Safety Design Review Template: 10 Gaps That Trigger Late Certification Rework

Most costly safety fixes are not deep technical mysteries. They are predictable review gaps that were never formally scored. This template helps teams catch those misses early.

The 10 review gaps to check in every gate

1. Spacing control: creepage and clearance assumptions preserved across revisions
2. Protection coordination: fuses, protection parts, and fault assumptions aligned
3. Thermal margin: hotspot behavior validated in representative enclosure conditions
4. Fault condition plan: abnormal scenarios defined and testable
5. Grounding strategy: bonding approach documented and verifiable
6. Insulation assumptions: material and system constraints tied to design controls
7. User-accessible hazards: touch, mechanical, and service exposure reviewed
8. Labeling consistency: ratings, warnings, and symbols aligned to shipped build
9. Variant governance: options and configurations controlled for safety impact
10. Traceability evidence: requirements linked to test and analysis results

How to operationalize this template

• Assign an owner for each gap category at every design gate
• Score confidence and record open actions with due dates
• Escalate only high-impact unresolved items for expert review
• Lock final assumptions before formal lab scheduling

The key is consistency. A good template only works if it is applied repeatedly across revisions and variants.