By Chad Engle, Loss Prevention and Safety Manager
NIRMA members benefit from proactive risk management and loss prevention techniques. A member’s first line of defense in preventing workplace injuries for both their employees and visitors is a regular workplace inspection program using a comprehensive workplace inspection checklist. Regular workplace inspections are a part of proper facility management and should be conducted to identify and address hazards as they arise before they can cause an injury and become a liability. If you are unable to address the hazard quickly and properly, the hazard needs to be marked in a way that makes it easy to avoid for those that may encounter it. Examples include “Wet Floor” signs, painting uneven concrete with high-visibility paint or placing cones and signage around a temporary excavation.
Inspection checklists are a useful tool. They help to ensure inspections are conducted correctly, consistently and the results are easy to understand. NIRMA has developed the following workplace inspection checklists to assist our members:
Property/Building Inspection Checklist – This checklist is intended to be used when inspecting administrative or office type buildings to reduce the risk of property, liability, and workers’ compensation claims.
Shop Inspection Checklist: This checklist is intended for highway departments to identify and manage hazards more common in a shop–type environment.
Ag Society Inspection Checklist: This checklist was developed to address risks and hazards associated with fairgrounds and activities there.
Each of these checklists are available under the Resources tab on the NIRMA website located at www.nirma.info.
Industry standards dictate that workplace inspections are completed at regular intervals. NIRMA recommends quarterly intervals, and that the results are documented and maintained for at least three years. As stated earlier, inspections are a proactive way to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and accidents. Additionally, regular documented inspections provide a history that can be used to defend a NIRMA member if a liability claim is brought against them.
Please contact me if you have any questions about inspections, checklists, or training. As always, I can be reached at chad@nirma.info and 800.642.6671.
