INSPECTION OF A WORKPLACE.
Abstract
The
monitoring and review of preventative and protective measures is a requirement
of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations for which routine
workplace health and safety inspections are to be conducted to check that such measures
are in place and effective. Workplace health and safety inspections cover
specific selected work areas within an organisation or workplace and should not
be confused with health and safety audits of a safety management system. All
workplace inspections should be recorded as evidence of legal compliance with
the requirement to monitor and review preventative and protective measures and
may form part of an audit trail demonstrating that appropriate arrangements are
in place for active monitoring of the safety management system.
Introduction
The
aim of workplace health and safety inspections is to prevent work related accidents
and ill health by identifying new hazards; and checking that preventative and
protective control measures are implemented and effective. Workplace
inspections need to take account of premises, plant, housekeeping, procedures,
activities and substances, and therefore may need to be undertaken in concert
with other stakeholders (e.g. accredited).
Why
are workplace inspections important?
●
Workplace inspections help prevent incidents, injuries and illnesses.
●
Through a critical examination of the workplace, inspections help to identify
and record hazards for corrective action.
●
Health and safety committees can help plan, conduct, report and monitor
inspections.
●
Regular workplace inspections are an important part of the overall occupational
health and safety program and management system, if present.
●
Help listen to the concerns of workers and supervisors
●
gain further understanding of jobs and tasks
●
identify existing and potential hazards.
●
determine underlying causes of hazards
●
recommend corrective action
●
monitor steps taken to eliminate hazards or control the risk (e.g., engineering
controls, administrative controls, policies, procedures,
personal
protective equipment)
Plan for inspections?
Planning
is essential for an effective inspection as we Know.For every successful
inspection planning comes first.
Target
●
Every inspection must examine who, what, where, when and how.
●
Pay particular attention to items that are or are most likely to develop into
unsafe or unhealthy conditions because of stress, wear, impact, vibration,
heat, corrosion, chemical reaction or misuse.
●
Include areas where no work is done regularly, such as parking lots, rest
areas, office storage areas and locker rooms. Workplace Elements Look at all
workplace elements – the people, the environment, the equipment and the
process.
●
The environment includes such hazards as noise, vibration, lighting, temperature,
and ventilation.
●
Equipment includes materials, tools and apparatus for producing a product or a
service.
●
The process involves how the worker interacts with the other elements in a
series of tasks or operations.
Types of hazards to look for in a workplace?
Types
of workplace hazards include:
●
Safety hazards such as those caused by inadequate machine guards, unsafe
workplace conditions, unsafe work practices.
●
Biological hazards caused by organisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.
●
Chemical hazards caused by a solid, liquid, vapour, gas, dust, fume or mist.
●
Ergonomic hazards caused by physiological and psychological demands on the
worker, such as repetitive and forceful movements, awkward postures arising
from improper work methods, and
improperly
designed workstations, tools, and equipment.
●
Physical hazards caused by noise, vibration, energy, weather, heat, cold,
electricity, radiation and pressure.
●
Psychosocial hazards that can affect mental health or well-being such as
overwork, stress, bullying, or violence.
Data you need to complete an inspection report?
1.
Diagram of Area
Use
drawings of the plant layout or floor plans to help you draw a diagram.
Divide
the workplace into areas based on the process. Visualize the activitie in the
workplace and identify the location of machinery, equipment and materials. Show
the movement of material and workers, and the location of air ducts, aisles,
stairways, alarms and fire exits. Appendix A shows a sample diagram. Use several
simple diagrams if the area is large. Ask workers and supervisors for their comments
on the information – they know the area better than anyone else.
2.
Equipment Inventory
Know
what type of machinery or equipment is present. Review technical data sheets,
or manufacturers' safety manuals. Read work area records to become familiar
with the hazards of the equipment.
3.
Hazardous Product or Chemical Inventory
Determine
which products are used in the workplace and whether safety data sheets are
available. Find out if all sources of exposure are properly controlled. Make
sure that all workers have received education and training in how to safely
use, handle and store the products they work with. Check that all hazardous
products are labelled appropriately according to Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) requirements.
Checklists
●
A checklist helps to clarify inspection responsibilities, controls inspection
activities and provides a report of inspection activities.
●
Checklists help with on-the-spot recording of findings and comments but be
careful. (Do not allow the inspection team to become so intent on noting the
details listed in the checklist that it misses other hazardous conditions. Use
checklists only as a basic tool).
