# A safety inspection checklist in SharePoint

> For the full documentation index, see https://250highstreet.com/llms.txt

> Replace paper checklists in a binder with two SharePoint lists: one for inspections and one for follow-ups, with a mobile web form and an overdue view.

Record each safety walk as one row in an Inspections list, and each problem found as one row in a Findings list with an owner, a fix-by date and a status. Views for overdue inspections and open problems show what is late, which a paper binder cannot.

## Why paper checklists in binders stop working

A binder works while one person owns it. Then the trouble starts:

- A sheet is filled in but never filed, so nobody can prove the walk happened.
- A "fail" is circled on paper, and nobody writes down who will fix it.
- To find last quarter's results for one area, someone flips through a whole binder.
- Handwriting is hard to read, and a photo of the problem lives on someone's phone.
- No one can quickly see which area has not been inspected lately.

A list gives each inspection one row with fixed choices, and each problem its own row with an owner and a status. If you are still deciding whether to leave a spreadsheet, see "[Replace a spreadsheet tracker with a SharePoint list](/guides/replace-spreadsheet-with-sharepoint-list/)".

## Before you start

Decide three things now. They are easy now and hard after 200 rows.

- Who inspects. One way to start is a short list of named people per area.
- Who fixes problems. This can be a different person from the inspector.
- How often each area is inspected. Write the rhythm down, such as weekly or monthly. The list can show lateness only if you give it a date to compare.

This guide is a how-to for a tracking list. It does not replace your own checklist. Follow your own safety policy and the rules that apply to your workplace for what to inspect and how often. The list only records what you decide.

## Step 1. Create the Inspections list

Start on the team site where your safety lead already works, or in the Lists app. Exact names may differ on your screen.

1.  Choose New, then List, and pick a blank list.
2.  Type "Inspections" as the list name and select Create.
3.  Before you add columns, check that every inspector is a member of this site.

## Step 2. Add the Inspections columns

Each column below is one answer an inspector gives. Microsoft's column types page describes every type named here. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: keep to eight columns or fewer.

- Title. Rename it "Inspection". Put a short label in it, for example "Storage room, monthly walk".
- Area, a Choice column. Sample entries, one per line: 1 Loading dock, 2 Main floor, 3 Storage room, 4 Break room, 5 Other. Swap in your own places. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: the leading digit gives each value a fixed look in every dropdown.
- Inspector, a Person or Group column. Microsoft says it gives a searchable list of people. Limit it to a single person.
- Inspection date, a Date and time column set to date only.
- Next due, also date only. This holds the day the area should be walked again, and the overdue view in Step 7 reads it.
- Result, a Choice column with 1 Pass, 2 Fail, 3 Needs follow-up.
- Notes, a Multiple lines of text column. Use it for longer notes.
- Record, a Choice column with 1 Current and 2 Replaced, default 1 Current. Step 7 uses it.

Microsoft says a column can be marked required. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: require Area, Inspector, Inspection date, Next due and Result, and leave Notes optional, so no row is saved with blanks in the fields that drive the views.

## Step 3. Add a photo to a finding

Do this after Step 4, once Findings exists. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: put the photo on the Findings list only, as one picture of the problem. Turn on attachments for Findings, open the item form, select Add attachments, pick the file and select Open. Microsoft says a missing Add attachments command means the list does not allow attachments, and that attaching is not possible in Edit in grid view. Where those files end up is explained in "[Where SharePoint list attachments are stored, and when to use a library](/guides/where-do-sharepoint-list-attachments-go/)".

## Sample walk items

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule, and not a safety standard: use your own policy for what to check. As a shape for the checklist, a walk might list items such as exits clear, extinguisher tag in date, floor dry, lighting working and first aid kit stocked. Each item can be a Choice column with 1 Pass, 2 Fail, 3 Needs follow-up, or you can keep the walk to one Result and list the items in Notes.

## Step 4. Create the Findings list

A result of 3 Needs follow-up has to lead somewhere, or it gets forgotten. Start another blank list called "Findings". Its columns:

- Title. Call it "Problem". Put one line in it, for example "Fire extinguisher tag is expired".
- Inspection, a Lookup column. Choose the Inspections list as the source and its Title as the shown column. Microsoft says both lists must sit on one site and that a lookup can display only some column types. Title is text, so it qualifies. Microsoft lists Lookup under classic view, so button names may differ.
- Status, a Choice column with 1 Open and 2 Fixed, default 1 Open.
- Fix owner, a Person or Group column limited to one person.
- Fix by, date only.
- Notes, Multiple lines of text.

