5 Tips for a Successful Safety Inspection

July 4, 2013 No Comments

Safety inspections are a golden opportunity to create a safer workplace and also reduce liability for safety compliance. Here are five keys to a successful safety inspection.

• Tip #1  Eliminate Duplicate Transcription Tasks –  We are often surprised at how many facilities are still recording safety inspections with a pen and paper process and then transcribing it to a report back at the office. This is taking up extra time and also leaving the door wide open to transcription errors. The solution to both problems is to input safety inspection findings directly into a digital database using a mobile device.
• Tip #2  Manage Inspections and Corrective Actions More Efficiently –  With web-based data, safety officers can access safety inspection results anywhere. Companies can benefit from efficient communication to the many people responsible for corrective actions, so nothing falls through the cracks. With digital records, it is easier to track deficiencies and actions to the end.
• Tip #3  Reduce Time Planning and Scheduling Safety Inspections –  Comparing calendars and scheduling safety inspections is a huge time drain for safety officers. With an electronic solution, you can let the system track the deadlines and schedule the inspections for you. I bet you can find a productive use for time saved!
• Tip #4  Simplify Inspection Communications –  The lag time between finding a deficiency and correcting it turns into a liability the more time passes. If the inspectors use a paper checklist, then the notification doesn’t occur until they return to their desks at the end of the day. With a robust inspection software solution, automated emails can zip out the second the inspection is completed with the mobile device in the field.
• Tip #5  Optimize Data Management and Reporting Capabilities –  Safety initiatives thrive on big data. Our last tip for a successful safety inspection is using a database that will crunch out reports that show trends in the inspections. When we’re looking at inspection data, are the deficiencies all coming from one group or are multiple departments out of compliance for a similar reason? If the safety team can look at real-time information, including that day’s inspection results, then they can decide how to address trends in safety issues.

We hope these tips help you get more out of your safety inspections! To watch the whole ChemSW safety inspection webinar, click here.

The guest author of this article is Leah D (see above photo).  Leah is a safety-loving science-enthusiast, chemical inventory consultant, and writer of the ChemSW blog.   She is based out of San Francisco.

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