Health and Safety Audits
Conducting workplace safety inspections is crucial for upholding high standards of health and safety among your employees. These inspections play a key role in averting incidents that pose risks of injury or illness. Specifically, they aid in pinpointing problematic processes and potential hazards that may jeopardise workers’ well-being, enabling informed decisions regarding necessary precautions for each identified risk.
Workplace Inspections
The approach to conducting a workplace inspection can differ based on the setting. Therefore, it’s essential to establish beforehand the optimal method for conducting the inspection and determine the necessary components to be included.
Reviewing past safety inspection reports can offer valuable insights into previously identified issues. This information is particularly beneficial for evaluating the effectiveness of implemented safety measures in reducing workplace risks.
Generally, conducting the inspection involves walking through the premises / sites and identifying potential health and safety hazards, then documenting them in a notebook or checklist.
Key hazards to include are slips, trips, and falls, along with less obvious dangers like faulty electrical equipment. Unsafe practices, such as inadequate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), should also be noted in the inspection report.
The frequency of safety inspections varies based on the nature of the work. Low-risk environments like offices may require less frequent inspections compared to high-risk sites like construction areas. The responsible party for risk assessment and inspections should determine an appropriate inspection schedule.
Various individuals or groups can perform workplace inspections, including third parties like insurers or safety consultants. However, it’s crucial not to rely solely on external inspectors. Internal reports should also be conducted by employees, supervisors, managers, or a designated team.
It’s essential to ensure that those conducting the inspection possess sufficient experience and expertise to accurately identify workplace hazards and offer effective solutions for mitigation.
Workplace Inspection Legislation
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 makes the employer responsible for ensuring the safety of employees in the workplace. This means that they must provide adequate;
- Training
- Information
- Supervision
- Best safety practices
- Equipment
Conducting inspections helps ensure compliance with relevant criteria, including legal requirements for regular checks such as gas boiler safety, lifting equipment, and pressure vessels.
Legal inspections must be conducted by a ‘competent person,’ meaning they possess suitable knowledge, experience, and training on the subject matter.
For more information:
