University Kuala Lumpur MFI (FIB 16602 Industrial Safety Management)

WORKPLACE INSPECTIONS Workplace Inspections: An inspection of a workplace aimed at identifying hazards. The inspection should be performed with a checklist and be periodically reviewed. PURPOSE OF INSPECTIONS Inspections are necessary to: Identify aspects of the working environment and work tasks that could contribute to injury/damage - and thus allow unacceptable conditions or conduct to be addressed; Review workplace standards in accordance with legal and company requirements; and Provide a systematic means, for those who are at risk of injury, to help control the working conditions. Inspections are an essential element in hazard reduction because issues must be identified, assessed, fixed or reported. In this way hazards are reduced and thus the workplace is safer. Inspections are only part of the hazard control strategy. They are complemented by:

Plant and equipment audits; Task analysis and introduction of safety procedures; Control and monitoring of materials; Employee training; and Consultative procedures.

There are number of types of inspection; Statutory for compliance with safety and health legislation Safety and health officer inspection Executive senior management tours Scheduled planned at appropriate intervals, by supervisor

Who should conduct inspections? Every work area is different with different functions and procedures each with its own inherent hazards. The intrinsic nature of the laboratory will to a large degree dictate how frequently inspections are required and to some extent who should conduct the inspection. However in preparing a policy consider the following:

a joint inspection, consisting of both employer and employee a regular planned inspection conducted by a team representing different departments a specialist representation for specific inspections a designated person on a rotation basis outside specialist or authority

University Kuala Lumpur MFI (FIB 16602 Industrial Safety Management)

What should be inspected? This will be determined largely by the nature of the laboratory, but consider the following:

the number of different processes or operations undertaken in the area certain hazardous equipment requires regular inspection and this is often determined by legislation-check your local requirements processes with a high hazard potential - for example, the disposal of carcinogens or highly toxic chemicals buildings and the environment (refer also Sick Building Syndrome)

Those conducting the inspection of a laboratory or workplace require an intimate knowledge and understanding of the following:

the layout of the laboratory-a floor plan is helpful for preparing and recording findings the potential hazards associated with any equipment, processes or methods used in the laboratory information on any possible toxic or dangerous substances results of previous inspections, if any previous work injury and accident data maintenance reports

Inspection records Develop a form for recording your observations. This serves as a valuable reference source and can be used for safety reviews. A sample Workplace Inspection Record form is given in Fig 1.

University Kuala Lumpur MFI (FIB 16602 Industrial Safety Management)

Figure 1 Checklists Whether the activity is called workplace inspection or safety audit, when required to critically assess the workplace from the health and safety viewpoint, many people feel more secure if they can use a checklist. The advantages of using well designed checklists are that they can: provide an aid to memory to ensure that important items of equipment or machinery, or aspects of work processes, are not overlooked. enable a standardized approach to workplace inspection; and Underpin a system of accountability for safety and health management by providing some of the records necessary for performance assessment.

Before any checklist is first used, some thought needs to be given to: (1) how the checklist is to be applied; and (2) the checklists content. Its trial use will further contribute to ensuring a good result. The inspection checklist should be tailored to the specific needs of the organization and designed in such a way as to allow for a systematic walkthrough from one work area to the 3

University Kuala Lumpur MFI (FIB 16602 Industrial Safety Management)

next. The checklist should not limit the inspection procedure to a tick-the-box exercise. Indeed it is advisable to have an additional inspection worksheet to note details of specific hazards, as the following example shows. ITEM Pizza oven HAZARD AND SOURCE Possible burns when taking food out COMMENTS Has happened frequently Should use gloves

Such details then can be considered in terms of likelihood and consequences and entered into a Qualitative Risk Table. Review or follow-up It is important to consider carefully the findings of an inspection and, where indicated, institute corrective action. In particular, the responsible supervisor should be made aware of those hazards which pose an immediate danger so that action is taken quickly. Ultimately, identified hazards should be eliminated. A review of data collected from several inspections is useful in identifying trends, and can indicate, for example: the need for training in certain areas why accidents are occurring in a particular area priorities for corrective action means for establishing or improving safe work practices areas, equipment, procedures which may require more in-depth hazard analysis SAFETY AUDITS An audit is a full examination and report of the status of some aspect of an organization. Like inspections, audits are a proactive system to provide indicators that the risks within the organization are being effectively controlled and that the Safety and Health Policy is achieving its objectives. "Safety Audits" informs employees about the goals of a Safety Audit, and how all workers should become involved. The program reminds employees of the importance of a Safety Audit. Includes information on: A Workplace Analysis. Administrative Controls. Engineering Controls. Personal Protective Equipment. Emergency Response Procedures. Regulatory Compliance, Safety and Health Training. Accident Investigation. A Safety Self-Assessment Safety inspections should be a regular part of any organization's systems, and should be performed by in-house personnel. Safety audits, however, should be carried out annually by an independent person to establish how effective the organization is and how well they respond to problems identified.

University Kuala Lumpur MFI (FIB 16602 Industrial Safety Management)

Workplace Audits Which workplace features are reviewed during the audit will vary with the type of location. The following examples cover some aspects which are common to most locations and which feature frequently in audits. Fire-fighting facilities Slip and trip hazards and surface finishes Ladders and stairways Safety apparatus Design of workplaces used by different groups of people Manual handling activities use of hand tools Adequacy of lighting Warning notices Emergency arrangements Incorporation of ergonomic principles Accessibility of areas for operating activities maintenance work emergency activities Management of chemicals, flammables and similar hazardous substances.

Procedures Audit The major activities in a workplace safety procedures audit are: 1. Identification of what procedures exist (or should exist); 2. Evaluation of those procedures are they in place? are people aware of them? are they being complied with? are they adequate? These audit activities can be used to examine: (a) general operating procedures. (b) maintenance procedures. (c) emergency procedures. The WHAT IF ...7 technique is useful for assessing maintenance and emergency procedures. Checklists are the time-honoured method of safety auditing. They may be invaluable when carrying out special audits of items such as electrical equipment, fire fighting equipment and machinery. They are part of normal maintenance systems safety checks. However, checklists can be a barrier to an effective safety audit if they are used without the WHAT IF. technique. The areas covered in your safety procedures audit can include the following: Operating procedures - correctness, up-to-date ness, application and operator

University Kuala Lumpur MFI (FIB 16602 Industrial Safety Management)

understands. Safety equipment - checks, performance, identification, application and operator understands. Permit systems - procedures, application and checks. Housekeeping and orderliness. Contingency plans - procedures, equipment, preparedness, operators knowledge of and understanding, checks and practices. Training - content, methods, extent, levels, comprehension testing and reinforcement. Incident investigation - systems, findings, follow-up. Contractors - training, procedures, checks and performance