In the previous post, 16 Quick Items for a Timesaving Environmental Walkthrough Inspection, we discussed the challenges of regularly verifying compliance while balancing the heavy workload and time constraints most EHS managers face.  Well, this circumstance does not just apply to the environmental discipline.  The safety function often possesses the same or even greater time and workload pressures and would benefit just as much from safety walkthrough inspection.

 

Moreover, safety centers around people.  So, depending on your industry, your regulatory agency inspectors probably visit the facility more often.  This just gives additional opportunities to identify noncompliance items, translating into the potential for increased fines.

 

Therefore, EHS managers should actively seek safety tools to help them succeed when it comes to their responsibilities. Keep reading to uncover one such tool, an example 16-item safety walkthrough inspection to assist in limiting safety compliance exposure.

 

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Safety Walkthrough Inspection – Importance and Limitations

Safety walkthrough inspections can give a quick review of site conditions for potential noncompliance items on a regular basis.  As with environmental walkthroughs, you may perform safety walkthroughs on the entire facility or in specific areas, as needed.

 

Routinely conducting safety walkthrough inspections can validate the high-level compliance status of the site.  As such, the activity can help boost plant managers’ and EHS personnel’s confidence in the facility’s safety compliance.

 

Additionally, the simplicity of safety walkthrough inspections easily makes them suitable for an EHS committee activity.  EHS committee or even individual employee involvement in the process provides an opportunity to enrich the facility’s safety culture.

 

Nevertheless, safety walkthrough inspections do have some shortcomings.  Primarily, these walkthroughs do not allow for an examination of all safety regulatory requirements.

 

Thus, an instance of safety noncompliance may continue to exist even with regular walkthroughs.  Sites should utilize safety walkthrough inspections as tools to continuously improve high-level site conditions.  On-going high-level improvement will eventually free up resources to deal with lower priority compliance concerns.

 

In order for safety walkthroughs to be effective, organizations must complete them on a pretty regular basis.  It does no good to outline a walkthrough program that is used only infrequently.  So, sites should aim at performing at least one safety walkthrough inspection per month as a general rule of thumb.

 

 

Housekeeping

When conducting a safety walkthrough, questions like the following can help assess housekeeping conditions on site:

     1.  Do walkways or working surfaces have obstructions, trip hazards, debris,

          material buildup, standing water, or snow/ice cover?

     2.  Do roads and/or parking lots possess obstructions, debris, material buildup,

          water, snow, or ice making conditions unsafe?

     3.  Are emergency exits or emergency equipment inaccessible due to obstructions?

     4.  Are work areas, warehouses, or other storage areas kept in an unclean and/or

         disorderly manner?

     5.  Are restroom or breakroom areas unsanitary?

     6.  Are trash containers overflowing or left with lids open when not in use?

 

Safety Walkthrough Inspection – Machinery, Equipment, and Tools

With regards to machinery, equipment, and tools, example questions for a walkthrough may include the following:

     7.  Are pieces of machinery operating without proper guarding, railing, and/or

          emergency stop?

     8.  Are the tools or equipment being used in poor condition (frayed cords,

          broken handles, blunt cutting edges, guards missing, etc.)?

     9.  Is dust suppression for equipment that is in operation inadequate?

   10.  Is there clearance of fewer than 36 inches in front of electrical equipment?

   11.  Are there breakers and/or disconnects with missing or improper labeling?

 

General

Last but not least, the walkthrough can assess general work area conditions through the use of questions, such as:

   12.  Are fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, first aid cabinets, spill kits, etc.

          missing or lacking adequate supplies?

   13.  Are warning signs missing from confined spaces, low clearance areas,

          electrical installations, hearing/respiratory protection required areas, etc.?

   14.  Are proper railings missing from potential fall risk areas (stairways, elevated

          walkways, elevated work surfaces, etc.)?

   15.  Are chemicals and materials improperly stored or missing any required labels?

   16.  Is personal protective equipment (PPE) that is in poor condition being used?

 

 

Safety Walkthrough Inspection – General Use & Bonuses

The example 16 questions presented above can easily be answered with a “Yes” or “No”.  A “No” response would indicate the management around the given item is acceptable.  However, a “Yes” response suggests some sort of intervention to ensure compliance.  Remember, a safety walkthrough inspection holds little value if identified potential deficiencies go uncorrected.

 

Moreover, documentation and recordkeeping are integral parts of overall safety compliance.  As such, the following example questions addressing required paperwork can be included as bonuses to the walkthrough process:

• Have any required inspections, monitoring, testing, maintenance, or reporting been missed?
• Has any required employee training been missed or gone undocumented?
• Is the site’s hazardous chemical inventory out of date?

 

Additionally, don’t miss the opportunity safety walkthrough inspections present to review deficient items identified in prior walkthroughs.  By incorporating deficiency follow-ups into walkthroughs, a facility can improve overall accountability in its corrective action process.

 

Other Workplace Safety Compliance Posts of Interest

 

How to Manage Your Hazardous Chemical Inventory Like a Seasoned Pro

 

Worker Participation in Safety Management: Strategies to Boost Engagement

 

Safety Incident Reporting for Those Who Don’t Fear Impressive Investigations

 

7 EHS Compliance Business Tips to Implement Today for Quick Wins Starting Tomorrow

 

Final Thoughts

An easy 16-item safety walkthrough inspection on regular basis can help facilities maintain safety compliance and reduce risk.  In addition, these evaluations may assist your site in attaining its overall safety performance goals when properly implemented.

 

Prorsa Consulting can assist with your environmental, health, & safety compliance needs.  Check out the Services page for more information.  Contact us via contact@prorsaconsulting.com with any questions about our services.

 

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