1. health and fitness

How to Conduct
Safety and Health
Self-Audits
A Special Report
BLR
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Ta ble of Contents
Safety and Health Audits—An Important Part of Your Program .................................... 1
What Are the Purposes of Effective Safety Inspections? .................................................. 1
Three Case Histories
Small Machine Shop—Spokane .................................................................................. 2
Injection Molding Plant—Houston ............................................................................ 3
Office Setting—Connecticut ...................................................................................... 3
Who Should Conduct Safety Inspections? ...................................................................... 3
What Should You Inspect For? ....................................................................................... 4
How Often Should You Inspect? .................................................................................... 4
Announced or Unannounced? ....................................................................................... 4
Making Safety a Priority ................................................................................................ 5
What Management Should Understand About Safety Audits .......................................... 5
One Company's Hazard Priority Classification System ................................................... 6
The Checklist: Critical Component .............................................................................. 6
Safety Audit/Inspection Checklist .................................................................................. 7
© 1999 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (80003400)
How to Conduct Safety and Health Self-Audits
Safety and Health Audits—An Important Part of Your Program
Systematic evaluation of your safety and health situation is an important facet of your program.
Don’t wait for accidents to happen before you investigate and inspect. Safety and health consciousness tends to slip, and it’s your job to be sure that doesn’t happen. A well-prepared and well-executed safety audit/inspection program can make a substantial difference in accident prevention.
What’s the objective of a safety inspection program? The discovery—through specific, methodical auditing, checking, or inspection procedures—of conditions and work practices that lead to
job accidents and industrial illnesses, then reporting these for correction.
Stated more positively, it’s checking to see that things are in good shape. This is at the heart of successful accident-prevention programs fostered by forward-thinking safety management. Most organizations with successful safety programs have well-organized safety audit programs. It’s just that simple.
In addition to its direct accident-prevention role, the inspection program:
• Informs management of the “safety status” of the organization
• Uses inspection time most efficiently
• Provides a consistent method of recording observations
• Reduces the possibility of important items being overlooked
As one plant engineer put it, safety inspection tours are like preventive maintenance—every
piece of equipment wears down and deteriorates over time, and those pieces of equipment have
to be checked regularly. Similarly, employee work procedures fall into routines over time—some
of them unsafe routines—and these practices need regular re-evaluation to make sure that safe
work procedures are followed.
Here’s what you’ll find in this report—we’ll discuss:
• Effective safety inspections and their role in industry today
• Some of the side benefits that a good safety audit program can have for your organization
and its safety program
• Areas in the typical manufacturing, maintenance, or service facility that need attention under
an inspection program
• Suggestions on how to prioritize the results of safety inspections considering the time and
funds allocations of your fir m
• What management must understand about a safety audit program
• A comprehensive checklist of potential manufacturing, service, maintenance, and office hazards from which you can tailor a safety checklist for your organization
What are the Purposes of Effective Safety Inspections?
Why should you be doing audits and inspections? Here are a number of objectives:
• Spotlight unsafe conditions and equipment
• Focus on unsafe work practices or behavior trends before they lead to injuries
• Reveal the need for new safeguards
• Involve many more employees in the safety program
• Help sell the safety program within the organization thereby enabling you to:
—Re-evaluate the safety standards of the organization
—Compare safety results against safety plans
—Gauge the relative success of safety training efforts
—Anticipate problems in advance of any OSHA inspection
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How to Conduct Safety and Health Self-Audits
PLANNING
A
SAFETY AUDIT/INSPECTION PROGRAM
A good safety audit program does not come easily. The effort requires careful planning and
diligent preparation. The program unfolds after you decide what you want to cover in your
inspections. The following questions should be considered in laying plans for a safety audit program in your organization:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What departments or operations will be covered in the inspection tour?
What items or activities will be checked?
How often will the inspections be carried out?
Who will conduct the tours?
How will the inspections be conducted?
What type of follow-up activity will be put in place so that corrections are, in fact, made?
Does management understand that hazards or unsafe work practices will need to be corrected and that this will require human resources, management, and engineering expertise?
GENERAL
VS.
S PECIFIC
The first question, experts in the safety audit field generally agree, should be: Do you want to
conduct a general inspection or do you want to conduct a special type of inspection?
General inspections are considered comprehensive reviews of all safety and industrial health
exposures in a given area or even a complete factory.
Special inspections (sometimes called targeted inspections) deal with specific exposures in a
given unit, section, or even plantwide. Such an inspection might focus on electrical hazards in
machinery used for manufacturing, or the hazards that may have generated back injuries as
recorded in the OSHA 200 log or noticed during a review of workers’ compensation reports. It
could involve the branch’s compliance with the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard and
the development of a checklist for compliance with the principal elements of that standard.
A good inspection program can include both the special and the general type of inspections.
For example, one month a program could involve a complete plant tour for safety hazards; the
next month the inspection program could focus on personal protective equipment and how it is
used on the job. OSHA encourages such a mixed approach, believing that a combination of the
two types of programs can strengthen a plant’s accident-prevention effort.
Three Case Histories
Here’s how three organizations approached their safety inspection plans.
SMALL MACHINE SHOP—SPOKANE
A small machine shop in Spokane decided to mix the general-type approach with an inspection checklist that focused on specific problems. Its inspection forms listed the following:
• Machinery guarding in the shop
• Welding activities
• Portable electric tools
• Safety in working around the parts cleaning tank
• Wearing goggles for eye protection
• Supervisory approval of safety work projects
• Ready access to first-aid and medical facilities
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• Housekeeping
• Safety orientation for new machine-tool operators
All of this formal activity supplemented the small, daily checklist that tool and die makers and
machinists made in the first few minutes of start-up at the beginning of their shifts.
INJECTION MOLDING PLANT—HOUSTON
A plastics injection molding plant in the Houston area listed an extensive checklist for machine
guarding and guard repair since its manufacturing process falls under OSHA’s power press classification and its regulations. As backup to the guarding reviews, it then listed personal protective
equipment as an important ingredient of its safety program—wearing specific types of gloves, eye
protection, and hearing protection. It also made a careful review of lockout/tagout procedures.
Since the plant was in a hiring mode, an extensive checklist on new and then-transferred
employee safety orientation was developed. A member of the safety committee performed the
“inspection checkout” that these employees had, in fact, been trained and, most important, that
they had absorbed and were practicing the training.
OFFICE SETTING—CONNECTICUT
Do safety inspections belong in the office setting?
Absolutely! One Connecticut financial services organization suffered its first lost workday case
when an employee tripped over a computer cord, fractured her wrist, and suffered jaw and dental
damage in the tumble. The organization then developed a monthly safety tour checklist that
focused on the following:
• Dangers of trips and falls
• Cautions required in lifting equipment or heavy boxes
• Importance of getting help with heavy moving tasks
• Dangers of overloading filing cabinets, which could fall forward
• Dangers of falling objects
• Dangers of paper and knife cuts
Additional special training was g iven to a few employees who regularly handle chemicals in the
photocopying process.
Note that in these examples, safety planners all focus on specifics—specifics that translate themselves into checklists. An effective checklist is like the “eyes and ears” of your safety program.
(See sample checklists at the end of this report.)
Who Should Conduct Safety Inspections?
Before you try to answer that question, you will want to consider the complexity of the
process, the nature of the inspection (general or specific), the time availability of candidate
inspectors, the expected frequency of the tours, and other factors.
In some manufacturing companies, the safety committee will take the lead in inspections. In
other operating units, a rotating team of supervisors, perhaps with safety committee assistance,
will head the task. Most experts, however, do recommend involving the supervisor or manager.
This makes it clear that line management, not the safety department, has responsibility for safety.
Inspecting complex technological operations may require specialized skills, knowledge, training,
or even certification. Such inspections should be conducted only by people knowledgeable
about the department of operation.
© 1999 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (80003400)
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OUTSIDERS CAN BE HELPFUL
Outsiders may also participate in your audits. Insurance company loss-control can be helpful
by coming to inspect your premises and helping you with your safety audit. This is particularly
true for organizations that involve hazardous occupations. Sometimes, the workers’ compensation carrier will insist on plant tours from time to time to assess the safety program. Specialized
vendors, like boiler inspectors, will also tour, perhaps on a semiannual or annual basis.
And then there is the OSHA specialist who arrives unannounced to check on your compliance
with specific OSHA regulations. Even if there is not a specific regulation, that specialist may
want to measure your organization against the OSHA General Duty Clause that requires
employers to provide a safe workplace free from recognized hazards. But most employers would
like to be one jump ahead of OSHA with an effective local audit program, conducted by effectively trained inspectors using a carefully prepared general or specific checklist. Here’s how to go
about developing your checklists.
