5 Safety Documents OHS Officers Look for First — And What Happens When You Don't Have Them
- On-Track Safety
- 6 days ago
- 9 min read
When an OHS officer walks onto a site, the mood changes instantly. These visits are not like COR or SECOR audits. They are focused on compliance in the moment, and the officer’s primary responsibility is to verify that workers are protected by real, documented safety processes. If those processes do not show up on paper or on a screen, the officer has the authority to issue orders, fines, or immediate work stoppages. Companies often underestimate how fast these interactions unfold and how quickly a simple document request can turn into a serious problem.
Most officers start with documents that connect directly to worker exposure. They want proof that hazards were identified before work began, that conditions were checked and corrected, that workers were trained for the tasks assigned to them, and that communication was frequent enough to keep crews aligned. If those documents are missing or incomplete, the officer has little reason to believe that the work is being controlled properly.
We will break down the five documents that officers request most often during site visits. Each one serves as evidence of due diligence and each one can protect your company from penalties that come from preventable gaps. You will also see what common mistakes lead to enforcement action, and how to set up systems that keep these records ready without adding more paperwork to your day.
The 5 Safety Documents Every Inspector Asks For First
1. Field-Level Hazard Assessments
This is almost always the first document an OHS officer asks to see on any site where high‑risk work is taking place. The reason is simple. Hazard assessments show whether the crew understood the risks of the job before any work began. If these documents are missing, vague, or obviously recycled, officers interpret that as a failure to protect workers from foreseeable harm.
Officers are looking for clear evidence that the assessment reflects the real conditions of the job. They expect tasks to be listed in detail, such as excavation near energized lines, work on elevated surfaces, or traffic management in active lanes. They expect the hazards to be tied to those tasks, not generic phrases like “slips, trips, falls”. They expect controls that match the work. For example, trench depth measurements, spotter assignments, engineered lifting plans, or lockout verification.
A complete hazard assessment includes the date, job location, crew names, supervisor signoff, and a short explanation of what was reviewed. Officers also check that every worker has signed, indicating they understood the controls. Missing signatures, photocopied forms, or assessments that do not match the work in progress can result in orders to stop the task until a proper assessment is completed.
If your teams struggle with paperwork or lose forms during the day, consider digitizing your FLHAs. Mobile systems ensure that assessments are updated in real time and stored automatically so you can produce them instantly if an officer requests them. Strong assessments protect workers, reduce exposure, and demonstrate due diligence during field inspections.
Why it matters: Every high-risk task needs a documented hazard review. Missing or vague FLHAs are one of the top red flags.
What complete looks like:
Includes the date, location, crew names
Clearly outlines the hazards and controls
Reviewed and signed by all participants
Matched to the task — not reused from a different job
Fix it fast: ✅ Purchase FLHA Booklets
2. Site Safety Inspection Reports
The second document officers often request is the most recent site inspection. This tells them whether you are checking conditions frequently enough to catch hazards before they injure a worker. Inspections are not just a formality. They are a legal requirement tied to supervision and hazard monitoring. When officers see that no inspections have been completed for days or weeks, they interpret that as a failure to actively manage risk.
A strong inspection covers current conditions, active work areas, equipment condition, housekeeping, public exposure, and any temporary controls in place. Officers look for two specific signs of effectiveness. First, they check whether hazards were identified in the report. Second, they check whether corrective actions were assigned and closed. A stack of inspections with no follow‑up notes signals that issues were documented but not fixed, which can lead to enforcement action.
A complete inspection record includes the date, inspector name, checklist items, notes, photos, and corrective action assignments with target dates. Officers also appreciate seeing variation in findings over time, because it shows that conditions are being observed rather than copied forward.
Companies that rely on paper inspections often lose records, misplace photos, or forget to document close‑outs. Digital inspection tools solve these issues by timestamping entries and keeping everything in one place. When an officer arrives and asks to see the last inspection, being able to produce it within seconds sets a strong foundation for the rest of the visit.
Why it matters: Proactive inspections show you’re identifying and fixing issues before they become incidents. Officers will want to see frequency, findings, and follow-up.
What complete looks like:
Regular intervals (weekly or monthly, depending on worksite)
Checklist-based + space for free-text observations
Assigned corrective actions and close-out date
Inspector name and signature
Fix it fast:✅ Purchase Inspection Booklets
3. Incident and Near Miss Reports
When something goes wrong on site, one of the first things an OHS officer will ask is whether it was documented — even if no one was hurt. Failing to report or investigate an incident can trigger serious penalties, especially if it’s a notifiable event or something that could have caused serious injury. Even near misses fall under scrutiny. Officers are trained to assess whether your team is learning from what almost happened or just waiting for a worker to get hurt.
Officers expect to see clear timelines, descriptions of the event, root cause analysis, and most importantly, the actions taken to prevent it from happening again. They want to know if anyone followed up, whether the responsible person was identified, and whether the fix was confirmed in the field.
A complete report includes:
Time and location of the event
Names of those involved or who witnessed it
Immediate response actions taken
Analysis of what went wrong (equipment failure, missing control, supervision gap)
Assigned corrective actions with deadlines
Sign-off once those actions are completed
Missing reports, vague language (“worker slipped”), or no follow-up plan can suggest that your company sees incidents as paperwork, not prevention. That opens the door to orders, investigations, or even charges under due diligence clauses in OHS law.
The most effective companies treat near misses as free lessons. They collect photos, get worker input, and track patterns to prevent escalation. Digital reporting tools make this process faster, more consistent, and auditable — a major asset when officers are deciding whether to issue a fine or acknowledge proactive management.
Why it matters: Whether you’ve had incidents or not, the absence of reporting logs raises questions. If you have had an incident, the investigation better be thorough.
