How to Conduct Safety

Inspection
 General Housekeeping

“No business I know of ever went to the

wall without first accumulating a vast pile
of dirt. The dirt and all that goes with it.
Untidy thinking and methods helped to
cause that failure. The first thing I would
do would be to clean that business up.”
- Henry Ford
 Objectives

To identify unsafe acts &

conditions and make an
action plan to address them.
 Safety Inspection

Inspection is the careful examination of

people, equipment, material and the
environment (PEME), the close & critical
scrutiny for comparison with standards.
 Workplace Inspection

 The workplace inspection addresses the work

process and primarily considers aspects of the work
activity and how they compare with a set of
predetermined standards.
 Workplace inspections must look at the relationships
between the people, the equipment and the
procedures in determining if standards are being met
and maintained. It is of limited benefit to merely
consider what can be seen in the workplace as this
may be in a continual state of change.
 Reasons for Workplace
Inspections

 Identification of hazards.
 Assess the potential losses from these hazards.
 Select control measures designed to eliminate or
reduce the hazards to an acceptable level.
 Monitor the effectiveness of control measures.
 Review compliance with established standards.
 Importance of Safety Inspection
 Inspection is one of the principal means of locating
potential causes of accidents and help in determining
what safeguards are necessary to correct hazardous
conditions & acts that will prevent the occurrence of
accidents and personal injuries.
 Safety inspection promotes better public and
employee relations.
 Safety inspection can be valuable in pointing out areas,
operations, or methods which require emphasis in
supervisor or employee training.
 Safety inspections help sell the safety program to
employees. Also, regular plant inspections encourage
individual employees inspect their immediate work
areas.
The workplace inspection team

 Members of the health and safety

committee
 Supervisors and managers
 Safety staff or first aid people
 Government and workers
representatives
Inspecting for Unsafe Conditions

 Provides a system of recognizing & correcting

hazardous conditions quickly.
 Demonstrates management commitment to
protecting employees and the environment.
 Provides an opportunity to involve employees
in a health, safety & environmental activity.
 Helps management & employees maintain
compliance with standards.
HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS

 Biophysical hazards - those that affect the

quality of the general work environment.
 Mechanical hazards - those associated with
the operation of machinery.
 Electrical hazards - those associated with
electrical circuits & components.
 Chemical hazards - those related to the
storage, transfer, production or use of
chemicals.
 HAZARDOUS CONDITION

POINTS OF HUMAN
HOUSEKEEPING OPERATION WIRING CONTACT

- INJURY
POWER - ILLNESS
NOISE TRANSMISSION GROUNDING /
POINTS BINDING
PROPERTY
DAMAGE
IN-RUNNING POWER
LIGHTING NIP POINTS PANELS FIRE
EXPLOSION

SPECIAL SHEAR OUTLETS / ENVIRONMENTAL

HAZARDS POINTS SWITCHES CONTAMINATION

- AIR
OTHER
- GROUND
MOVING PARTS
- WATER
 Classification of Inspections

 Formal and informal inspections

 Planned and unplanned

inspections
 Types of Inspection
 General inspections relate to checks on matters such as
housekeeping, chemical use, handling techniques, use of
personal protective equipment, machine guarding and noise
exposure. General inspections tend to cast a wide net and
require careful attention in defining the scope of the inspection
for the results of the inspection to be meaningful.
 Critical inspections are more specific and often of a more
technical nature than general inspections. A critical inspection
would be used to check cranes, lifting devices, electrical
systems, noise levels from a particular source(s), explosives
handling, chemical storage, lighting levels around walkways and
a wide range of other factors that have a direct influence on the
employees safety.
 INSPECTION CHECKLISTS
 The checklist is a widely used instrument and is ideal as
a starting point in workplace inspections.
 The important criteria when using checklists is that they
must be flexible enough to allow items that are not listed
on the check sheet to be considered.
 Checklists are only a guide to assist in the process of
inspections; they must not set the agenda, but rather be
part of it.
 The checklist is beneficial in providing a means of
measuring performance against a predetermined
standard. In order to achieve some reliability, there must
be consistency.
 Advantages of Using Safety
Inspection Checklists

 Prevent overlooking hazards during an

inspection.
 Ensure consistency of every inspection.
 Allow different people to conduct
equally thorough inspections.
 Provide written documentation that an
inspection was done and which hazards
were discovered.
 Rating Systems

