A safety inspection is a thorough and comprehensive examination of a workplace that attempts to identify potential hazards and evaluates a company’s adherence to the guidelines that regulate workplace health and safety. It allows employers and employees to reduce, if not eliminate, the risk associated with hazards in the workplace.
The process of conducting a safety assessment of this scale is quite involved. Hence the team at Advanced CT would like you to know exactly what’s involved in a safety inspection.
Preparation
Carrying out a proper safety inspection requires some initial planning before it can begin. The inspector needs to gather the necessary equipment to perform the inspection comprehensively. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) like hard hats, goggles, gloves and the like need to be in good working order during the inspection. Other specialized devices should be examined and tested prior to the workplace safety inspection.
A review of the regulations and standards that cover health and safety in the workplace could prove useful during preparation. The inspector needs to be properly versed in the general and industry-specific standards to properly conduct a safety evaluation. Any gaps in their knowledge could lead to missed issues that can have serious consequences later on.
Walkthrough Inspection
During the safety assessment of the workplace, the inspector has to critically examine every part of the workplace. This includes the physical environment, equipment and vehicles. Potential hazards that can trip, burn, shock or otherwise harm people should be noted.
Also, the behaviour of the employees should be analysed as well through observation of their environment and conducting interviews. How they act in the workplace will indicate how safe and secure the environment is and whether or not they have the requisite safety knowledge and training.
Reporting
After the safety inspection is complete, all findings should be documented for future reference. The descriptions of the issues found should be detailed and comprehensive. If possible, pictures and diagrams showing the issues and where they are located should be included in the documentation.
Any issues that can affect the safety and health of people in the workplace should be reported to management, maintenance and other relevant parties. Resolving the high-risk hazards discovered in the workplace safety inspection should be a top priority.
Follow-Up Inspection
To ensure that the noted issues have been addressed, the inspector will conduct an additional safety inspection. The inspector who performed the initial safety evaluation will also conduct the follow-up. This ensures consistency and accuracy as well as confirms if the necessary corrective actions have been taken.
Closing Documentation
The final results of the workplace safety inspection are documented and handed over to management. The report should include a full breakdown of the hazards, the corrective actions are taken to correct them and how successful those attempts were. Furthermore, any suggestions for improvements to safety in the workplace and future assessments should be included in the report.
Advanced CT – Leaders In Occupational Health and Safety Solutions
To properly protect your employees and your business, you should perform safety inspections on your place of work regularly. These evaluations promote a healthy and secure work environment by identifying any potential hazards in the workplace. With their help, every business can become safer for all interested parties.
Please contact us for more information on workplace health and safety. Advanced CT is the premier provider of prompt, cost-effective and relevant health and safety solutions to a variety of businesses in various industries. Choose us to protect your employees and your customers.
