Safety Word Search Puzzles for Employees

Press New puzzle for 15 defined workplace safety words, ready for the break room table or a safety meeting.

Name Date

Workplace Safety Word Search

Find every word hidden in the grid. Words go across and down.

0 of 15 words found

LTWEXITNRLMSIUN

OWUEGRZGLOVESLO

POTXNSCHECKLIST

TGSELTRUTKHEKIH

MRWXGYDIRORHDNC

NRHTIDHNSUMTLSO

LNOIUHACPTAHQPR

UDGNTOZIVNLRFET

ZYUGYNADFHANOCU

SEMURIRELTRBRTO

WHLIETDNPNMYKIM

ERSSPWJTSPILLOT

FCHHOUSEKEEPING

SUPERVISORYBFKX

ESGRTESHELMETSW

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

HelmetHELMET
GlovesGLOVES
HazardHAZARD
SpillSPILL
ExtinguisherEXTINGUISHER
AlarmALARM
ExitEXIT
ForkliftFORKLIFT
LockoutLOCKOUT
InspectionINSPECTION
ChecklistCHECKLIST
IncidentINCIDENT
SupervisorSUPERVISOR
ReportREPORT
HousekeepingHOUSEKEEPING

15 of 24 words from the Workplace Safety list.

Start from a list

Easy: words go across and down.

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Show clues, not words

Word list

Large print Lower-case letters Name and date line on paper

The puzzle changes as you go. See the puzzle

Answer key: Workplace Safety Word Search

LTWEXITNRLMSIUN

OWUEGRZGLOVESLO

POTXNSCHECKLIST

TGSELTRUTKHEKIH

MRWXGYDIRORHDNC

NRHTIDHNSUMTLSO

LNOIUHACPTAHQPR

UDGNTOZIVNLRFET

ZYUGYNADFHANOCU

SEMURIRELTRBRTO

WHLIETDNPNMYKIM

ERSSPWJTSPILLOT

FCHHOUSEKEEPING

SUPERVISORYBFKX

ESGRTESHELMETSW

HELMET, GLOVES, HAZARD, SPILL, EXTINGUISHER, ALARM, EXIT, FORKLIFT, LOCKOUT, INSPECTION, CHECKLIST, INCIDENT, SUPERVISOR, REPORT, HOUSEKEEPING

Next step Make a word search from your own workplace terms Make a safety word scramble

All 140 words

Protective Gear 18

Anchor A secure point on a structure to which a lifeline or a lanyard is attached.
Apron A cover worn over the front of the body against splashes, sparks or cuts.
Boots Work footwear. The safety kind has a reinforced toe that protects the foot from falling objects.
Coveralls A one-piece garment worn over clothes to keep dirt, dust and splashes off.
Earmuffs Hearing protection that covers both ears. The noise-blocking kind is believed to date from World War II.
Earplugs Hearing protection worn inside the ear canal. The first recorded mention of it is in the Odyssey, the ancient Greek tale.
Gloves Hand protection, made of leather, rubber or cut-resistant fabric to suit the job.
Goggles Eye protection in a flexible frame that fits snugly against the face.
Hairnet A fine mesh cap often worn in food service. The oldest known one is about 3,300 years old.
Hard hat A rigid helmet for work sites. One patented in 1919 was of black paint, glue and steamed canvas.
Harness A set of straps worn on the body, the main piece of a fall arrest system.
Helmet Protective headgear with a rigid shell. On work sites, aluminum ones arrived around 1938.

Show all 140 words (128 more)

Protective Gear, continued

Lanyard A short line that joins a harness to an anchor. Some have a shock absorber to soften the stop.
Lifeline A line that a worker at height stays clipped to, so that a fall is stopped short.
Reflective Able to bounce light back, as the silver strips on a safety vest do in headlights.
Respirator A mask that filters the air you breathe. The N95 type filters at least 95 percent of airborne particles.
Shield A clear screen worn over the whole face to stop flying objects and chemical splashes.
Vest A bright sleeveless top that makes a person easy to see. Railway crews in Scotland first tried high-visibility clothing in 1964.

