Nova Scotia site safety inspection report template

Nova Scotia rules for this report

These rules are about how and when you report, not the template's fields. Check them before you deliver.

• Fall protection is required where a person is at risk of falling 3 m or more to the nearest safe surface or water, or less than 3 m onto a surface or thing that could cause a worse injury than a solid flat surface or into exposed hazardous material such as an open tank, pit or vat; the employer uses a guardrail, temporary flooring, a personnel safety net, a travel restraint system or a fall-arrest systemWorkplace Health and Safety Regulations, N.S. Reg. 52/2013, s. 21.2 (1), (2)
• Where fall protection is required and the maximum fall distance is less than 7.5 m, the employer has a written fall-protection safe-work procedure for the type of work, based on a hazard assessment, unless everyone is protected by a permanent guardrail or works from a qualifying work-platform with adequate fall protectionWorkplace Health and Safety Regulations, s. 21.3
• Where fall protection is required and the fall distance is 7.5 m or more, the employer has a specific written fall-protection safe-work plan for that work area, based on a hazard assessment, covering the work and its duration, the fall hazards, the fall-protection systems and anchorages, confirmed clearance below for fall arrest, swing, and how the systems are assembled, maintained, inspected, used and taken downWorkplace Health and Safety Regulations, s. 21.4
• Before a person uses fall protection, or works in, supervises or plans work in an area where it is required, and at least every 3 years, the employer makes sure the person completes fall-protection training; the employer keeps a training record with the participant's name, training dates, instructor, employer, training organization, a description and the expiry date, and gives the person a copyWorkplace Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 21.19 (1), 21.21
• Where a person may enter an excavation or trench with a wall more than 1.2 m high, the wall is supported by adequate shoring or bracing or an adequate trench cage is used, unless the employer can show it is cut in sound and stable rock, is sloped no steeper than 1 m vertical to 1 m horizontal to within 1.2 m of the bottom, or no one goes closer to the walls than their heightOccupational Safety General Regulations, N.S. Reg. 44/1999, s. 166 (1)
• Where an underground utility line's location is likely to endanger a person, the employer contacts the utility before beginning an excavation or trench so the utility clearly locates and marks the lineOccupational Safety General Regulations, s. 153 (2)

What is in it

• Site access, housekeeping and storageDebris, scrap lumber with nails and combustible scrap cleared from work areas and stairs, Access routes, walkways and stairways clear and safe, Site perimeter, fencing, gates and warning signs, Materials stacked stable and kept back from edges and openings, Protruding rebar capped or guarded against impalement
• Fall protection and openingsOpen sides and edges protected by guardrails, nets or fall arrest, Floor holes, openings and skylights covered or guarded and marked, Harnesses, lanyards and anchors inspected before use and worn where needed, Roof work: guardrails, warning lines, nets or fall arrest in use, Written fall-protection safe-work procedure at the work area (a specific plan where falls of 7.5 m or more exist), Workers using fall protection trained within the last 3 years, with a training record or card
• Scaffolds and aerial liftsScaffolds inspected by a competent person before the shift (tag or record), Scaffold fully planked, with guardrails, base plates or mudsills, ties and safe access, Aerial and scissor lifts: pre-use check, gates closed, operators tied off in boom lifts
• LaddersLadders free of damage; defective ladders tagged Do Not Use and removed, Ladders set up correctly: extended above the landing or secured, on firm footing
• Excavations and trenchesExcavations inspected daily by a competent person, and after rain, Cave-in protection (sloping, shoring or a trench box) in place where needed, Spoils and equipment kept back from the edge; a ladder or ramp close by to get out, Underground utilities located and marked before digging
• Electrical and temporary powerGround fault protection (GFCI) or an assured grounding program on temporary power, Cords and plugs undamaged, ground pins present, kept out of water and traffic, Panels covered and labelled; no exposed live parts, Overhead power lines identified and kept clear of equipment and ladders
• Cranes, heavy equipment and vehiclesCranes inspected each shift by a competent person; rigging and slings in good condition, Swing radius barricaded; backup alarms working or a spotter used, Equipment run only by trained, authorized operators; seat belts used
• Tools and machine guardsGuards on saws and grinders in place and working, Damaged or noncompliant tools tagged out or removed, Powder-actuated tools and nail guns used by trained workers
• Fire prevention and hazardous materialsFire extinguishers on site, charged and within reach, Fuel, propane and flammables stored and labelled safely, Hot work: area cleared of combustibles, extinguisher and fire watch where needed, Chemical containers labelled; safety data sheets available; dust controlled when cutting
• Personal protective equipmentHard hats worn where there is a risk of falling or flying objects, Eye and face protection worn for cutting, grinding, nailing and chemicals, High-visibility vests, hearing protection, gloves and footwear suited to the work
• First aid, emergency and site facilitiesFirst aid kit stocked and a trained first aider on site when no clinic is close by, Emergency numbers, site address and plan posted; everyone knows the muster point, Toilets, drinking water and hand washing available
• Corrective actionsHazard and location, Corrective action, Responsible, Due, Status
• Items from earlier inspectionsItems from earlier inspections or reports, and whether each has been fixed.

Rules last reviewed October 12, 2026. Read the full Nova Scotia site safety inspection report requirements.