Opening and closing checks

A quick walk-round at the start and end of every trading day: gas and electrical appliances off, fire exits clear and openable, alarm set, doors and windows secured, cash reconciled. Whoever opens or closes signs it off.

Without a routine, a wedged fire exit or a gas ring left on does not get caught until it becomes an incident. A signed daily record is also what proves due diligence after a break-in, a fire, or an insurance claim where the question is "was this being checked?"

Watch out for

• A checklist nobody actually walks round with — it lives on a clipboard and gets initialled from memory at the end of the shift.
• No named person responsible when the usual opener or closer is off, so the check quietly stops happening.
• Checking fire exits are "clear" without actually opening them — a propped exit that will not open in an emergency looks fine on a walk-past.

Sources

• HSE — Health and safety made simple checked 2026-09-02

See also

• Start the logbook on day one— this becomes part of getting open →
• Get a recorded fire risk assessment— this becomes part of getting open →