Hazards 22

Asbestos A fibrous mineral once used in fireproofing. Breathing its fibers can cause lung disease, and more than 60 countries have banned it.
Chemical A substance such as a solvent, an acid or a cleaner. Its safety data sheet describes it in 16 standard sections.
Clutter Things left lying about in an untidy mass.
Corrosive Able to eat away at metal or skin on contact, as a strong acid does.
Debris Scattered broken pieces and rubbish. Borrowed from French.
Dust Fine particles in the air, from sanding, cutting, grinding or sweeping.
Fall A drop to a lower level, or to the floor you are standing on.
Fatigue Deep tiredness that slows reactions and judgment. From a Latin verb meaning to weary.
Flammable Easy to set on fire at room temperature. Inflammable means exactly the same thing.
Fumes Smoke, gas or vapor given off by a process such as welding or soldering.
Hazard Anything with the potential to cause harm. The word comes from an Old French name for a game of dice.
Leak A hole or crack that lets gas or liquid escape, or the escape itself.
Noise Unwanted sound. Most regulations treat it as hazardous above 85 decibels over an 8-hour shift.
Pinch To squeeze tightly between two hard edges, as moving machine parts can do to a finger.
Shock The jolt a body receives when electric current passes through it.
Slip To lose your footing on a wet, oily or icy surface.
Spill Liquid or loose material that has escaped its container and landed where it should not be.
Strain An injury from overstretching or overusing a muscle. The repetitive kind comes from the same motion made again and again.
Toxic Poisonous. The skull and crossbones is the long-standing warning symbol for poisonous substances.
Trip To catch a foot on something, such as a cable or an uneven edge, and stumble.
Vibration Rapid shaking passed to the body by a power tool, a vehicle seat or a platform.
Voltage The electrical pressure that drives a current through a wire.

Emergency Response 20

Alarm A sound or signal that warns of danger. From the Italian call all'arme, which means to arms.
Detector A device that senses smoke, heat or gas and sets off an alarm.
Drill A practice run of the emergency plan, such as the fire kind. Also a tool that bores holes.
Evacuate To leave a building or an area because of danger. From a Latin verb meaning to empty out.
Exit A way out. Most of the signs that mark one around the world now use a picture in place of the word.
Extinguisher A handheld device that puts out small fires. The first one on record got its patent in England in 1723.
Eyewash A station or bottle that floods the eyes with water to rinse out a chemical or dust.
First aid The help given to a hurt or ill person before a nurse or doctor takes over.
Headcount A count of the people present, taken at the assembly point to check that no one is missing.
Hydrant A connection point where firefighters tap into the water supply.
Muster To gather in one place. The point named for it is where everyone meets after leaving the building.
Rescue To bring someone out of danger.
Responder A person trained to arrive first at an emergency, such as a firefighter or a paramedic.
Route A planned way from one place to another, such as the way out in an evacuation.
Shelter A protected place. To do this in place is to seek safety inside the building you are already in.
Shutoff A valve or switch that stops the flow of gas, water or power.
Siren A loud warning device, named after the sea singers of Greek myth whose song lured sailors.
Smoke The cloud of gases and fine particles given off by a fire.
Sprinkler A ceiling device that sprays water when heat sets it off. Used in the United States from 1874 on.
Warden An official with supervisory duties. The word comes from an Old French verb meaning to guard.

Tools and Machines 21

Blade The flat cutting part of a knife, a saw or a machine.
Breaker A switch that cuts the power when too much current flows. Unlike a fuse, it can be reset.
Chock A wedge set against a wheel to keep a parked vehicle from rolling.
Conveyor A moving belt or a set of rollers that carries goods through a plant or a warehouse.
Cord A flexible electrical cable. The extension kind has a plug at one end and a socket or several at the other.
Crane A tall machine that lifts and moves heavy loads with a hook and a cable.
Forklift A small truck with two prongs that lifts loads on pallets. It was developed in the early 1900s.
Grinder A power tool with a spinning abrasive wheel, used to cut, smooth or sharpen.
Guardrail A rail set along an edge or a dangerous place as a barrier against falls.
Hammer A hand tool with a heavy head, used for driving nails and for striking.
Hoist A device that raises a load with a rope or a chain, or the act of raising it.
Interlock A device that keeps a machine from running until its guards are in place.
Ladder Two side rails joined by rungs, for climbing. The step kind is hinged in the middle and stands on its own.
Lockout Securing a machine's power source so that it cannot be restarted during repair. The worker keeps the key.
Outlet A socket in the wall where a plug connects to the power supply.
Pallet A flat platform on which goods are stacked so that a forklift can lift them.
Scaffold A temporary structure that holds workers and materials beside a building. In parts of Asia it is built of bamboo.
Tagout Fixing a tag to shut-down machinery that says who stopped it and why.
Welding Joining metal by melting it. The arc gives off strong ultraviolet light, which is why the work is done behind dark lenses.
Winch A drum turned by a crank or a motor that winds in a rope or a cable.
Wrench A hand tool that grips and turns nuts and bolts.

