Florida Department of Financial ServicesDivision of Risk Management

Loss Prevention Section

OBJECTIVES

Define workplace inspections and their purpose.

Discuss the role of inspections within the safety & loss prevention program.

Recognize the importance of safety coordinator involvement in inspections.

Review the types of hazards that can be present in the workplace.

Identify who performs inspections.

Examine the inspection process.

WORKPLACE INSPECTION

Formal evaluation method in which a facility, equipment, and/or job task is examined by a person or group in order to detect faults, hazards, or violations of safety standards.

PURPOSE OF WORKPLACE INSPECTIONS

Evaluate facilities, equipment, and/or job tasks.

Identify hazards and/or violations of safety standards.

Determine hazard control effectiveness.

Indicate corrective actions.

Detect and address other issues of concern.

INSPECTIONS AND THE SAFETY & LOSS PREVENTION PROGRAM

How do inspections fit into the program?

They identify hazards.

They work to reduce and/or prevent accidents & injuries.

They promote safety awareness.

They can identify trends.

OTHER BENEFITS OF WORKPLACE INSPECTIONS

Increased awareness of employee & supervisor concerns.

Better understanding of employee job tasks.

Determination of root causes of hazards.

SAFETY COORDINATORS AND INSPECTIONS

Fulfills responsibilities indicated in Section 284.50, Florida Statutes.

Strengthens safety coordinator’s overall program knowledge.

Increases identification of agency-wide trends.

Why is the safety coordinator’s involvement in the inspection process important?

HAZARD TYPES

Safety hazards.

Chemical hazards.

Ergonomic hazards.

Physical hazards.

Bio hazards.

Unsafe equipment.

Unsafe conditions.

Unsafe practices.

SAFETY HAZARDS

Liquids.

Fumes.

Solids.

Dust.

Vapor.

CHEMICAL HAZARDS

Repetitive movements.

Improper posture.

Poorly designed equipment.

ERGONOMIC HAZARDS

Heat.

Cold.

Noise.

Pressure.

PHYSICAL HAZARDS

Fungi.

Bacteria.

Viruses.

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

WORKPLACE INSPECTORS

Supervisors.

Employees.

Safety coordinators.

Safety committees.

Who conducts inspections?

Landlords and building owners.

Facility managers.

State Fire Marshal’s office.

Equipment vendors.

WORKPLACE INSPECTORS

-Continued

Engineers.

Electricians.

Mechanics.

Safety professionals.

Other qualified inspection officials:

WORKPLACE INSPECTORS

Organizational operations.

Work processes.

Job tasks.

Safety standards.

Associated hazards.

Problematic work areas.

Prior accidents.

Inspectors should be aware of:

WORKPLACE INSPECTORS

INSPECTION FREQUENCY

What determines inspection frequency?

Statutes, codes, standards, rules, policies.

Accident frequency.

Agency size.

Variance of work processes.

Types of equipment used.

Other times inspection should occur:

If a hazard has been observed.

If a near-miss has been reported.

If an accident has occurred.

If new equipment is introduced.

If new work procedures are introduced.

INSPECTION FREQUENCY

INSPECTION TYPES

Spot.

Pre-operational.

Periodic.

New equipment.

Ongoing.

What are the different types of inspections?

SPOT INSPECTIONS

Examples:

• Performed on an occasional basis.

• Focused on specific hazards.

Risk of chemical exposure.

Equipment-generated noise.

Electrical spark.

Boiler pressure build-up.

PRE-OPERATIONAL INSPECTIONS

Examples:

Conducted before work is started.

Ventilation check prior to working in an enclosed area.

Equipment check prior to working in an area where water is present.

PERIODIC INSPECTIONS

Examples:

Routine, regular, and planned.

Inspections of working conditions.

Inspections for hazards.

Inspections of processes and practices.

NEW EQUIPMENT INSPECTIONS

Example:

Conducted on new or modified equipment, or work processes.

Specific checks done prior to activating and working with new equipment.

Installation check to ensure all parts of a new piece of equipment are present.

ONGOING INSPECTIONS

Examples:

Conducted continually as part of job responsibilities.

Daily inspection of electrical cords to ensure no fraying.

Hourly inspections of workplace environments at high risk for developing hazards, such as a confined space.

INSPECTION PROCESS

What does a workplace inspection entail?

Planning.

Physical inspection.

Documentation.

Follow up and monitoring.

PLANNING

Determine who will conduct the inspection.

Determine how the supervisor of the area will be involved.

PHASE 1

Develop inspection checklists and forms.

Use all available tools at your disposal.

Note any information relevant to the inspection.

Review previous inspection reports.

PLANNING

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Prepare to examine “who, what, when, where, why, and how.”

Consider all elements of the workplace: equipment, processes, environment, employee interaction.

PLANNING

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Inspect all work areas to observe for hazards.

