The Secret To A Successful Safety Program: Special Report

SPECIAL REPORT
The Secret to
A Successful
Safety Program
9 Steps for a Safety Audit
That Gives Results
80003460
SPECIAL REPORT
The Secret to
A Successful
Safety Program
9 Steps for a Safety Audit
That Gives Results
80003400
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The Secret to a Successful Safety Program: 9 Steps for a Safety Audit That Gives Results
Table of Contents
Safety and Health Audits—An Important Part of Your Program . . . . . . . . 1
What Are the Purposes of Effective Safety Inspections? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. Plan Your Safety Audit/Inspection Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Decide on a General or Specific Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Three Case Histories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Small Machine Shop—Spokane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Injection Molding Plant—Houston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Office Setting—Connecticut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. Decide Who Will Conduct the Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Outsiders Can Be Helpful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4. Decide What You Should Inspect For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
5. Determine How Often You Should Inspect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
6. Determine if Your Audit Will Be Announced or Unannounced . . . . . . . 6
7. Set Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
8. Inform Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
One Company’s Hazard Priority Classification System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
9. Develop Your Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Safety Audit/Inspection Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400

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 tend 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 spe-
cific, 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 mainte-
nance—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 reevaluation to make sure that safe work procedures are fol-
lowed.
This report discusses the 9 steps you need to develop a safety audit program that
gives results:
1. Plan Your Safety Audit/Inspection Program.
2. Decide on a General or Specific Audit.
3. Decide Who Will Conduct the Audit.
4. Decide What You Should Inspect For.
5. Determine How Often You Should Inspect.
6. Determine if Your Audit Will Be Announced or Unannounced.
7. Set Priorities.
8. Inform Management.
9. Develop Your Checklist.
©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400 1

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:
—Reevaluate 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.
1. Plan Your Safety Audit/Inspection

Program
A good safety audit program does not come easily. The effort requires careful plan-
ning 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?
2 The Secret to a Successful Safety Program: 9 Steps for a Safety Audit That Gives Results
2. Decide on a General or
Specific Audit
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 indus-
trial 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 facilitywide. Such an inspection might
focus on electrical hazards in machinery used for manufacturing, the hazards that
may have generated back injuries as recorded in the OSHA 300 log, or noticed dur-
ing a review of workers’ compensation reports. It could involve the facility’s com-
pliance 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 types of
inspections. For example, one month a program could involve a complete facility
tour for safety hazards; the next month the inspection program could focus on per-
sonal 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 facility’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
◆ Housekeeping
◆ Safety orientation for new machine-tool operators

All 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 wearing personal protective equipment—specific types of
gloves, eye protection, and hearing protection—as an important ingredient of its
safety program. 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 train-
ing.
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 given 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.)
3. Decide Who Will Conduct the Audit
Before you decide on your answer, 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 recom-
mend involving the supervisor or manager. This makes it clear that line manage-
ment, 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.
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 regula-
tion, that specialist may want to measure your organization against the OSHA
General Duty Clause, which 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.
4. Decide What You Should 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 300 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.

5. Determine How Often You
Should 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 organiza-
tions 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
6. Determine if Your Audit Will Be

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 thor-
oughness, of a scheduled activity with the auditors focused on doing the job and
doing it thoroughly. But word gets around the manufacturing floor that “the inspec-
tors 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.
7. Set Priorities
How do you give inspection items some kind of priority status? With tight mainte-
nance 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 supervi-
sory 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 recommenda-
tions. See the accompanying page for one company’s hazard priority classification
system—an approach that could possibly be applied in your organization.
8. Inform Management
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.
However, in July 2000, OSHA issued a policy statement stating that agency will not
routinely request self-audit reports at the start of an inspection, and the agency will
not use self-audit reports as a means of identifying hazards. Also, if the employer is
in the process of correcting the conditions found during a self-audit, OSHA will not
issue a willful citation.
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 cor-
rect unsafe conditions and work practices uncovered in these inspections, includ-
ing 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. Support-
ive paperwork should show how the recommendations were handled and brought
to conclusion—either corrected, prioritized for future action, listed for capital allo-
cation request, etc.
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 cor-
rection and time deadline for correction. Review item at weekly management meet-
ing 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 biweekly 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 supervi-
sors or managers in writing or develop training programs to overcome the prob-
lem. 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.
9. Develop Your Checklist
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 improve-
ment efforts.
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 AND RECORDKEEPING
❏ OSHA Job Safety and Health Protection Poster or state equivalent posted on
bulletin boards
❏ OSHA 300 Logs maintained
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

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
❏ No storage of material on stairs
❏ Proper lighting on stair areas
❏ No worn or damaged stair treads

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

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

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

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

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 having a choice of approved hearing protectors
❏ Employees wearing approved hearing protection
❏ Employees wearing approved hearing protection properly inserted in the ear canal

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
❏ Trained first-aiders with recent recertification

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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