●
Refer to the related documents for sample checklists that you can use as a
guide to develop a checklist that is customized for your workplace.
Reports
Keeping
inspection records is important. Past inspection records show what has been
previously identified. They also show what an earlier inspection team
concentrated on and what areas it did not inspect. Do not simply repeat or copy
previous inspection results. Use the older inspection reports to help look for
issues, and then determine whether recommendations were implemented. Note if
the changes have been effective.
The
following describes three other types of inspection reports:
●
Ongoing
●
Pre-operation
●
Periodic
1.
Ongoing reports.
Supervisors
and workers continually conduct ongoing inspections as part of their job
responsibilities. Such inspections identify hazardous conditions and either correct them immediately or report them for
corrective action.
The
frequency of these inspections varies with the amount and conditions of equipment
use. Daily checks by users assure that the equipment meets minimum acceptable
safety requirements.
2.
Pre-operation reports
Pre-operation
checks involve inspections of new or modified equipment or processes. Often
these are done after workplace shutdowns.
3.
Periodic Reports.
Periodic
inspections are regular, planned inspections of the critical components of
equipment or systems that have a high potential for causing serious injury or
illness. The inspections are often part of preventive maintenance procedures or
hazard control programs. Laws and regulations may specify that qualified or
competent persons must inspect certain types of equipment, such as elevators,
boilers, pressure vessels, scaffolding, and\ fire extinguishers at determined
points in the work process and at regular intervals.
The inspection team
Health
and safety committee members are obvious choices of personnel to carry out
formal inspections, especially if they have received training or certification.
Other
criteria for selecting the inspection team are:
●
knowledge of regulations and procedures
●
knowledge of potential hazards
●
experience with work procedures involved
●
Engineers, maintenance personnel, occupational hygienists, health and safety
professionals, supervisors or managers may be a part of the inspection team or
they may be called upon to help with certain aspects of the inspection, or to
help explain equipment or processes.
Large
workplaces may have more than one inspection team. The various teams can have
separate areas to inspect.
Can supervisors be on the inspection team?
It
depends. Supervisors are responsible for taking action to prevent incident,
illness and injury. Supervisors have an advantage in safety inspections because
of familiarity with workers, equipment and environment. This familiarity is also
a disadvantage because it can interfere with a supervisor's objectivity. If the
supervisor is not on the inspection team, before inspecting a department or area,
the team should contact the supervisor in charge but the supervisor should not
act as a tour guide.
If
the supervisor of the area does not accompany the inspection team, consult the
supervisor before leaving the area. Discuss each recommendation with the
supervisor. Report items that the supervisor can immediately correct. Note
these on the report as corrected. This documentation keeps the records clear
and serves as a reminder to check the condition during the next inspection.
Although
a supervisor may interpret reporting as a criticism, inspection team cannot
fail to report hazards. Aim to be objective and maintain an attitude that is
firm, friendly, and fair.
How long should an inspection take to do?
It
is difficult to accurately estimate how long each inspection will take. The time
required depends on what is found, how many questions are asked, and how large
and complex the work area is. Inspections are ineffective when the given time
allows for only a quick look.
How
frequent should inspections be done?
The
purpose is to keep the workplace free of hazards. The schedule should state:
●
when to inspect each area or item within the workplace
●
who carries out the inspection
●
what degree of detail to inspect each area or item
How often inspections are performed will depend on
several factors:
●
the frequency of planned formal inspections may be set in your legislation
●
past incident records
●
number and size of different work operations
●
type of equipment and work processes - those that are hazardous or potentially
●
number of shifts - the activity of every shift may vary
●
new processes or machinery
●
legislative requirements for your jurisdiction
●
High hazard or high risk areas should receive extra attention.
It
is often recommended to conduct inspections as often as committee meetings. Do
not conduct an inspection immediately before a committee meeting but try to
separate inspections and meetings by at least one week. This time allows for
small items to be fixed and gives the committee an opportunity to focus on
issues requiring further action.
How are inspections is done?
Discuss
the planned inspection route before undertaking the inspection.Review where
inspection team members are going and what they are looking for. For example,
during the inspection, "huddle" before going intonoisy areas. This
discussion eliminates the need for arm waving, shouting and other
unsatisfactory methods of communication.
