LOTO
audit readiness checklist.
Walk one machine and find out how ready you'd be for an OSHA inspection. Six evidence controls on one page. The proof an inspector can ask you to produce on the spot, and what digital lockout tagout software captures automatically.
Free. PDF.
- Six numbered evidence-control sections to tick off
- Short, scannable checkpoints, no wall of text
- A fillable header: equipment no., date, inspector
- Aligned to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147
Print it, fill in the header, and walk the floor. It doubles as a self-check and a record.
LOTO Audit Readiness Checklist
A cover page and clear "how to use" instructions, six numbered evidence-control sections, a fillable header and a notes box to record findings as you walk the floor.
The six evidence controls an audit looks for
Most lockout/tagout enforcement is not about a missing lock. It is about being unable to prove the right procedure was current, followed, verified and reviewed. The checklist walks each control so you can see where the proof exists today.
Current machine-specific procedure. A written, equipment-specific energy-control procedure that is kept current.
Authorized worker training record. Certified training for authorized workers and awareness training for affected staff.
Field execution / sign-on record. Who locked out what, when, and which isolation points were controlled.
Isolation & zero-energy verification. Proof that zero energy was verified before work and stored energy was addressed.
Closeout & shift-handover record. Release, restart, lock/tag removal, and continuity of protection across shifts.
Periodic inspection record. The at-least-annual inspection certification, with deficiencies tracked to correction.
This checklist is provided as general guidance. Site-specific procedures and the requirements of the authority having jurisdiction, insurer and other applicable authorities take precedence. Have a competent person review and adapt it before use. This is safety information, not legal advice.
Questions about this checklist
A short, walk-the-floor self-check that tests whether you could produce the records an OSHA lockout/tagout audit asks for: current procedures, training, field execution, zero-energy verification, closeout/handover, and periodic inspection.
It is aligned to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 and based on the controls inspectors test against, but no checklist makes you compliant on its own. It is compliance education, not legal advice, and should be adapted to your site.
Pick one piece of equipment, walk it end to end, and try to produce each record listed. Tick a box only where you can show the proof today. Every box you cannot tick is a LOTO evidence gap.
Related resources
The checklist is the practical companion to our FY2025 OSHA Lockout/Tagout Citation Analysis, the research behind the evidence gap it helps you find.
FY2025 OSHA Lockout/Tagout Citation Analysis
The research behind the evidence gap this checklist helps you find.
Read the report ProcedureLockout Tagout Procedure Template
The equipment-specific procedure the first evidence control asks for.
View template PermitGeneral Work Permit Template
The baseline permit-to-work form for non-routine work that needs authorization.
View templateManaging LOTO across many machines or sites?
We'll show you how Zentri handles procedures, isolations, training records and audit trail. Then we'll talk through how it would run at your facility.