Microsoft says that when relationship behavior is not enforced, removing a source item also removes the items related to it. Selecting Restrict delete stops anyone from deleting an inspection that still has findings. Setting this needs Manage Lists permission.

## Step 5. Add a sample row to each list

Before real use, type one made-up row into each list. Label it as a test, then delete it when you finish.

Inspections sample:

- Title: Storage room, monthly walk
- Area: 3 Storage room
- Inspector: choose any person
- Inspection date: 2026-10-14
- Next due: 2026-11-14
- Result: 3 Needs follow-up
- Record: 1 Current

Findings sample:

- Title: Fire extinguisher tag is expired
- Inspection: Storage room, monthly walk
- Status: 1 Open
- Fix by: 2026-10-20

If any field feels slow to complete on a phone, drop that column now rather than later.

## Step 6. Fill it in on a phone

Two ways to start. Use one.

Option A: the list form in the phone browser. The Lists phone apps for Android and iOS were retired in mid-November 2025, per Microsoft. On the phone, an inspector signs in to your SharePoint root site, opens the app launcher (the Microsoft Suite navigation icon), picks Lists, or More apps and then Lists, and opens Inspections. Microsoft's direct link is [https://office.com/launch/Lists](https://office.com/launch/Lists). The full route is in "[Microsoft Lists phone app is gone: what to use now](/guides/microsoft-lists-mobile-app-retired/)". Fill in the form, save, and try it on one phone before inspectors rely on it. To split a long form into sections, see "[Customize SharePoint list form sections](/guides/customize-sharepoint-list-form-sections/)".

Option B: Microsoft Forms. A Power Automate flow can copy each response into a list as a new row. Microsoft says the Forms connector works only with organizational accounts. This takes more setup, so choose it only if inspectors should not open the list at all. The steps are in "[Save Microsoft Forms answers to a SharePoint list](/guides/microsoft-forms-to-sharepoint-list/)".

Either way, keep the form short. Fewer fields means more inspections get recorded.

## Step 7. Build the overdue inspection view

An area is overdue when its latest inspection has a Next due date in the past. Old rows would stay "overdue" forever, so this is where the Record column helps: when someone logs a new inspection for an area, they change the old row to 2 Replaced.

Microsoft says views let you sort, filter and group list data. Microsoft says you must use the classic view editor to filter with \[Today\] or \[Me\], and that you cannot use \[Today\] or \[Me\] when you filter from a column header. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: build filters for blank values or "is not equal to" in the classic view editor too (Edit current view, then Filters). Exact names may differ on your screen.

1.  Create a new view named "Overdue inspections".
2.  In the classic view editor, set Next due is less than \[Today\].
3.  Add a second filter with And: Record is equal to 1 Current.
4.  Sort by Next due, ascending.

Make a second view, "Needs follow-up", with Result is equal to 3 Needs follow-up and Record is equal to 1 Current. In the Findings list, make a view named "Open problems": Status is equal to 1 Open, sorted by Fix by. Add a filter of Fix by is less than \[Today\] (classic view editor) for an "Overdue fixes" view.

Save these as public views, so inspectors and fix owners work from one screen. A personal view shows only for the person who made it, and a public one may need extra permission. For turning overdue rows red, see "[Turn overdue rows red in a SharePoint list](/guides/highlight-overdue-rows-sharepoint-list/)".

## Get an Excel report

For an audit report, switch to the view the reader needs, such as Overdue inspections or Open problems. The Export menu on the command bar has Export to Excel, and Microsoft says the file covers that view's items only. See "[SharePoint list export to Excel fails or misses rows](/guides/sharepoint-list-export-to-excel-not-working/)".

## Step 8. Optional: a reminder flow

A scheduled Power Automate flow can read the open rows in Findings and nudge each Fix owner. Setup is in "[Late tasks nobody notices: setting up late alerts](/guides/late-tasks-nobody-notices/)", and the date-based trigger is in "[Send a reminder before a due date](/guides/send-reminder-before-due-date/)".

In Get items, Microsoft says the default item limit is 100 and that you can raise Top Count up to 5,000. Microsoft also says that on lists over 5,000 items, a filter query can return no rows if no match sits in the first 5,000, so turn Pagination on in the action settings.

