How to Conduct Workplace HSE Inspections

How to Conduct Workplace HSE Inspections

One of the ways we can help maintain or improve Health and Safety culture is by undertaking routine inspections of the workplace. It gives the opportunity to identify possible hazards and risks in the working environment and the chance to correct any deficiencies before an incident occurs. Capturing unsafe working practices is very paramount but it should not mean as if you are policing your workers.

Unfortunately most people see site inspection as being more of a tick box exercise and we need to change this perception, get involved and move forward.

What is the Purpose of An Inspection?

The Purpose of a health, safety and environment inspection is very clear and simple:

• Identify potential health or safety hazards
• Assess the current status of safety in the workplace;
• Look for opportunities to help improve on current operational procedures
• Provide feedback to employees on good safety practices;
• Raise awareness of health, safety and environment with employees
• demonstrate visible management and supervisor commitment to safety standards

When conducted correctly, HSE inspections can definitely promote efficiency and quality improvements within a working environment.

So What Should We Do?

Use the existing simple inspection checklist at the rigsite. This helps you to focus on specific areas during your inspection. A checklist allows you to compare results with procedures and identify common trends.

You can obtain this from your site HSE Officer and begin the practice.

You don’t have to be a safety officer to do an inspection. You don’t need to be a member of the HSE Committee either. All you need is an ability to identify hazards and risks!

Inspection is an improvement process to help maintain the employee’s personal safety whilst at work. Talk to people during your inspection and ask open and friendly questions, you may also be learning in the process.

You already must have had some training on how to properly identify hazards and risks before now. The Site HSE Officer would always guide those willing to conduct inspection on the best method and the process or particular job to begin with.

Use the results of inspection to communicate safety awareness and discuss any good practices, it is not all about finding fault.

Discuss in safety toolbox talks and meetings or even post improvement ideas on notice boards. Whatever means you use make sure it’s visible so employees see an actual outcome.

Engage everyone in the inspection process, Safety is about US. Employee buy-in is critical to the success of any workplace health and safety regime. Everybody must realize that HSE inspection is for the good of all.

Site HSE Officer will allocate adequate and dedicated time to conduct the inspection and plan your schedule based on the workplace/rigsite risk profile and work schedules.

So by conducting health, safety and environment inspections we can ultimately help to keep our worksite hazard free and more importantly our employees and other safe from harm.

Now that you know………take it up………..tell your HSE Officer to guide you……..do one today

The best safety are in cans. I can, you can, we can………everybody can