Inspect Your Workplace

Proactive Inspections: Identifying and Preventing Workplace Hazards

One of the best ways to root out physical and psychological hazards in your business is to lead regular inspections. These proactive examinations will give you a clear picture of your workplace so you can spot potentially unsafe working conditions before they develop.

Your inspections can range from daily equipment checks and walkarounds of mobile equipment, or informal conversations to find out how your team is doing, to monthly supervisor or departmental inspections – the timing is up to you and what works best for your business. However, you should always conduct an inspection after an incident or when you introduce new processes or equipment.

During the inspection:

 Use a checklist (it will ensure your inspections are consistent)

• Observe how workers perform their tasks and jot down any unsafe actions or working conditions
• Ensure workers are using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Ask workers about their health and safety concerns (and take notes!)

Areas of focus:

When conducting the inspection, refer back to your health and safety program. This will help you narrow your focus to key areas – for example, tasks that your workers perform every day, or specific issues such as bullying and harassment or workplace violence. Find out if workers are being included in discussions, decisions and initiatives about workplace factors that affect their mental well-being. Is there a process for workers to identify and report psychosocial hazards and physical hazards? Is it working? You can also look at your previous inspection report and make sure any problems have been fixed. Other ideas for inspection could be:

• Accumulation of liquids or grease
• Poor equipment maintenance
• Improper storage of materials
• No signs or barriers near wet floors
• Availability of information and supports like access to mental health resources and self-care activities
• Observations around respectful and civil interactions between workers

Problem-solving:

If an issue comes up during the inspection, try to get to the root cause. For example, if you see wet floors, you might have a leak or your workers might not be trained properly on cleaning up. If you observe interpersonal conflict, there may be an opportunity to promote the importance of respectful workplace interactions and a workplace code of conduct.

After the inspection:

 Once the inspection is completed, you might have outstanding action items:

• Serious hazards or unsafe work practices should be addressed immediately (for example, replacing a ladder with a damaged rung)
• Less serious hazards can be prioritized and assigned to a supervisor or worker
• Follow up on actions that take time, such as buying new equipment, setting up a wellness committee or preparing a new policy on psychological health and safety
• Share the inspection results with your workers and your joint health and safety committee

Great job on eliminating risks before they start!

For more information:

• Workplace Inspections(WorkSafeBC)
• Health & Safety Manual Template (go2HR)
• Safety Inspections Workbook(WorkSafeBC)