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

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

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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS
❏ Up-to-date chemical inventory completed and available for review
❏ MSDS available for all hazardous chemicals
❏ Written plan 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
Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS (BBPs)
❏ A BBP coordinator designated
❏ Written exposure control plan prepared
❏ Exposure control plan reviewed and updated annually
❏ New medical procedures and safer devices reviewed, considered, and docu-
mented annually
❏ Input solicited annually from employees responsiblefor direct patient care on

identification, evaluation, and selection of effective engineering controls and
safer medical devices
❏ Employee training program developed
❏ Information available on the types, use, location, removal, and handling of

personal protective equipment
❏ Emergency contact person designated
❏ Information available on postexposure follow-up following an accident
❏ Training records retained
❏ Hand-washing facilities available
❏ Work practices reviewed to reduce exposures
❏ Disposable and reusabale sharps placed in a puncture-resistant, leakproof

container with BIOHAZARD label
❏ Arrangements made to clean and launder nondisposable items
❏ Disposal containers available for disposable PPE
❏ Employees instructed in proper way to remove gloves to minimize contamination
❏ Healthcare 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 transfered employees held at time of initial assignment
❏ Sharps Log maintained

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

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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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 for setting aside broken skids and pallets
❏ Paths, aisleways, and stairways clear of obstructions
❏ Proper drainage to prevent accumulation of water or solvents
Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
POWERED INDUSTRIAL TRUCKS (Forklifts)
❏ All operators trained, evaluated, and certified

Refresher training and evaluation provided when:
❏ Unsafe operation observed
❏ There has been an accident or near miss
❏ Evaluation indicates need
❏ Different types of equipment introduced
❏ Workplace conditions change
❏ Operators evaluated every 3 years
❏ 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

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
❏ 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 worn
❏ Employees properly trained in the operation of these systems

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
POWER SYSTEMS—HYDRAULIC
❏ Pressure lines clearly identified
❏ Maintenance procedures checked 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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
POWER SYSTEMS—ELECTRICAL
❏ Electrical control panels clearly identified and secured
❏ Only qualified electrical specialists able to access to panels
❏ Grounding tested
❏ Explosionproof 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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
MACHINE GUARDING
❏ Guard or safety device at each point of operation
❏ Operators unable to reach around guards
❏ Guards totally effective and unable to be bypassed
❏ Mechanics only persons authorized to remove guards
❏ Mechanics held responsible to replace guards after completing repairs
❏ START and STOP controls within easy reach of operator
❏ Entire operation visible to operators
❏ Controls clearly labeled
❏ Two-hand trips on hand-fed power presses
❏ Machinery able to 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 used
❏ Mechanics or adjusters properly trained

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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
❏ Lifelines, harness apparatus, and respirators in place
❏ Involved employees informed of entry procedures

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT
❏ Chemicals used in the process and their maximum inventory listed
❏ MSDS readily available on all chemicals
❏ Written information, diagrams, and original equipment manuals collected on

process equipment and intermediates
❏ Management consultation with employees (and their representatives) in

developing a program
❏ Analysis team understanding of methodology to be used to 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 agreemet 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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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
❏ 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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
EMPLOYEE WORK PRACTICES
❏ Loose hair or employee clothing that could get caught in machinery
❏ Employee overexertion
❏ Potential for repetitive-motion injury
❏ Sturdy shoes suitable for the work environment

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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
❏ 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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
WASTE DISPOSAL
❏ Special containers provide for different types of waste—oily rags, chemicls, scrap
paper and corrugated, garbage, medical waste, bloodborne pathogens waste, etc.
❏ Food waste handled separately
❏ Where required, waste properly labeled
❏ Satisfactory external cartage and disposal arrangements
❏ Approved disposal arrangements for hazardous waste

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
BUILDING EXTERIOR
❏ No defective overhanging cornices, parapets, gutters, or tiling
❏ No loose bricks on chimneys or stacks

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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

Comment: __________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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The Secret To A Successful Safety Program: Special Report

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SPECIAL REPORT

©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400

Systematic evaluation of your safety and health situation is an important facet of

©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400 1

1. Plan Your Safety Audit/Inspection

Three Case Histories

Here’s how three organizations approached their safety inspection plans.

Small Machine Shop—Spokane

©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400 3

Injection Molding Plant—Houston

3. Decide Who Will Conduct the Audit

Outsiders Can Be Helpful

4. Decide What You Should Inspect For

Most inspection programs give leading attention to hazardous conditions. That is

©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400 5

Most safety inspection/audit programs feature a variety of inspections at varying

6. Determine if Your Audit Will Be

Should safety inspections be planned, or should they be unannounced? There are

©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400 7

One Company’s Hazard Priority

Safety Audit/Inspection Checklist

POSTINGS AND RECORDKEEPING

❏ OSHA 300 Logs maintained

❏ No slip, trip, or fall hazards

❏ Floor openings guarded by cover, guardrail, or equivalent

❏ Clean, orderly, and free of oil or grease hazards

©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400 9

❏ Grates over floor drains

❏ Nonslip surfaces wherever possible

❏ Any unsafe practices observed?

❏ Corners unobstructed to offer clear view

❏ Sufficiently wide for material handling

❏ Any unsafe practices observed?

❏ 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

❏ No storage of material on stairs

❏ Proper lighting on stair areas

❏ No worn or damaged stair treads

❏ Any unsafe practices observed?

❏ Safety feet in good, operable condition

❏ Clean rungs, unpainted

❏ 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?

❏ 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?

❏ Illumination level sufficient for work performed

❏ Emergency lighting adequate and operating

❏ Task lighting on close-vision jobs

❏ Emergency lighting of all exit routes

❏ Any unsafe practices observed?

©Business & Legal Reports, Inc. 80003400 11