What Should You Inspect For?
Most inspection programs give leading attention to hazardous conditions. That is the obvious
focus of an inspection program—machinery, materials, environmental conditions, and the like
that could cause injury.
Too often, though, little attention is given to unsafe acts or hazardous behavior of employees—
perhaps the leading cause of injuries in the United States today. This part of the inspection program should focus on such very basic items as new-employee safety orientation, specific training
on the new job for the employee, supervisory follow-up, a review of the OSHA 200 log to highlight injuries and their causes, and, perhaps the most important part, the recommendation of
improved, safe working procedures when causes have been determined.
How Often Should You Inspect?
Most safety inspection/audit programs feature a variety of inspections at varying times. Many
in-plant programs call for a formal monthly safety tour. Other organizations focus on a weekly
round by the safety committee. Outside inspectors may show up only annually or semiannually,
depending on their function.
These special inspection activities should be in addition to:
• Daily or shift start-up checks or inspections made by mechanics and operators on their
machines
• Regular, scheduled maintenance reviews made by mechanics on production equipment
• Start-of-shift checks made by forklift operators or trailer truck drivers
Frequency will focus on need and, sometimes, on how bad your situation is. An Indiana manufacturer with a lost workday rate of twice the industry average cranked up an inspection
approach that involved:
•
•
•
•
Weekly safety tours by a rotating, two-person team from the safety committee
A monthly safety tour by two supervisors
An unannounced walk-through by the factory manager
Preview of the reports and follow-up action designated by the management safety committee
Announced or Unannounced?
Should safety inspections be planned or should they be unannounced? There are differing views
on this subject. The planned inspection has the advantage of thoroughness, of a scheduled activity
with the auditors focused on doing the job and doing it thoroughly. But word gets around the
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manufacturing floor that “the inspectors are coming.” Employees try to show off their departments and equipment in the best fashion. Unsafe work practices may not be detected.
The unannounced inspection is most likely to find conditions and work practices in a normal,
everyday mode of operation. Unsafe work practices are more likely to be observed and noted on
an unannounced tour.
Making Safety a Priority
How do you give inspection items some kind of priority status? With tight maintenance budgets and workforce manning limitations, it is not always easy to give safety items the priority
they deserve. This is especially the case in these days of pared budgets at the plant level.
A number of companies successful in the safety field have developed what they call “priority
listings” for the maintenance work, and the management and supervisory follow-up that needs to
be done as a result of a safety inspection tour. Some companies list as “red” those priorities that
require immediate attention with the color amber given to items of secondary importance.
Other organizations use the U-I-R approach, classifying these items according to their importance with the designations of Urgent (U), Important (I), or Routine (R).
Still other organizations give a 1, 2, or 3 priority to safety recommendations, depending on the
relative importance of an item. Some companies have approached the mass by developing an A,
B, or C approach to these recommendations. See the accompanying page for one company’s hazard priority classification system—an approach that could possibly be applied in your organization.
What Management Should Understand About Safety Audits
Even though safety audit reports are internal company documents, management should understand that these safety inspection reports may be subject to review by outside agencies such as
OSHA or subpoenaed in a court case.
The importance of management understanding and support for an audit program before
embarking on such a program cannot be overemphasized. Don’t start a safety and health audit
program unless your management is fully prepared to correct unsafe conditions and work practices
uncovered in these inspections, including setting aside money and the manpower to do the job.
The format of audit reports should also be prepared carefully and reviewed by legal counsel to
maximize the possibility of achieving a privilege against disclosure should an outside agency such
as OSHA demand to review these internal reports.
The audit format should avoid broad, encompassing questions that are likely to produce broad,general recommendations; specific audit questions will likely result in more focused recommendations.
Safety auditors should receive training in how to audit and how to focus on the specific item
to be recorded, avoiding exaggeration or oversimplification. Supportive paperwork should show
how the recommendations were handled and brought to conclusion—either corrected, prioritized for future action, listed for capital allocation request, etc.
© 1999 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (80003400)
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ONE COMPANY’S HAZARD PRIORITY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
On the safety inspection tour, classify all reported items with a PRIORITY LISTING of 1, 2, 3, or 4,
as explained below:
Priority 1
The most serious type of unsafe condition or unsafe work practice that could cause loss of life, permanent disability, the loss of a body part (amputation or crippling injury), or extensive loss of structure, equipment, or material.