## Step 9. Decide who can edit

Views are not security, because anyone with list access can open another view and see every row. For who can change what, read "[Let each person see only their own items in a SharePoint list](/guides/people-see-only-their-own-items-sharepoint-list/)". Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: give inspectors and fix owners edit rights, give people who only look read rights, and ask your admin before changing permissions on a team site.

## What to avoid

- Too many columns. Keep the phone form short enough to finish at the spot you inspect.
- Free text for area or result. Use Choice columns so you can filter and count. Keep the number prefixes.
- Findings buried in Notes. A problem that needs a fix gets its own row in Findings, with an owner and a date.
- No Next due date. Without it, the list cannot show a late inspection.
- Forgetting to mark old rows 2 Replaced. They will keep showing as overdue.
- Relying on views to hide rows. Views are not security.
- Skipping Top Count and Pagination in a flow.
- Treating the list as your safety program. It records what you do. Follow your own safety policy and the rules that apply to you.

## Honest limits

A list does not inspect anything for you. It records that a walk happened and what was found. It cannot confirm that a checklist item was truly checked. The overdue view depends on people filling in Next due and updating Record. Start with one area for two weeks, fix what is awkward, then add the rest. If your checklist has dozens of items per walk, one row per walk with a Notes column will get crowded, and you may want one row per checklist item instead. That is a bigger build.

## When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: \$5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "[What a SharePoint tracker costs to build](/guides/what-a-sharepoint-tracker-costs/)". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: [Tools I built](/portfolio/)

## FAQ

### Can inspectors fill this in on a phone?

Yes, in the phone browser. Microsoft says the Lists mobile apps were retired in mid-November 2025 and points to the mobile web version. Test with one real inspector first.

### Is there a safety inspection checklist template for Excel?

Not as a file. Build the two lists from the columns in Steps 2 and 4, then export either one to Excel from the Export menu.

### How do I make a safety inspection report?

Make a view of the inspections you want, such as one area or one month, and export it to Excel. Microsoft says the export covers the items shown in the current view.

### Can this work as a safety audit checklist?

It records each audit as a row with a result, a next-due date and any findings. Follow your own safety policy for what the audit checks.

### Can I use this for a vehicle inspection checklist?

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: add a Vehicle or Area choice and use the same two lists. Take the checks from the maker's manual, your own policy and any rules that apply to your vehicles.

### Can the list show which areas were not inspected?

It can show areas whose Next due date has passed, if people fill that date in and mark old rows 2 Replaced. It cannot see an area that has no row at all, so add a starter row for each area when you set up.

### Should I use the list form or Microsoft Forms?

One way to start is the list form, since it matches your columns with no extra setup. Choose Microsoft Forms only if inspectors should not open the list. It needs a Power Automate flow and an organizational account.

## Sources

- [Microsoft Support, List and library column types and options](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/lists/data-and-lists/list-and-library-column-types-and-options)
- [Microsoft Support, Add list items](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/lists/data-and-lists/add-list-items)
- [Microsoft Support, Create list relationships by using lookup columns](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/lists/data-and-lists/create-list-relationships-by-using-lookup-columns)
- [Microsoft Support, Use filtering to modify a SharePoint view](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-filtering-to-modify-a-sharepoint-view-3d8efc52-0808-4731-8f9b-3dfaeacea3d4)
- [Microsoft Support, Edit permissions for a list, library, folder or item](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/edit-permissions-for-a-list-library-folder-or-item-02d770f3-59eb-4910-a608-5f84cc297782)
- [Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Forms connector](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/connectors/microsoftforms/)
- [Microsoft Learn, In-depth analysis into Get items and Get files SharePoint actions](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/business-apps/power-automate/guidance/working-with-get-items-and-get-files)
- [Microsoft Support, Microsoft Lists mobile apps retirement](https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/SharePoint/lists/microsoft-lists-mobile-apps-retirement)
- [Microsoft Support, Export to Excel from SharePoint or Lists](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/lists/data-and-lists/export-to-excel-from-sharepoint-or-lists)

## Related guides

- [Property inspection checklist with photos and sign-off](/guides/property-inspection-checklist-sharepoint/)
- [Restaurant prep list and food temperature log on a phone](/guides/restaurant-food-temperature-log-prep-checklist/)
- [SharePoint mobile app: what Microsoft documents and how to open your lists](/guides/sharepoint-mobile-app-open-lists/)

Source: https://250highstreet.com/guides/safety-inspection-checklist-sharepoint/