Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
SAFETY INSPECTION
BASIC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH TRAINING
SAFETY CONTROL DIVISION
Objectives:
• Explain the importance of
conducting workplace safety
inspection.
• Discuss the process/steps in
conducting proper workplace
safety and health inspection.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Safety Inspection
Is a planned and systematic process in which the
workplace is examined closely on a regular basis for
the purpose of:
Identifying & recording potential & actual hazards
associated with buildings, equipment,
environment, processes, & practices
Provide appropriate effective control measures
Ensuring that existing hazard controls are
functioning adequately
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
SAFETY INSPECTION
“An inspection is a service to an organization
and its workforce; NOT a burden.”
Inspections are needed because nothing is
completely risk-free...
Things wear out
Conditions change
People are not perfect
Managers have moral and legal responsibilities
to provide a safe and healthful workplace.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Inspections help…
• Maintain a safe work environment
• Control unsafe acts and conditions
• Ensure operational efficiency
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Management Leadership/Employee Involvement
Management
Design and schedule inspection procedures for all work areas, processes and
procedures.
Conduct routine inspections
Ensure audits are conducted by employees who understand the various safety
programs and policies
Supervisors / Employees
Conduct informal daily safety inspections and ensure all unsafe conditions are
corrected
Participate in all planned and regular inspections and ensure all unsafe conditions
are corrected
Corrections
All safety deficiencies found during inspections should be corrected as soon as
possible. Documentation of corrections should be made on the audit or inspection
sheet. And conditions that present a hazards are to be corrected or controlled
immediately.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
TYPES OF INSPECTION
• Continuous Inspection
• Interval Inspection
• Emergency Inspection
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
CONTINUOUS INSPECTION
• Sometimes called informal inspection because
it does not conform to a set schedule, plan or
checklist.
• An inspection conducted as part of the
workers job responsibilities in noting and
correcting potential danger.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INTERVAL INSPECTION
• Sometimes called planned inspections.
• Deliberate, thorough, and with systematic
procedure that permits examination of
specific items or conditions.
• Two types of interval inspection are:
GENERAL AND REGULAR
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
KINDS OF INTERVAL INSPECTION
GENERAL INSPECTION
a planned walk-through of an
entire area, a comprehensive
look at anything and everything
to search out flaws in the system.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
WHAT TO INSPECT?
The entire workplace
Both interior & exterior work
environments.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Checklist Categories
• Building Safety
• Office Safety
• Fire Safety
• Electrical and Equipment Safety
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Emergency Equipment
• Storage Methods
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
KINDS OF INTERVAL INSPECTION
REGULAR INSPECTION
Some equipment may have to be
inspected at regular intervals.
This could be required by
regulation or as a manufacturer’s
recommendation.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Example of a Regular Inspection
Schedule
Equipment Inspections
• All construction equipment - Daily prior to use
• Sprinkler Inspection - Monthly
• Boiler Checks- Daily, Weekly , Monthly, Yearly
• Emergency Lighting Test - Monthly
• Fire Extinguisher Inspections - Monthly
• Emergency Lighting 90 Min. Test - Semiannually
• Respirator Inspections- Before / After Use
• Hand tools – Daily
• Scaffolding – Daily
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
EMERGENCY INSPECTION
• An inspection focused on the components
of machinery, equipment, materials,
structures or areas likely to result in an
immediate unwanted incident
• An unscheduled inspection that is needed
to immediately correct an unsafe
conditions.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION FREQUENCY
FACTORS
• What is the loss severity potential of the problem
or what is the potential for injury to employees?
• How quickly can the item or part become
unsafe?
• What is the history of failures and what are the
results of these failures?
• A good rule:
“THE HIGHER THE RISK, THE HIGHER THE
FREQUENCY OF THE INSPECTION”
Department of Labor and Employment 16
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
WHO WILL CONDUCT THE
INSPECTION?
• Safety Professionals
• Company or Facility Management
• First-line Supervisor or Foreman
• Maintenance Personnel
• Safety and Health Committee
• Employees
• Other inspection teams
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Who are the qualified safety
inspectors?
• The inspectors must:
– Have sound knowledge of the facility/workplace;
– Be knowledgeable of the relevant standards,
codes and regulations;
– Be familiar with the organization’s accident
experience and potentials;
– Possess the ability to make intelligent decisions
for corrective action;
– Exercise diplomacy in handling personnel and
situations.
Department of Labor and Employment 18
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Planning an Inspection
• Determine the coverage of the inspection process
• Members of the inspection team
• Schedule of the planned inspection
• The strategy for inspection process
• Time allocation to cover the inspection items effectively
• Ensure enough resources are provided so the
corrective actions can occur in a timely manner
• Gather all inspection resources needed, i.e. camera,
checklist, pen and paper
Department of Labor and Employment
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OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER 04/03/2016
PLANNING & PREPARATION STRATEGY
• Includes review of the following
– Accident reports
– Equipment inspection and maintenance records
– Procedures
– Previous inspection reports
– Other documents
• Coordination
– With affected persons (if not a surprise inspection)
– With inspection team (including pre-inspection meeting)
• Preparation of resources needed.
.
