Checklist · Community & Home Care
Home Visit Safety Assessment Checklist
Environmental risk assessment for a client’s home before the first visit by carers or support workers. Covers access and parking, lighting, trip hazards, pets, smoking, weapons, history of aggression, mobile coverage and infection risks.
41 checklist items · Last reviewed
Checklist Items
| Item | Pass / Yes | Fail / No |
|---|---|---|
| VISIT DETAILS | ||
| Date of Assessment | ||
| Client Name / Reference | ||
| Address | ||
| Assessed By (name and role) | ||
| Assessment Method (phone pre-screen / on-site visit) | ||
| Client, family or referrer consulted | ||
| GETTING THERE | ||
| Address and entry instructions confirmed (unit number, gate code, key safe) | Pass | Fail |
| Safe parking close to the entrance, preferably on the street facing out | Pass | Fail |
| Path to the door is well lit and free of trip hazards | Pass | Fail |
| Mobile phone coverage confirmed at the address | Pass | Fail |
| Remote, isolated or after-hours visit (lone worker controls needed) | Yes | No |
| INSIDE THE HOME | ||
| Adequate lighting in rooms where care is given | Pass | Fail |
| Floors free of clutter, loose rugs, cords and wet areas | Pass | Fail |
| Stairs and steps have rails and are in reasonable repair | Pass | Fail |
| Enough space to give care safely (bathroom, bedroom, around the bed) | Pass | Fail |
| Obvious electrical hazards absent (damaged leads, overloaded power boards) | Pass | Fail |
| Hoarding or squalor not present, or a specific plan is in place | Pass | Fail |
| Exits identified and not locked behind workers | Pass | Fail |
| PEOPLE & BEHAVIOUR | ||
| History of verbal or physical aggression by the client or anyone in the home | Yes | No |
| Others likely to be present (family, visitors, co-tenants) | Yes | No |
| Drug or alcohol use likely to affect safety during visits | Yes | No |
| Firearms or other weapons in the home | Yes | No |
| If yes to firearms or weapons: agreed arrangement (stored and locked away during visits) | ||
| PETS | ||
| Pets in the home | Yes | No |
| Pets can be restrained or kept in another room during visits | Pass | Fail |
| SMOKING & AIR QUALITY | ||
| Client or household smokes | Yes | No |
| Client agrees not to smoke during visits (or to smoke outside) | Pass | Fail |
| Oxygen in use (no smoking or naked flames near it) | Yes | No |
| INFECTION RISKS | ||
| Known infection or transmission-based precautions in place | Yes | No |
| Recent illness in the household (gastro, respiratory, other) | Yes | No |
| Hand washing facilities available, or hand rub carried | Pass | Fail |
| Sharps or clinical waste managed and disposed of safely | Pass | Fail |
| MANUAL HANDLING | ||
| Client needs help to move or transfer | Yes | No |
| Manual handling risk assessment and mobility plan in place | Pass | Fail |
| Equipment needed (hoist, slide sheet, shower chair) available and checked | Pass | Fail |
| OUTCOME & SIGN-OFF | ||
| Hazards identified and controls agreed | ||
| Visit conditions (e.g. two workers, daytime only, pets secured) | ||
| Visits can proceed safely with these controls | Yes | No |
| Review Date (or on change in client circumstances) | ||
| Assessor Signature | ||
| Coordinator / Supervisor Signature | ||
How to use this checklist
When to use it
Complete it before the first visit to a new client, either by phone with the client or referrer or by an on-site visit from a coordinator. Review it when anything changes (a new pet or household member, a health decline, an incident) and at the review date. Workers should still do a quick check of their own on every arrival.
Who completes it
Usually the care coordinator or team leader, consulting the client, family and any referral notes. Share the result with every worker who will visit, before they go. Record agreed visit conditions in the client file, where rostering can see them.
If an item fails
A “fail” or a concerning “yes” is a hazard to control, not a reason to refuse service. Agree a fix with the client where you can, set visit conditions, and escalate to a supervisor where the risk stays high. Do not send workers until the controls are in place. Check your organisation’s policy for when a visit must not proceed.
If you roster carers across many homes, an app can keep these visit conditions on every shift and prompt a check-in on arrival. Teiro, a care rostering and carer app, is our sister product built for that.
Reference: Safe Work Australia model Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks. Check with your state regulator for the version that applies to you.