Correction Plan: Determine responsibility for repair, replace immediately, or remove from service.
Determine basic cause of the problem and assign responsibility for correction and time deadline for
correction. Review item at weekly management meeting and safety steering committee meeting
and set firm deadlines for correction.
Priority 2
Unsafe condition or work practice that could cause serious injury, industrial illness, or disruptive
property damage.
Correction Plan: Complete repairs or corrections or develop definitive training or retraining plan,
assign responsibility for correction immediately and a deadline for correction, all not to exceed 30
days’ duration. Review at bi-weekly management safety steering committee meeting.
Priority 3
Unsafe condition or unsafe work practice that might cause a recordable injury or industrial illness
or nondisruptive property damage.
Correction Plan: Give priority on regular maintenance schedule, advise supervisors or managers
in writing or develop training programs to overcome the problem. Assign responsibility for correction and set time frame for correction.
Priority 4
Minor condition, a housekeeping item or unsafe work practice infraction with little likelihood of injury
or illness other than perhaps a first-aid case.
Correction Plan: Work into regular maintenance schedule, advise supervisors to retrain workers
involved. Time frame for correction set and responsibility assigned.
The Checklist: Critical Component
Most management groups readily accept the importance of safety inspections and audits. But
too many hand the tour committee a clipboard and pencil and say,“Here, take notes if you see
any problems.” This is a waste of time and energy. The committee roams about, not really
focusing on what to look for.
However, once an item is on a checklist, it can’t be ignored—even if checking it out promises
to be difficult or unpleasant. For instance, without a checklist, you won’t find inspectors crawling under machinery or performing particularly dirty tests. But with a checklist, they don’t have
much choice.
Following are a number of elements in typical manufacturing, maintenance, or machine shop
operations and in office or service settings that should aid you in developing a safety inspection
tour checklist tailored to your operations and needs.
Pick from the detailed list those items that fit your needs so that you may put your inspection
teams to productive work as the “eyes and ears” of your safety improvement efforts.
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SAFETY AUDIT/INSPECTION CHECKLIST
Check in the boxes to the left those items you want to include in your audit checklist. It is
strongly recommended that you include opportunities for listing observed unsafe practices, with
comments, with each category grouping you establish in your own list.
Many of the following items will be appropriate for nearly any operation, though some of
them will not be applicable across the board. By the same token, the nature of your own operation may dictate that you include some specific items in your own checklist that have not been
suggested here. The point is to provide your auditors/inspectors with an aid to observation that
is specifically tailored to the work your organization does and the safety record it has amassed.
POSTINGS
■ OSHA Job Safety & Health Protection Poster or state equivalent posted on bulletin boards
FLOORS
■ No slip, trip, or fall hazards
■ Floor openings guarded by cover, guardrail, or equivalent
■ Clean, orderly, and free of oil or grease hazards
■ No standing water on floors
■ Grates over floor drains
■ Nonslip surfaces wherever possible
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
AISLES
■ Clearly marked
■ Unobstructed
■ Corners unobstructed to offer clear view
■ Sufficiently wide for material handling
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
STAIRS
■ Uniform height and tread depth
■ Grating-type tread on exterior stairs
■ Platform levels to break long flights of stairs
■ At least 22 inches wide
■ Sturdy railings on all open sides
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■ No storage of material on stairs
■ Proper lighting on stair areas
■ No worn or damaged stair treads
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
LADDERS
■ Safety feet in good operable condition
■ Clean rungs, unpainted
■ No splinters on wood ladders
■ No metal or aluminum ladders in electrical areas
■ Only one person on a ladder at a time
■ Tied at top and properly positioned
■ If used above roof, 3-foot extension above roof level
■ Danger tags available for defective ladders
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
SCAFFOLDS OR PLATFORMS
■ Nonskid flooring
■ Level and plumb
■ Safe access to platforms
■ 4-inch toeboard around all 4 sides of platform
■ Working platforms at least 2 feet wide
■ All access gates self-closing and locking
■ No accumulation of tools and materials
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
LIGHTING
■ Illumination level sufficient for work performed
■ Emergency lighting adequate and operating
■ Task lighting on close-vision jobs
■ Emergency lighting of all exit routes
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■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
VENTILATION
■ Adequate ventilation for the process
■ Hoods properly connected to exhaust system
■ Hoods draw air away from people
■ Clean-out ports for ducts provided
■ Maintenance clean-out schedule observed
■ Fans properly guarded
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
NOISE CONTROL
