Safety inspections
Managers must act to ensure a positive work environment by preventing occupational risks, accidents and illness. One way to do this is by conducting safety inspections. Here, you can access templates for this purpose.
Contents on this page:
- Physical safety inspections
- Risk assessment and safety inspection follow-up
- Safety inspections using an OSA survey
Safety inspections are an important part of work environment investigations. They are conducted by the managers responsible for work environment management, health and safety representatives and the relevant employees, by means of a systematic review of the premises or staff questionnaires.
Safety inspections are to be conducted regularly. At least one organisational and social safety inspection, and one with a physical work environment emphasis, must be conducted regularly for each workplace.
A student health and safety representative should take part in safety inspections that are concerned with students’ work environment.
Before conducting a safety inspection, it is a good idea to inform employees (and students when relevant) that the inspection will take place. This gives them an opportunity to raise any issues that need to be addressed during the inspection.
If particular issues need to be highlighted, such as organisational changes, there may be reason to perform the inspections at closer intervals, or with focus on specific areas, such as chemicals management or ergonomics. For targeted safety inspections, it is a good idea to involve specialists from the Occupational Health Service or the Security and Environment Division.
Safety inspection protocols should be registered.
Physical safety inspections
Physical safety inspections concentrate on issues such as the indoor environment, chemicals management, noise, ergonomics, first aid equipment and lighting. It is also possible to examine workplace procedures for ensuring these areas are up to date, to follow up on incidents and check that measures introduced have had the desired effect.
Protocols and checklists
Download the template for safety inspection protocols from the HR forms and templates page
Risk assessment and safety inspection follow-up
The risks and shortcomings identified but not directly addressed during the safety inspection must be made the subject of a risk assessment and then included in an action plan. Employees should be informed of the results of the safety inspection as well as any measures implemented or planned. This information should also be submitted to the local health and safety committee at a meeting, or alternatively to a health, safety and environment (HSE) committee.
A risk assessment and action plan template can be downloaded on the right.
Safety inspections using an OSA survey
To examine organisational and social risks in the workplace, an OSA survey can be carried out at regular intervals. The OSA survey can be performed using a digital or a paper survey template. Contact your local work environment coordinator or HR officer for support.
Contact
Contact your HR officer or your faculty/equivalent work environment coordinator in the event of questions.
You may also use the HR Division’s case management system to ask questions to the Division about different areas connected to HR encompassed in your role.
A link to the case management system can be found on this page on the right