Rules and Reporting 21

Audit A formal review of records and practices. From the Latin for to hear, since early examinations were given aloud.
Awareness Knowing what is going on around you. In the United States, June has been National Safety Month since 1996.
Briefing A short meeting that gives people the information they need before work begins.
Checklist A list of items to confirm one by one, so that nothing is skipped.
Culture Shared attitudes and habits. The safety kind was first named in a 1986 report on the Chernobyl accident.
Hierarchy A ranking. The one for hazard controls puts removing the hazard first and protective gear last.
Hotline A telephone line that is always staffed, for reporting a concern or getting help.
Incident An unplanned event at work, whether or not anyone is hurt.
Inspection A careful, regular look at a workplace or a piece of equipment to find problems.
Logbook A book for writing down events. The word dates from the 1670s, when it meant the record of how fast and how far a ship went.
Near miss An unplanned event at work that could have caused harm but did not.
Permit Written permission. A system built on it states just what the job is, and where and when it is done.
Procedure The written, step-by-step way to do a task.
Regulation A rule made and enforced by a government agency.
Report To tell the right person about a hazard, an injury or a near miss. Also the written account itself.
Risk The chance that a hazard will cause harm, together with how bad that harm would be.
Spotter A person who guides a driver or an operator who cannot see clearly, using hand signals.
Standard An agreed rule or measure. The United States law behind the workplace safety ones was signed on December 29, 1970.
Supervisor The person who oversees a crew. From Latin words meaning to look over.
Toolbox A case for hammers, pliers and wrenches. A short crew talk on a single safety topic is named after it.
Training Teaching the skills and knowledge that a job needs.

Signs and Labels 18

Barricade A temporary wall or fence set up to keep people out of an area.
Caution The signal word for a lesser hazard, in black on yellow. From a Latin verb meaning to be on one's guard.
Cone A bright marker placed around a hazard or a work area. The traffic kind was patented in 1943.
Danger The strongest signal word on a safety sign, in white letters on red. It is kept for the most extreme hazards.
Diamond A square standing on one corner. The fire one, adopted in 1960, rates a material from 0 to 4 in blue, red and yellow.
Flag A piece of cloth used as a signal. A road crew waves one to slow passing traffic.
Flame The visible, glowing part of a fire. On a fire diamond, the red section rates how easily a material burns.
Label A printed slip fixed to a container that says what is inside and what the hazards are.
Notice The signal word for messages that are not about injury, such as reminders, in white on blue.
Pictogram A picture that stands for a word or an idea, so that a sign can be read without reading the language.
Placard A sign for display. Diamond-shaped ones mark containers and buildings that hold dangerous goods.
Poster A large printed notice for a wall, a hallway or a break room.
Signal A sound, a light or a hand movement that passes a message. The large word on a safety sign is named after it.
Symbol A simple shape that carries a meaning, such as the skull and crossbones for poison.
Tape A brightly colored ribbon, often striped yellow and black, strung around a hazard.
Trefoil The three-bladed radiation warning symbol, designed in 1946 in Berkeley, California. The name is Latin for three leaves.
Triangle A three-sided shape. With an exclamation point inside, it is the safety alert symbol.
Warning The middle signal word, in black on orange. It joined the American sign standard in 1991.