What complete looks like:
Immediate incident record + follow-up investigation
Root cause identified
Corrective actions assigned with dates
Attached evidence (photos, witness statements)
Fix it fast:✅ Purchase Investigation Forms
4. Safety Meeting Records
This is where many field supervisors get caught off guard. Toolbox talks or safety meetings might be happening regularly, but if they’re not being documented properly, OHS officers have no way to confirm that workers are receiving the instruction required under the law. Incomplete or inconsistent records are seen as a gap in supervision — one that can be penalized if an incident occurs.
OHS legislation requires that workers be instructed in the hazards of their job. Safety meetings are one of the most direct ways to fulfill that duty, but only if the documentation supports it. Officers typically ask for recent meeting records during inspections and will review them for relevance and participation.
Strong documentation should include:
The date and location of the meeting
The topic discussed (preferably tied to current site conditions or seasonal risks)
The name of the facilitator or supervisor leading the meeting
Names and signatures of all participants
Any specific concerns raised and how they were addressed
What officers do not want to see: blank signature lines, reused forms with outdated topics, or stacks of check-the-box documents that don’t reflect the current scope of work. These kinds of records raise questions about whether instruction is real or just documented to satisfy minimum requirements.
Using structured Toolbox Talks and pre-formatted safety meeting forms can help ensure consistency. Better still, if you use a mobile system to log meetings in real time, you reduce the risk of lost records and improve your chances of showing a strong compliance culture when an officer arrives onsite.
Why it matters: OHS Officers want to see how you communicate safety expectations. These records show your team is involved and informed.
What complete looks like:
Topic, facilitator, date, crew attendance
Clear documentation of what was discussed
Evidence of participation (signatures, notes)
Fix it fast: ✅ Purchase Safety Meeting Forms
5. Training Matrix or Certification Record
This is the document that separates organized crews from those who are “hoping it’s all up to date.” When an OHS officer asks who is trained to operate a piece of equipment or enter a confined space, you need to show clear, accessible proof — not just a certificate in a file folder back at the office.
Training records are a legal requirement under provincial OHS codes. You must be able to demonstrate that workers are trained and competent for the work they are assigned. That includes not only core certifications like WHMIS or Fall Protection, but also task-specific training tied to the jobsite — such as rigging, aerial lift, traffic control, or hazard assessment.
A solid training matrix or certification record includes:
Worker names and positions
Courses completed and their expiry dates
Links or attachments to each certificate
An indication of which training is required for the worker’s current duties
Supervisor access to verify currency and make assignments
What officers often uncover is a spreadsheet that’s months out of date, certifications that have expired, or worse — no central tracking system at all. This exposes the company to fines, orders to remove workers from tasks, or even liability under employer due diligence laws if an untrained worker causes or suffers harm.
Modern digital portals eliminate this risk. They allow companies to assign training by role, receive automated alerts when certificates expire, and provide printable reports or mobile access when documentation is requested onsite. On-Track’s Corporate Training Portal includes all these tools and can be set up in minutes — making compliance one less thing to chase down during your next field visit.
Why it matters: You’ll be asked to prove that workers are trained and that their certifications are current. A messy spreadsheet isn’t going to cut it anymore.
What complete looks like:
Clear list of employees, required training, and expiry dates
Easy to cross-reference by role or location
Linked certificates or training records on file
Quick Check: Are These 5 Docs Ready to Show?
Before an officer ever steps on site, ask yourself:
✅ FLHA: Is there a signed hazard assessment for today’s work that reflects the actual task and crew?
✅ Site Inspection: Do you have the last completed inspection with issues identified and closed?
✅ Incident/Near Miss Report: Has anything been documented and followed up in the past 30 days?
✅ Safety Meeting Record: Can you show a recent toolbox talk with signatures and relevant content?
✅ Training Record: Can you pull up certs for everyone on site in under 30 seconds?
If even one of these is missing, incomplete, or buried in a stack of paperwork, it’s time to tighten up your documentation process.
Use Case: A Real-World Stop Order Trigger
A crew was trenching alongside a rural access road. The work was clean, traffic was managed, and the foreman insisted their FLHA was “done that morning.” But when the OHS officer arrived and asked to see the hazard assessment, the only copy was back in the truck — unsigned and missing the excavation process.
The officer noted that no one on the crew had seen or signed the assessment, and that the document didn’t reflect the open trench on site. Within 10 minutes, a stop work order was issued under Section 8 of the OHS Code for failure to properly assess and control a high-risk task.
What followed wasn’t just paperwork. The crew was pulled off the site for four hours while the FLHA was corrected, signatures were collected, and controls were re-reviewed. The delay cost the company two shifts of lost time and flagged them for follow-up inspection within the month.
This is the kind of disruption you can prevent — not with better luck, but with better documentation.
How to Stay Ready Without Chasing Paper
OHS officers aren’t asking for documents to make your day harder — they’re checking to see whether your company is doing what’s required to protect your people. If you can’t produce a hazard assessment, an inspection form, or a current training record, it doesn’t matter how well the job is going. The paperwork is the proof. And without that proof, you’re vulnerable to stop work orders, fines, or worse.
The five documents covered here — FLHAs, inspections, incident reports, safety meetings, and training records — are not just compliance tools. They are the foundation of any well-run safety program. If they’re missing, incomplete, or buried in binders at the main office, now is the time to change your system.
Start by downloading clean, customizable templates for each form. Or, if you’re tired of chasing paper across multiple job sites, use SiteDocs to bring your documentation online. You can also set up a free Corporate Training Portal to keep certs, assignments, and alerts in one place — no more guesswork.
Getting your documents in order now is far easier than explaining to an officer why they’re not. Make this the week you tighten it up.
Comments