 POOR - FAIR - GOOD - VERY GOOD -

EXCELLENT
 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10
 STANDARD NOT MET - MEETS
STANDARD – EXCEEDS STANDARD
 0% 10 % 2 0% 3 0% 40% 50 % 60% 70
% 8 0% 9 0% 100 %
What to Look for During Inspections

 Group 1 - Guarding and Protection Devices

 Group 2 - Structural Defects and Hazardous
Conditions
 Group 3 - Functional Defects
 Group 4 - Work environment
 Group 5 - Material Storage and Personnel
Exposure
 Group 6 - Practice and Procedures
 Guarding and Protection Devices

 Missing or inadequate guards against being "struck by".

 Missing or inadequate guards against "striking against".
 Missing or inadequate guards against being "caught on,
in, or between".
 Missing or inadequate guards against "failing from or
onto".
 Lack of, or faulty, support, bracing or shoring.
 Missing or faulty warning or signal device.
 Missing or faulty automatic control device.
 Missing or faulty safety device.
 Structural Defects & Hazardous
Conditions

 Sharp edges, jagged, splintery, etc., conditions.

 Worn, frayed, cracked, broken, etc., conditions.
 Slippery conditions (for gripping or walking).
 Dull, irregular, mutilated, etc., conditions.
 Uneven, rough, pocked, or with holes.
 Decomposed or contaminated conditions.
 Flammable or explosive characteristics.
 Poisonous characteristics (by swallowing, breathing,
or contacting).
 Corroded or eroded conditions.
 Functional Defects
 Susceptibility to breakage, collapse, etc.
 Susceptibility to tipping, falling, etc.
 Susceptibility to rolling, sliding, slipping, etc.
 Leakage of gases, fumes or fluids.
 Excessive heat, noise, vibration, fumes, sparking, etc.
 Failure to operate.
 Erratic, unpredictable performance.
 Lack of adequate electrical grounding.
 Operation that is too fast or too slow.
 Low voltage leaks.
 Signs of excessively high or low pressure.
 Throwing off of parts, particles, materials, etc.
 Indication of need for special attention.
 Work environment

 Noxious fumes or gases.

 Flammable or explosive fumes or gases.
 Insufficient illumination.
 Excessive glare from light source
 Hazardous dusts or atmospheric particles.
 Hazardous or uncomfortable temperature condition
 Excessive noise.
 Material Storage & Personnel
Exposure
 Unsafe storage that permits easy contact by persons with equipment.
 Unsafe exposure to heat, moisture, vibration, flame, sparks, chemical
action, electric current, etc.
 Congestion of traffic or working space.
 Unsafe attachment of object to agent.
 Unsafe placement of objects in agent.
 Unsafe distribution of objects around agent.
 Protruding objects.
 Use of unsafe storage containers.
 Faulty ventilation of stored materials.
 Unsafe traffic layout.
 Poor housekeeping.
 Improperly secured against sudden movement such as falling, slipping,
rolling, tipping, sliding, etc.
 Practice and Procedures
 Correct use of plant, tools and equipment.
 Safety rules and safe operating procedures being followed
 Correct use and maintenance of personal protective
equipment.
 Relevant information available on hazardous materials.
 Employees aware of the need to report hazards.
 All workplace hazards clearly defined in written
procedures.
 Employees provided with proper training for the job.
 Steps in Conducting a Workplace
Inspection
 Agreement among all those involved as to what is being observed.
Everybody participating in the workplace inspection process has to
be aware of the inspection objectives and the performance rating
criteria.
 Determine the time available to conduct the workplace inspection.
The time available to carry out the actual physical inspection is not
limited so by defining an acceptable time frame, i.e. 4 hours each
week, it becomes easier to set priorities and draw up a checklist.
 Design a format that is clear and easy to use. Select a suitable scale
and define each reference point to avoid confusion and to clarify
performance standards.
 Conduct the inspection openly and assess items honestly.
 Evaluate the information gathered from the inspection and report the
results clearly and accurately.
 CONDUCTING AN INSPECTION
AND REPORTING

 Who conducts the inspection?

 When is the best time to conduct inspections?
 How should an inspection be conducted?
 Encouraging workforce involvement
 Producing the results of workplace inspections
 Reporting details
 Inspection documentation