote a stronger safety culture, and create a safer working environment for everyone on site. This template is designed to help you document checks on critical equipment, work areas, and safety procedures.

A systematic inspection program is a cornerstone of proactive risk management. It allows your organisation to move beyond reactive incident response, enabling you to find and fix hazards before they cause harm.

This process helps demonstrate due diligence and a commitment to meeting your duties under Australian WHS legislation. Regular checks should cover a broad range of items, from the condition of scaffolding and gangways to the functionality of lifting equipment.

Using a specific form like our free pre-start checklist for electric hoists for key plant is a great supplement to a general site inspection.

How to use the Free WHS Inspection (Shipyard) Template

This downloadable document is provided in both DOCX and PDF formats, allowing for easy customisation. To get started, download the template and integrate it into your safety management system.

We recommend a collaborative approach: involve your WHS committee, supervisors, and workers who perform the tasks to review and modify the checklist. Their firsthand experience is invaluable for identifying site-specific risks that a generic template might miss.

Important: This document is a template only. You must customise it to address the specific hazards, equipment, and operating procedures present in your shipyard.

We recommend consulting with workers and WHS professionals during this process to ensure all relevant risks are covered.

Once customised, ensure all personnel who will conduct inspections are trained on its proper use. This includes understanding what each checkpoint entails and knowing the correct procedure for reporting hazards and non-conformances.

A tailored inspection checklist is a key component of a comprehensive safety framework. Developing effective WHS management systems ensures that inspections are not just a tick-box exercise, but an integral part of your continuous improvement cycle.

When to use this Inspection resource

The frequency and timing of your shipyard inspections should be determined by a risk assessment. Generally, inspections should be conducted:

• Routinely: Scheduled daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on the area and the level of risk. High-traffic areas, critical infrastructure like dry docks, and active worksites warrant more frequent checks.
• Before high-risk tasks: Prior to commencing specific activities such as major vessel lifts, complex scaffolding erection, or critical hot work.
• After an incident: Following an accident, injury, or near miss to identify contributing factors and prevent recurrence.
• Following changes: When new equipment is introduced, work processes are altered, or significant site modifications are made.

Regular inspections form the basis of your safety monitoring, but they should be complemented by periodic, in-depth reviews. Professional WHS compliance auditing can validate your processes and identify systemic gaps that routine checks might miss.

Who should use it

Inspections should be carried out by competent persons who have the knowledge and experience to identify hazards specific to a shipyard environment. This may include:

• Site Supervisors or Foremen
• WHS Officers or Advisors
• Members of the Health and Safety Committee
• Experienced workers designated for the task

The findings of the inspection must be communicated to management or the person responsible for allocating resources for corrective actions. The entire process, from hazard identification to final close-out of corrective actions, requires clear lines of responsibility.

For complex sites, obtaining expert advice can be invaluable. A WHS consulting service can help you establish robust inspection protocols and train your team to implement them effectively.

This Inspection template is one of many tools available to support workplace safety. Explore our complete free WHS resources library for more templates, checklists, and guides to help strengthen your safety program.