Examples:

Offices.

Cubicles.

Maintenance closets.

Storage rooms.

Cafeterias & break rooms.

Parking lots.

PHYSICAL INSPECTION

PHASE 2

Minimize interruption of work.

Focus attention to existing hazards.

Do not assign blame.

Address immediate and/or severe hazards.

Save lesser concerns for the final report.

PHYSICAL INSPECTION

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Complete checklists & forms in their entirety.

Revise checklists & forms when changes occur.

Note all observed hazards, even if they are not on the checklist.

PHYSICAL INSPECTION

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Inspection report:

Date, time, & location of inspection.

Department, areas, and items inspected.

Any unfinished items from the prior inspection of that area/item.

Inspection team members.

DOCUMENTATION

PHASE 3

Inspection report:

Observations from inspection forms, checklists, & notes.

Identified hazards.

Temporary corrective measures.

Recommendations for permanent corrective actions.

Relevant documentation.

DOCUMENTATION-Continued

Inspection report:

List items by hazard type.

Be specific and accurate.

Assign levels of priority to hazards.

Utilize previous inspection reports.

DOCUMENTATION

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Supervisors.

Employees.

Safety coordinators.

Safety committees.

Maintenance managers.

Facility managers.

Department managers.

Who reviews the inspection reports?

DOCUMENTATION

-Continued

Why conduct follow up & monitoring?

To ensure timely implementation of corrective actions.

To assess effectiveness of corrective actions.

To control and prevent hazard from reoccurring.

FOLLOW UP & MONITORING

PHASE 4

What do corrective actions do?

They lessen and/or eliminate the hazard.

They can prevent the hazard from reoccurring.

They address the root cause of the hazard.

FOLLOW UP & MONITORING

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Corrective action implementation:

Removing trip hazards.

Cleaning up spills.

Erecting signage.

Requiring PPE.

Additional training.

Changing policy or work procedure.

FOLLOW UP & MONITORING

-Continued

Claim data.

Inspection summaries.

Accident and hazard reports.

Information from safety committees.

Communication with employees & supervisors.

Informal observation.

Safety surveys.

Monitoring Tools:

FOLLOW UP & MONITORING

-Continued

EFFECTIVE INSPECTIONS

Consistently performed.

Accurately documented.

Promptly communicated.

Corrective actions identified, implemented, & monitored.

What makes an inspection a good hazard ID method?

SUMMARY

Defined workplace inspections & their purpose.

Discussed the role of inspections within the safety & loss prevention program.

Recognized the importance of safety coordinator knowledge of inspections.

Reviewed the types of hazards that can be present in the workplace.

Identified who performs inspections.

Examined the inspection process.

QUESTIONS

For more information, please contact the Loss Prevention Section at statelosspreventionprogram@myfloridacfo.com.

Christia Nunnery: Administrator850-413-4713; Christia.Nunnery@myfloridacfo.com

Dione Maxwell: Training Coordination850-413-4769; Dione.Maxwell@myfloridacfo.com

Wendy McSwain: Agency Review 850-413-4712; Wendy.McSwain@myfloridacfo.com

Steve Hicken: Agency Review850-413-4767; Steve.Hicken@myfloridacfo.com

Will Butler: Publications; Reporting Processes850-413-4770; William.Butler@myfloridacfo.com

Erika Starke-Carde: Claim Report Referral; WC & RTW850-413-4776; Erika Starke-Carde@myfloridacfo.com

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

The 2015 Florida Statutes. 2015. State Risk Management and Safety Programs. Title XIX, Chapter 284, Section 284.50, F.S. Retrieved from http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=284.50&URL=0200‐0299/0284/Sections/0284.50.html.

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. 2009. Effective Workplace Inspections. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/effectiv.html#_1_1.

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. 2007. Workplace Inspections: A Matter of Health and Safety. Cat. No.: L2‐105‐2007. ISBN: 0‐662‐67203‐8. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gc.ca/eng/health_safety/pubs_hs/inspections.shtml.

Florida Department of Management Services. 2014. Building Operations and Facilities Management. Retrieved from http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/real_estate_development_and_management/facilities_management.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES(CONTINUED)

Florida Division of State Fire Marshal. 2014. Bureau of Fire Prevention Inspections. Retrieved from http://www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/SFM/BFP/default.htm#.VLy38ivF‐ZA.

Florida Department of Financial Services. 2010. State Loss Prevention Standards. Retrieved from http://www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/Risk/LossPrevention/AgencyReview.htm#.VL20yEfF‐ZA.

Florida Inspectors General. 2014. Responsibilities and Expectation. Retrieved from http://www.floridaoig.com/responsibilities.htm

OSHAcademy for Occupational Health and Safety Training. 2014. Course 704: Hazard Identification, Analysis, and Control. Retrieved from http://www.oshatrain.org/courses/mods/704m3.html