Element 2Inspect and report on areas of specific hazards and risksWorkplace inspections help prevent injuries and illnesses. Through critical examination of the workplace, inspections identify and record hazards for corrective action. Joint occupational 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. Types of workplace hazards include:
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. A Safety inspections will identify all the things that could lead to injury or harm to the health of you or your employees, or at worst that could lead to a death occurring in your workplace. WorkSafe's ThinkSafe little SAM always uses the same steps to keep himself and others safe.
Identify the hazardsFirst you need to work out how workers could be harmed. When you work on a construction site it’s easy to overlook some hazards, so here are some tips to help you identify the ones that matter:
Hazard ReportsEffective hazard reporting is essential for successful hazard management and to meet expected outcomes. Implementing the use of Hazard Reports will encourage your staff to identify and report hazards. You can then implement controls before an injury occurs. Encourage staff to complete Hazard Reports for any situation which requires actions beyond simple maintenance.Hazard Reports should be:
After discussion at a meeting, you should include comments on the effectiveness of action taken on the Hazard Report. Provide feedback to the staff member who reported the hazard. In larger companies the Occupational Health and Safety Manager will be responsible for an effective Risk Management Process Example of Workplace Inspection ReportInspection Location: __________________ Date of Inspection: __________________ Department/Areas Covered: __________ Time of Inspection: _____________
Copies to: _________________ Inspected by: ___________________ Go now to Element 3 |