■ Engineering controls applied where feasible
■ Engineering controls in operation
■ Administrative controls applied where feasible
■ Administrative controls and regulations observed
■ Hearing protection provided where sound levels exceed standard
■ Employees have a choice of approved hearing protectors
■ Employees wearing approved hearing protection
■ Employees wearing approved hearing protection properly inserted in the ear canal
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
FIRST AID AND MEDICAL SERVICES
■ Adequate materials and equipment available
■ Clear instructions on contacting outside medical resources
■ Provisions for transportation to outside medical services
■ OSHA 200 log book near first-aid station
■ Two persons trained in posting of OSHA 200 log
■ Trained first-aiders with recent recertification
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
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EXITS AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
■ Adequate number of exits for emergency escape
■ No locked or barred exits restricting escape
■ Emergency exits adequately illuminated
■ Exterior exit surfaces clear for prompt exit
■ Flammable materials removed from exit areas
■ Exterior exit doors open outward to flat surface
■ Written and posted emergency evacuation plan with exit map for all areas
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
FIRE PROTECTION
■ Written fire-training plan
■ Fire brigade appointed and trained
■ Date of last fire drill
■ Fire hoses checked, readily accessible, and inspected monthly
■ Fire equipment of proper type and size
■ Fire equipment clearly marked
■ Availability of a welding curtain
■ Fusible links intact at fire doors
■ Sprinkler heads have adequate clearance from stacked materials or equipment
■ Master control valves for sprinklers locked open and easily accessible■
■ Regular fire drills held
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
HAND AND PORTABLE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
■ Electrically grounded
■ Good condition of connecting cords, tools, and air hoses
■ Guards and safety fixtures safe and operable
■ Correct load rating for work performed
■ Constant pressure switches on power tools
■ Employees properly trained in operation of equipment
■ Electrical extension cords in good condition
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■ Any unsafe working practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
MACHINE TOOLS
■ Guarding of power transmission equipment
■ Guarding of pinch points, in-running points, and points of operation
■ Interlock guards in operation
■ Eye protection available and used where needed
■ Operating controls locked when not in use
■ Emergency stop buttons readily accessible and operable
■ Guards or deflect devices provided for chips/sparks from rotating equipment
■ Machine tool operators properly trained in operation of equipment
■ Any unsafe working practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS
■ Up-to-date chemical inventory completed and available for review
■ MSDS available for all hazardous chemicals
■ Written plant hazard communication program prepared and available
■ Employees informed and trained on hazards of each chemical
■ Labels on all supplier drums and chemicals
■ Labels on in-plant transfer containers
■ Adequate storage cabinets provided with proper venting
■ Proper absorbent materials on hand for spills
■ Drums or tanks properly bonded and grounded
■ Containers inspected for corrosion
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS (BBP)
■ A BBP coordinator designated
■ Written exposure control plan prepared
■ Employee training program developed
■ Information available on the types, use, location, removal, and handling of personal protective equipment
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■ Emergency contact person designated
■ Information available on post-exposure follow-up following an accident
■ Training records retained
■ Hand-washing facilities available
■ Work practices reviewed to reduce exposures
■ Disposable and reusable sharps placed in a puncture-resistant, leak-proof container with BIOHAZARD label
■ Arrangements made to clean and launder non-disposable items
■ Disposal containers available for disposable PPE
■ Employees instructed in proper way to remove gloves to minimize contamination
■ Health care workers and others who work with blood have been offered HBV vaccination
■ Bins, pails, cans, and other receptacles intended for reuse decontaminated on a regular schedule
■ Training of new or transferred employees held at time of initial assignment
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
COMPRESSED GASES
■ Special storage area away from heat sources
■ Stored upright and chained to prevent falling over
■ Contents legibly marked and segregated by item
■ Caps hand-tight
■ Employees properly trained in operation of equipment
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
HOISTING AND LIFTING EQUIPMENT
■ Load capacity identified
■ Overhead guards in place
■ Limit stops working effectively
■ Special area for refueling and recharging of batteries
■ All hand and foot controls operational
■ Full, unrestricted view for operator
■ Operators properly trained in the use of the equipment
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
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RECEIVING AND IN-PLANT MATERIALS HANDLING
■ Dock boards available
■ Trailer truck wheel chocks available in receiving/shipping areas
■ Pallets and skids in good repair