For
inspections, wear personal protective equipment (PPE) where required. If you do
not have PPE and cannot get any, do not enter the area. List this as a
deficiency during the inspection. Re-inspect the area when PPE is provided.
Observation
Look
for deviations from accepted work practices. Use statements such as: "a
worker was observed operating a machine without a guard." Do not use information
derived from inspections for disciplinary measures. Some common poor work
practices include:
●
using machinery or tools without authority
●
operating at unsafe speeds or in other violation of safe work practice
●
removing guards or other safety devices, or making the devices ineffective
●
using defective tools or equipment or using tools or equipment in unsafe ways
●
using hands or body instead of tools or push sticks
●
overloading, crowding, or failing to balance materials or handling materials in
unsafe ways, including improper lifting
●
repairing or adjusting equipment that is in motion, under pressure, or electrically
charged
●
failing to use or maintain, or improperly using, personal protective equipment
or safety devices
●
creating unsafe, unsanitary, or unhealthy conditions by improper personal
hygiene, by using compressed air for cleaning clothes, by poor housekeeping, or
by smoking in unauthorized areas
●
standing or working under suspended loads, scaffolds, shafts, or open hatches
●
discussion with or observation of workers who may be overloaded, fatigued,
working in conflict with others, or working in isolation (working alone).
Inspection Principles
When
conducting inspections, follow these basic principles:
●
Draw attention to the presence of any immediate danger - other items can await
the final report.
●
Shut down and "lock out" any hazardous items that cannot be brought
to a safe operating standard until repaired.
●
Do not operate equipment. Ask the operator for a demonstration. If the operator
of any piece of equipment does not know what dangers may be present, this is
cause for concern. Never ignore any item because you do not have knowledge to
make an accurate judgement of safety.
●
Look up, down, around and inside. Be methodical and thorough. Do not spoil the
inspection with a "once-over-lightly" approach.
●
Clearly describe each hazard and its exact location in your rough notes. Allow
"on-the-spot" recording of all findings before they are forgotten.
Record what you have or have not examined in case the inspection is
interrupted.
●
Ask questions, but do not unnecessarily disrupt work activities. This interruption
may interfere with efficient assessment of the job function and may also create
a potentially hazardous situation.
●
Consider the static (stop position) and dynamic (in motion) conditions of the
item you are inspecting. If a machine is shut down, consider postponing the
inspection until it is functioning again.
●
Consider factors such as how the work is organized or the pace of work and how
these factors impact safety.
●
Discuss as a group, "Can any problem, hazard or accident generate from
this situation when looking at the equipment, the process or the environment?"
Determine what corrections or controls are appropriate.
●
Do not try to detect all hazards simply by relying on your senses or by looking
at them during the inspection. You may have to monitor equipment to measure the
levels of exposure to chemicals, noise, radiation or biological agents.
●
Take a photograph if you are unable to clearly describe or sketch a particular
situation.
Contents of a final report.
To
make a report, first copy all unfinished items from the previous report on the
new report. Then write down the observed unsafe condition and recommended
methods of control. Enter the department or area inspected, the date and the
inspection team's names and titles on top of the page. Number each item
consecutively, followed by a hazard classification of items according to the
chosen scheme.State exactly what has been detected and accurately identify its
location.
Instead
of stating "machine unguarded, " state "guard missing on upperpulley
#6 lathe in North Building."Assign a priority level to the hazards
observed to indicate the urgency of the corrective action required. For
example:
A
= Major - requires immediate action
B
= Serious - requires short-term action
C
= Minor - requires long-term action
Report
issues in a concise, factual way. Management should be able to understand and
evaluate the problems, assign priorities and quickly reach decisions.
After
each listed hazard, specify the recommended corrective action and establish a
definite correction date if possible and appropriate. Eachinspection team
member should review for accuracy, clarity and thoroughness.
What to know about follow-up and monitoring?
Review
the information from regular inspections to identify where corrective action
was needed. Determine if these actions have been taken. Use older reports to
identify trends. Analysis of inspection reports may show the following:
●
priorities for other corrective action
8
●
need for improving safe work practices
●
insight about why incidents are occurring in particular areas
●
need for education and training in certain areas
●
areas and equipment that require more in-depth hazard analysis
●
The health and safety committee can review inspections, identify trends, and monitor
the progress of the recommendations. This analysis can be used as part of the
continual improvement process for the occupational health and safety program or
management system.
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