A common question from safety professionals is, How often should I be conducting safety inspections? Every industry, job site, and management team has different rules and factors to consider before scheduling an inspection. So timeframes for inspections can easily vary. But don’t worry, we’ve laid out some key factors you should consider when determining that inspection right that is right for you.
There are many factors that may lead to more or less frequent safety inspections:
As you can see, any of these factors can change the frequency of safety inspections. Now, the only way to know how often they are needed is by thoroughly reviewing all aspects of the job site, manufacturing floor, operations, and knowledge of the crew. So, basic guidelines approved by administrative agencies can set the stage. But, the most effective safety programs are always changing to the environment and interactions of the crew.
Next, as part of its Voluntary Protection Programs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) puts out recommendations that employers can use to improve their health and safety programs.
OSHA splits the guidelines between the construction industry and general industries. Now, construction safety inspections, or self-inspections as OSHA refers to them, are recommended to cover the entire worksite and be done weekly. Therefore, all subcontractors on-site should also follow a similar inspection schedule. And, due to the different nature of construction and building, inspections may be more frequent and focus on separate areas or equipment set for each.
Now, the guidelines for non-construction industries are less frequent. They suggest safety inspections happen monthly for certain areas and crews while the entire worksite has a quarterly review.
Additionally, OSHA states that regularly scheduled safety inspections have the following factors included in the self-inspection plan:
Now, that list may make safety inspections seem like there is so much to consider. However, the Safety Reports app suite makes inspections a breeze for every safety professional. The Safety Reports Inspection App is an industry-leading mobile safety inspection system. This app puts the power of a checklist and reporting system in your palm through any mobile phone, tablet, or computer. The app includes template checklists and reports for nearly any industry with safety standards, as well as the ability to customize for any situation.
Find the perfect checklist for your industry and then schedule a free demo to see each app feature in action.
To begin with, using the Safety-Reports mobile inspection app will cut report writing time! All you do is select ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the applicable checklist items and submit your report. And our templates come with pre-loaded observations and suggestions that virtually get rid of report writing time.
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