■ Special storage area for unused skids and pallets
■ Procedure to set aside broken skids and pallets
■ Paths, aisleways, and stairways clear of obstructions
■ Proper drainage to prevent accumulation of water or solvents
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
POWERED INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS (FORKLIFTS)
■ All operators trained and certified
■ Checklist for start of shift
■ Load capacity labeled
■ Overhead guards in place and load backrest extension in place
■ Speed posted
■ Vehicle driven backward with awkward or bulky loads
■ Slow-down ramps
■ Forks placed evenly across load
■ No riders
■ Railroad tracks crossed diagonally
■ Pedestrians given the right of way
■ Dockboards properly secured
■ Trailer truck or boxcar floors checked for safety of load
■ Key from truck removed when out of operation
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
POWER SYSTEMS - MECHANICAL
■ Proper guarding of any nip points, rotating collars, cams, chucks, couplings, clutches, shafts, flywheels, spindles,
bolt ends, key ends
■ Emergency stops fully operational
■ Adequate arrangements for oiling and greasing
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■ Correct adjustment of work rest device on grinding wheels
■ Vent hood in place and ventilation operational for grinding wheels
■ Employees trained in correct grinding methods
■ Grinding wheel surface not damaged or wor n
■ Employees properly trained in the operation of these systems
■ Any unsafe practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
POWER SYSTEMS - HYDRAULIC
■ Pressure lines clearly identified
■ Check maintenance procedures for nicks, dents, and wearing in lines
■ Pressure regulated within limits
■ Emergency stops fully operational
■ Mechanics and tradespeople properly trained in the operation of equipment
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
POWER SYSTEMS - ELECTRICAL
■ Electrical control panels clearly identified and secured
■ Only qualified electrical specialists have access to panels
■ Grounding tested
■ Explosion-proof fixtures in designated areas
■ Any exposed conductors at rear of switchboard
■ Flexible extension cords fray- and splice-free
■ Electrical specialists trained in the operation/maintenance of this equipment
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
MACHINE GUARDING
■ Guard or safety device at each point of operation
■ Guard fully prevents operator from reaching around guard
■ Guards are totally effective and unable to be bypassed
■ Mechanics are the only persons authorized to remove guards
■ Mechanics held responsible to replace guards after completing repairs
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■ START and STOP controls within easy reach of operator
■ Operators can see entire operation
■ Controls clearly labeled
■ Two-hand trips on hand-fed power presses
■ Machinery can be oiled and greased without removing guards
■ All controls, including foot controls, guarded against accidental start-up
■ Emergency stop controls clearly identified and readily accessible
■ Adjusting or oiling procedures of moving machinery followed
■ No bypassing or removing guards
■ No operating equipment at unsafe speed
■ Lockout and tagout procedures implemented
■ Personal protective equipment is used
■ Mechanics or adjusters properly trained
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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LOCKOUT/TAGOUT SYSTEMS
■ Positive lockout systems provided for all power equipment
■ Written local policy signed by each person so trained
■ Personalized locks with individual keys given to each mechanic/electrician
■ Personalized danger tags provided to each such person
■ Only authorized persons allowed to perform this procedure
■ Prominent tags indicate use of the lockout system
■ Lockout system will reduce power to zero energy state
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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CONFINED SPACE ENTRY
■ Persons trained who must work in confined spaces
■ Permit-required spaces identified
■ Permit-required space entry procedures in place
■ Annual retraining
■ Confined space purged with fresh air
■ Written confined space entry program developed
© 1999 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (80003400)
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How to Conduct Safety and Health Self-Audits
■ Lifelines, harness apparatus, and respirators in place
■ Involved employees informed of entry procedures
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT
■ Chemicals used in the process and their maximum inventory listed
■ MSDS readily available on all chemical
■ Written information, diagrams, and original equipment manuals collected on process equipment and intermediates
■ Management has consulted with employees (and their representatives) in developing a program
■ Analysis team understands methodology to be used in the process hazard analysis adapted to the facility
■ Operating practices reviewed, consistent with known hazards of the chemicals in the process
■ Goals for training sessions detailed in writing in clear terms
■ Hands-on training provided at simulator
■ Training sessions documented
■ Screening process developed to hire safe-operating contractors
■ Contractor and personnel advised of known hazards at facility
■ Emergency action plan reviewed with contractor personnel
■ Mechanical integrity program includes “second line of defense”
■ Hazards involved in nonroutine work communicated to operators and to maintenance personnel
