Student Handout

SAFETY INSPECTION
Larry C. Alzaga OSHP Engr. Elmer P. Veluz OSHC

Safety Inspection

Safety Inspection is the careful examination of people, equipment, materials and the work
environment with a close and critical scrutiny for comparison with standards .

Objective

To identify unsafe acts and conditions and make an action plan to address them.

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 personnel
 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.

Kinds of Hazardous Conditions

1. Biophysical hazards - those that affect the quality of the general work environment
2. Mechanical hazards - those associated with the operation of machinery.
3. Electrical hazards - those associated with electrical circuits & components.
4. Chemical hazards - those related to the storage, transfer, production or use of chemicals.

Kinds of Inspections

1. Management Walk-Troughs
2. Formal and informal inspections
3. Planned inspections
4. Unplanned inspections

Types of Inspections

1. 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.
2. 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 inspection, 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 a Safety Inspection Checklist

 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

 Guarding and Protection Devices
 Structural Defects and Hazardous Conditions
 Functional Defects
 Work environment
 Material Storage and Personnel Exposure
 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 and 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 properly
 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 and 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.
Practices 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 the 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