Lifting and Housekeeping 20

Aisle A passage between shelves, machines or rows of seats.
Bend To fold at a joint, such as the knees or the waist.
Carry To hold a load and move it from one place to another.
Ergonomics The science of fitting the job to the worker. A Polish scientist used the word ergonomia in an article in 1857.
Footing A firm placing of the feet, or the surface that gives it.
Grip A firm hold on a tool, a rail or a load.
Handrail A rail to hold on to beside stairs or a ramp.
Housekeeping Keeping a work area clean, tidy and free of clutter.
Knees The joints in the middle of the legs, which bend when you crouch.
Lifting Raising a load by hand or by machine.
Load Whatever is being lifted, carried or hauled.
Mop A bundle of yarn or sponge on a handle, used for washing floors.
Posture The way you hold your body while you stand, sit or work.
Stack A neat pile, or to pile things one on top of another.
Stairs A set of steps between two levels.
Stretch To extend a muscle or a limb gently to its full length.
Sweep To clean a floor with a broom.
Tidy Neat, with everything in its place.
Ventilation The movement of fresh air through a space, which carries fumes and dust away.
Walkway A clearly marked path for people on foot.

How this list was compiled: 140 workplace safety words and short phrases chosen and defined for this site: seven themed lists (protective gear, hazards, emergency response, tools and machines, rules and reporting, signs and labels, lifting and housekeeping), a 24-word starter list, 12 short words and every entry of 8 letters or more. The list holds no brand, product or company name. Definitions describe a word; they are vocabulary, not safety instructions. Facts were checked on 18 September 2026 in English Wikipedia, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by Hard_hat, Earplug, Earmuffs, N95_respirator, Safety_harness, Steel-toe_boot, High-visibility_clothing, Face_shield, Hairnet, Hierarchy_of_hazard_controls, Combustibility_and_flammability, Hazard_symbol, Occupational_noise, Asbestos, Safety_data_sheet, Fire_extinguisher, Fire_sprinkler_system, Exit_sign, Shelter-in-place, Forklift, Lockout%E2%80%93tagout, Circuit_breaker, Near_miss_(safety), Permit-to-work, Occupational_Safety_and_Health_Administration, National_Safety_Council, Safety_culture, ANSI_Z535, NFPA_704, Traffic_cone, Barricade_tape, Ergonomics and First_aid, and word origins at https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hazard and the same address pattern. Licence: own work

How it works

A warm-up for a safety meeting, not training: these safety word search puzzles for employees hold 140 defined words. The starter list has 24, such as Helmet, Lockout and Evacuate.

Read the full guide

Match the list to the meeting topic

The seven themed lists are under the puzzle, in the row named Start from a list. Emergency Response suits fire drill week, with Muster, Headcount and Eyewash among its 20 words. Tools and Machines carries Lockout, Tagout and Interlock for a maintenance crew. Lifting and Housekeeping fits a warehouse or an office, and Signs and Labels fits anyone who handles chemicals.

Checked facts to open a toolbox talk

Many of the 140 clues hold a fact. A hard hat patented in 1919 was of black paint, glue and steamed canvas. The first fire extinguisher on record got its patent in England in 1723. Safety culture as a term first appeared in a 1986 report on the Chernobyl accident.

For a break room table, open More options and tick Large print.

Questions and answers

Which list has the words on safety signs?

Signs and Labels. It holds the four signal words of the American sign standard. Danger is white on red, for the most extreme hazards. Warning is black on orange and Caution is black on yellow. Notice is white on blue, for messages not about injury.

Are Lockout and Tagout in the puzzle?

Yes, both in Tools and Machines. Lockout is securing a machine's power source so that it cannot be restarted during repair, and the worker keeps the key. Tagout is fixing a tag to the stopped machine that says who stopped it and why.

Does it suit National Safety Month?

Yes. In the United States June has been National Safety Month since 1996, and Workers' Memorial Day falls on April 28. Press New puzzle between prints so each shift gets a different grid.

All 140 words

Protective Gear 18

Protective Gear, continued

Hazards 22

Emergency Response 20

Tools and Machines 21

Rules and Reporting 21

Signs and Labels 18

Lifting and Housekeeping 20

How it works

Match the list to the meeting topic

Checked facts to open a toolbox talk

Questions and answers

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