OSHA Safety Audit Checklist
soumya GhorpadeSafety inspection checklists are an essential tool for ensuring workplaces comply with health and safety standards, helping avoid fines and accidents by identifying potential risks.
Utilizing a digital checklist is the ideal way to conduct an OSHA safety audit for your business, enabling an internal inspection while increasing productivity while decreasing risk.
1. Observation
Observation is key in assessing whether your organization is adhering to the 29 CFR safety protocols. You should check to see that there are enough supplies of personal protective gear, evacuation shelters and eyewash stations in case of emergency; that stairways have sufficient railings so as to reduce accidents caused by falls; and that the workplace environment is free of debris, holes, cracks or chunks of concrete that could lead to slip-and-fall injuries.
Documenting findings including priority, assigning responsibility to correcting issues and setting timelines are also key components of effective recordkeeping. A digital system helps facilitate this communication as well as ensure any risks are promptly addressed.
2. Recording
When it comes to conducting inspections, companies must abide by OSHA guidelines when conducting them; at the same time, companies need to create customized safety audit checklists tailored specifically for their industry or workplace environment.
Some industries require their workers to work closely with potentially hazardous chemicals and materials, which necessitate implementing procedures to ensure workers receive adequate training and have access to personal protective equipment (PPE). Furthermore, these companies should put systems into place that can ensure PPE is well maintained so it is available when needed.
OSHA typically focuses its inspections on facilities cited for health or safety violations. The agency will inspect if their practices comply with 29 CFR regulations, interview employees and review safety documentation for compliance; note any areas needing improvement or violating law as part of this inspection process.
3. Analysis
Safety should always be a top priority in all industries, yet when workplaces do not abide by OSHA standards, employees may experience serious injuries – even fatal ones – which necessitate establishing and regularly reviewing all safety policies to reduce the likelihood of accidents occurring at work. An OSHA inspection checklist is an invaluable asset in doing just this.
General templates may be found online; however, for maximum effectiveness it should be tailored specifically for your company or facility. Content of checklist should meet OSHA regulations; for instance if your business doesn’t contain any hazardous materials or machinery then such questions don’t need to be included in health and safety audit.
Device Magic makes it simple and straightforward to create custom health and safety audit checklists using mobile form apps such as Q&A segments, photos, free text boxes and instructions into forms for digital offline access.
4. Recommendations
Utilizing a mobile app for managing safety audit processes is an efficient way of ensuring all necessary steps are completed in a timely manner. Furthermore, using such an application helps streamline and automate workflows while providing real-time data that can be analyzed and shared among stakeholders.
Safety audits are an invaluable way for any workplace to evaluate their overall work environment and practices in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. An audit should cover all of the essential items, such as providing access to appropriate equipment and training.
An OSHA inspection checklist serves to evaluate a facility’s compliance and safety measures, such as communication of hazards and emergency responses plans, machine guarding, chemical storage facilities, PPE use/storage practices, training programs, record-keeping, etc. Regular checks should be performed to ensure all critical areas are being covered and any issues that need correcting are identified.