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Workplace Safety Audits & Why You Should Do Your Own
Workplace safety audits and inspections are incredibly beneficial and essential for maintaining a safe workplace, especially when they are done by diligent managers. Conducting your own regular inspections will help protect your workers while preparing you for the inevitable visit from the Chief Prevention Officer, who can show up at any time to ensure you are following OSHA regulations and employment standards (hours, pay, holidays, vacations). If your business is violating regulations or found to be neglecting basic safety protocols, they will take the necessary actions to correct it, in some cases issuing a “stop work” order which shuts down effected areas of your workplace. However keep in mind inspectors are not there with the goal to shut you down, but to promote safety and raise awareness of hazards and best practices.
Conduct Your Own Safety Audits
To avoid disruption, supervisors should be conducting their own weekly audits and continuously educating their employees on best practices when it comes to safety and their employment rights. Doing a monthly check on employee knowledge and inspecting the workplace itself for compliance is a good routine to keep. An annual safety meeting for all employees to openly share safety concerns and go over established practices is also recommended. This will not only protect your workers but the business as well if an accident happens. Encourage workers to report near misses as they happen and to offer suggestions on how safety can be improved.
When conducing your own audit, ensure the person conducting it is fully educated on the safety practices, legislative requirements, and has a good eye for detail. They should be on the lookout for proper labelling, proper use of PPE, all documentation from employee rights posters to records of hours and pay. Every audit should also:
- Identify areas or practices that are at risk for injury
- Identify potential hazards
- Recognize what current safety practices are effective or not effective
- Recognize what areas are not in compliance with the law
- Ensure the proper safety resources are available to staff
- Ensure employees are following established procedures
- Speak to employees to test their knowledge on safety procedures
- Review emergency plans in case of fires, earthquakes, floods
- Recommend potential safety improvements
They should document everything they find, from areas of compliance to areas that need improvement. This report should be shared with everyone in the workplace to be made aware of what is and isn’t working, and to hold each other accountable for follow-up actions for improvements. Every workplace is different so be sure to account for any specifics related to your workplace. If these audits are effective, safety should improve and incidents should be reduced. Additionally, when the CPO inspector comes knocking, you should be not worried and look forward to a good result!
ADVANCED CONSULTING & TRAINING OFFERS SAFETY CONSULTING & DUE DILIGENCE TRAINING
A safe work place is crucial and ensuring that you have the right safety procedures and policies for things such as WHMIS-GHS, first aid CPR, Competent Supervisor, and more can create a great work environment that is safe and productive. Since Advanced Consulting and Training Ltd.’s founding, their diverse team of certified health and safety professionals have taken great pride in their ability to deliver prompt, cost-effective and relevant workplace health and safety solutions. As a CPO approved, TSSA accredited, and WSIB approved provider, we look forward to discussing how ACT can help with your company’s safety requirements. Contact us today for more information relating to safety consulting and courses such as:
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