■ Work authorization permit system in effect outlining approvals required to do the job
■ Management policy prepared and communicated that all incidents will be formally investigated
■ Written instructions and training developed for emergency evacuation plans
■ Disabled employees identified;they will receive assistance to evacuate to a safe zone
■ Mutual aid agreement reached with outside assistance under HAZWOPER standard
■ Facility emergency control center established in a safe zone at the facility
■ Compliance with the OSHA standard audited by a trained team
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
■ Workplace assessed to determine if hazards require PPE
■ Employees trained in PPE procedures—type of PPE needed, when needed, and how to adjust it
■ Gloves or palm guards properly selected and used for each job
■ Eye or face protection properly selected and used for each job
■ Head protection properly selected and used for each job
■ Foot protection properly selected and used for each job
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© 1999 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (80003400)
How to Conduct Safety and Health Self-Audits
■ Apron or protective clothing properly selected and used for each job
■ Respiratory protection properly selected and provided, if necessary for the job
■ Hearing protection selected for areas above noise standard
■ Eye baths and showers readily available and accessible
■ Proper signs and instructions at eye baths
■ Adequate emergency rescue equipment available
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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EMPLOYEE WORK PRACTICES
■ Loose hair or employee clothing
■ Employee overexertion
■ Potential for repetitive-motion injury
■ Sturdy shoes suitable for the work environment
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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EMPLOYEE TRAINING
■ New employee basic safety orientation
■ New employees trained in safe work practices of their jobs
■ Transferred employees trained in the safe work practices of their jobs
■ Checklist completion on safety orientation of new and transferred employees
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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OFFICES
■ Floors have no slippery surfaces due to excessive polish or wax
■ No holes or depressions in floors
■ Rugs in hallways or offices are free from holes, tears
■ Aisles free of obstructions, including electric cords and outlets
■ Stairwells and exits properly lighted
■ No unsafe ladders or trolleys
■ General housekeeping is good
■ No top-heavy filing cabinets (either by loading or drawer opening)
■ Lifting, including opening of windows, is performed safely
© 1999 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (80003400)
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How to Conduct Safety and Health Self-Audits
■ Correct use of pins, knives, scissors, or staplers
■ Fire escape doors unlocked and unobstructed for exit
■ Glass doors either frosted or with lettering or decals
■ Switch and cover plates in place
■ No slivers in furniture or accessories
■ No running or crowding or jamming revolving doors
■ No fire hazards from cigarette butts
■ Safe storage of flammables
■ Persons trained in requirements of Hazard Communication Standard
■ Correct type and placement of fire extinguishers
■ First-aid facilities available
■ Electric fans properly guarded
■ Adequate ventilation
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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ELEVATORS
■ Motors properly protected from dirt and steam
■ Electrical wiring in good repair
■ Fire extinguisher available
■ Protection for electrical control panels
■ Hoistway interlocks operating and protected
■ Elevator pit in good condition and well-lit
■ Safe load capacity of elevator marked
■ Emergency exit provided
■ Safety devices tested and working properly
■ Elevator inspected
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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WASTE DISPOSAL
■ Special containers provided for different types of waste—oily rags, chemicals, scrap paper and corrugated,
garbage, medical waste, bloodborne pathogens waste, etc.
■ Food waste handled separately
■ Where required, waste properly labeled
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© 1999 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (80003400)
How to Conduct Safety and Health Self-Audits
■ Satisfactory external cartage and disposal arrangements
■ Approved disposal arrangements for hazardous waste
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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BUILDING EXTERIOR
■ No defective overhanging cornices, parapets, gutters, or tiling
■ No loose bricks on chimneys or stacks
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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YARD AND ROADS
■ No obstructions or broken surfaces on roads
■ Good housekeeping in yard areas
■ No possibly combustible materials stored in direct sunlight
■ No uneven or broken sidewalk surfaces
■ Appropriate traffic signs and markers
■ Rail siding beds in good repair and free of obstruction
■ Areas of dry grass kept in check so they aren’t safety hazards
■ Any unsafe work practices observed?
Comment: ———————————————————————————————————————————————
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© 1999 Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (80003400)
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