Department of Labor and Employment 20
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION TOOLS
• Clipboards
• Inspection forms and checklists
• Pens/pencils
• Lock-out/tag-out supplies
• Measuring tape/ruler
• Flashlight
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION TOOLS
• Camera
• Tape recorder
• Sampling devices (air, noise, light,
temperature)
• Sampling containers
• Special PPE
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION CHECKLIST
• Serve as reminders
of what to look for
and as records of
what have been
covered.
• Objective rather
than subjective.
Department of Labor and Employment 23
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION PROPER
Remember: Inspections must not interrupt normal
operations
• Wear required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Identification of hazards
• Data gathering
• Interview of workers
• May or may not use checklists or inspection sheets.
Department of Labor and Employment 24
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
A Good Safety Inspector Utilizes his Senses:
1 A safety inspector’s eyes will see anything that just
doesn’t look right from a safety point of view.
2 He will hear any unusual vibrations or noises.
3 His sense of smell will take notice of any new or unusual
odors.
4 He will feel any unusual or different condition.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS
• Immediately correct everything possible.
• Take intermediate action as needed.
• Report at once conditions beyond one’s
authority and suggest solutions.
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
WHAT & WHERE TO INSPECT?
• Physical Condition
– Equipment, apparatus,
appliances you are working
with
– Your work area
– Areas surrounding your
work area
– High risk areas
• Processes
• Behavior (acts)
Department of Labor and Employment 27
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION ITEMS
• Tools (power and non-
power) & Equipment
• Machines (utilities,
production, etc)
• Materials and Supplies
• Material handling
equipment
Department of Labor and Employment 28
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION ITEMS
• Storage facilities/area
and containers
• Warning and signaling
devices
• Work environment
(temp, noise, dusts, etc)
• Housekeeping and
Waste disposal
Department of Labor and Employment 29
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION ITEMS
• Power source
equipment
• Electrical
connections/devices
• Fire protection
equipment
• Fire hazards
Department of Labor and Employment 30
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION ITEMS
• Motor Vehicle
• Office
• First aid facilities
• Buildings and structures
Department of Labor and Employment 31
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
INSPECTION ITEMS
• Walkways and
roadways
• Working surfaces,
platforms, scaffolds
• Fall hazards
• Personal protective
equipment
• People (Human
Behavior, Acts)
Department of Labor and Employment 32
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
AFTER INSPECTION
Writing of inspection report
Correction of hazards
Monitoring and Evaluation
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Writing the Inspection report
• Keep it simple - the KISS principle
• Rank the worst hazards first
• Create an action plan
• Assign people responsible for corrective actions
• Record the implementation date of the corrective actions
• Assign a follow up person to check that these have been done
• Post the inspection report
• Do not refer to people by name if they had an unsafe act
• Explain why some corrective actions have not been done i.e.
Large budget/resource items and what is being done to
mitigate this
Department of Labor and Employment
34
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER 04/03/2016
INSPECTION REPORT
Report Formats can be:
• Bullet-type report
• Narrative/paragraph
form
• Risk Assessment
format
• Other formats
Department of Labor and Employment 35
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
In Making Recommendations:
In making recommendations, be guided
by the hierarchy of control measures:
• Engineering Controls
• Administrative Controls
• Use of PPE
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
SAMPLE WORKPLACE
INSPECTION REPORT SHEET
Inspection Location: ___________________________________ Date of Inspection: _________________
Department/Areas Covered: _____________________________ Time of Inspection: _________________
Observations For Future Follow-up
Hazard(s) Observed Recommended Action Responsible Action Taken Date
and Location Person
Copies to: ____________________________________ Inspected by: _____________________
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
MONITORING
• At regular intervals, report progress in complying
with the safety recommendations. Periodically
check what progress toward corrective actions is
being made.
• Monitor for residual hazards and those hazards
that were produced by the actions that were
made to correct the initial problem.
Department of Labor and Employment 38
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
ROLES IN IMPLEMENTATION
AND MONITORING
• Management’s Role
– Supports Inspection Program
– Ensure that recommended corrective actions is in
then agenda.
– Decision-making esp. when money is involved
• Safety Officer’s Role
– Conduct inspections
– Follow-up and monitoring of inspection items
Department of Labor and Employment 39
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
ROLES IN IMPLEMENTATION
AND MONITORING
• Supervisor’s and Worker’s Role
– Conducts inspection
– Execution of corrective actions
• Safety and Health Committee
– Review reports of safety and health inspections and
discuss the findings and recommendations during
committee meetings.
Department of Labor and Employment 40
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
IMPORTANT
• You should have a knowledge on the item or
area that you are inspecting. The depth of your
inspection should depend on the depth of your
knowledge.
• Conduct inspection in a safe manner
– Follow general safe practices when performing a
safety inspection
– Never inspect an equipment that you are not familiar
Department of Labor and Employment 41
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
CONCLUSION
Safety inspection are needed and conducted to:
– Detect and correct potential hazard before accident
occurs
– Recognize safe practices and uncover unsafe
practices
– Promote and maintain established and accepted
standards of safety
– Improve operations, increase efficiency, effectiveness
and profitability
Department of Labor and Employment 42
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
BASIC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH TRAINING
SAFETY CONTROL DIVISION
WORKSHOP
IDENTIFY UNSAFE ACTS / CONDITIONS
Department of Labor and Employment
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER
Department of Labor and Employment 45
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH CENTER