Safety Inspections and Sample Safety Inspection.Health and safety training Definition of risk WHAT ARE PERMITS-TO-WORK Mechanical Engineering 00923006902338

1. Safety Inspections and Sample Safety Inspection
Even if safety inspections were not strongly recommended,they are an excellent way for the department to
reference the commitment to safe work practices,provide practicaltraining in safety awarenessand
minimize hazards at the workplace. These inspections provide a systematic method for involving
supervisors,employees,safety coordinators,and/or safety committees in the process of eliminating
workplace hazards.
Types of SafetyInspections
There are severalways to perform safety inspections of a workplace, task or job. The most popular ways
include using checklists,generalknowledge, and risk mapping. To be effective,safety inspections must be
individualized or tailored to meet the needs of a specific workplace,task or job.
Safety Checklist Inspections
A checklist is very good for the regular inspection of specific items. However,they may not be as
usefulin identifying previously unrecognized hazards.
Many different checklists are available from a variety of sources. Unfortunately,since these ready-
made checklists are generic,they rarely meet the needs of a specific workplace,task or job. However,
you may find them useful to inspect a part of your area. For instance, the owner's manual for a table
saw may have a checklist that works perfectly for inspecting the saw in a department shop. Taking
parts of severalready-made checklists and putting them together may be an easy method of beginning
the development of your customized checklist.
Included in this attachment are three sample checklists one for offices on page 49, one for general
work areas on page 53, and one for laboratories on page 57. These are only examples. They willneed
to be modified to fit your specific work areas,tasks or jobs.
General Knowledge Safety Inspections
Another way of conducting inspections is to use the information you have in your head and just walk
around looking at what is going on. You do not use a pre-made checklist for this type of inspection.
This method keeps you from getting stuck looking at the same things every time. However the
effectiveness of this inspection method is dependent on the individual's level of knowledge about
workplace related safety practices. It is important to document the results of the inspection and any
action taken in resolving or addressing safety hazards.
Risk Mapping Safety Inspections
The third inspection method is called risk mapping. It is a good method to use at a safety meeting where
everyone there is familiar with the workplace or process.This technique uses a map/drawing of the
workplace or a list of steps in a process. People in the group then tell the leader the hazards they recognize
and where they are located in the workplace or process. The leader usesdifferent colors or symbols to
identify different types of hazards on the map or list of steps. This type of inspection is valuable for
involving all employees in identifying and resolving safety hazards. See page 46 for a sample of a risk
mapping.

2. What should you include in your inspections?
When you do your inspections make sure you are looking at your entire operation's safety program. Remember
to evaluate:
processes equipment
workplace environment
employee training emergency
plans
How often should you do inspections?
Safety inspections should be conducted at least every six months.
Who should do the inspections?
It has to be someone who is familiar with the workplace,task or job. The best way is to have a supervisor and an
employee from the area inspect together.
What should you do with your inspection findings?
You have to follow up on your findings. It does little good to do inspections if nothing gets corrected. Someone
should be assigned to develop a correction for each problem that was found. Attaching a deadline for the correction
of each problem is helpful. Don't let corrections get drawn out.
Review your inspection reports for trends. Is the problem showing up again and again? There may be something that
encourages this problem to exist. That also needs to be addressed.
Resources
The following are some resources that are commonly used in developing effective safety inspection procedures:
 Suggestions from supervisors and employees
 Reviewing the types of accident/incidents that have occurred in the past and in departments at UW peer
institutions
 Reviewing applicable State and FederalSafetyStandards and UWOperations Policies and
Procedures(see summary table Attachment A)
 Suggestions from EH&S
EH&S can provide paper/electronic copies of the generic checklists included in this attachment. The electronic
copies will be in WordPerfect 6.1 format.EH&S also can conduct a departmentalreview, a walk-through, and
customize the generic checklists upon request (call543-0467). This friendly service is designed and meant to help
departments in recognizing risks and evaluating the workplace. A team of EH&S professionals will visit some or
all sites as agreed upon.

3. Health and safety training
What is training?
Training means helping people to learn how to do something, telling people what they should or should not do, or simply giving
them information. Training isn’t just about formal ‘classroom’ courses.
As an employer, it is your responsibility to maintain a safe and healthy workplace. A safety and health management system, or
safety program, can help you focus your efforts at improving your work environment. Whatever you call it, your plan describes
what the people in your organization do to prevent injuries and illnesses at your workplace.Your organization will have its own
unique system, reflecting your way of doing business, the hazards of your work, and how you manage the safety and health of
your employees:
 If you manage a small business in a low-risk industry, your system may simply involve listening to your employees'
concerns and responding to them.
 A large business in a hazardous industry may have notebooks full of written policies and procedures and a full-time safety
director.
What's most important is that your system works for your organization. It's up to you to decide how best to operate a safe and
healthy workplace, and to put your plan into practice.
What makes a successful system?
A successfulsystem will be part of your overall business operation, as important as the other things you do to succeed in
business.Successful safety and health systems have the following in place:
 Managers committed to making the program work.
 Employees involved in the program.
 A system to identify and control hazards.
 Compliance with OSHA regulations.
 Training on safe work practices.
 Mutual respect, caring and open communication in a climate conducive to safety.
 Continuous improvement .
Take a look at your safety and health system. Some components may be strong and others may need to be strengthened. The
following sections describe these key factors and give ideas about how to make them part of your program. And remember, if you
operate one of many thousands of small businesses in Maine, your system can be simple and largely informal.Use the following as
a practical guide and adapt it to your needs. Because small businesses often cannot afford in-house safety and health
professionals, you may need help setting up your system. You can call SafetyWorks! --- our services are free and confidential.
Your workers' compensation insurance provider, your industry organization, or a private consultant may also be able to help.
I. Make a commitment
Put as much energy into your commitment to safety and health as you put into any other important part of your business. Make
sure to include workplace safety and health in your business plan and integrate it into all facets of the business.
 Write a policy that emphasizes the importance you place on workplace safety and health.
 Commit the resources (time, money, personnel) needed to protect your employees.
 Begin meetings with a safety topic.

4.  Encourage employee participation in safety and health.
 Let employees know they will be expected to follow safe work practices if they work for your business. And follow them
yourself.
 Respond to all reports of unsafe or unhealthy conditions or work practices.
 If injuries or illnesses occur, make it your business to find out why.
 Go beyond the regulations; address all hazards, whether or not they are covered by laws
Definition of risk:
The Risk is part of our lives and exists in many forms whether considered as small or
high risk. Most of us have the risks on daily basis (i.e. in work, while driving, eating,
playing, travelling by plane / boat, etc.). Risk can be personal risk, social risk, business
risk, financial risk, etc. Hence, there are many definitions for risk and how it can be
managed.
The risk can impact any activity during project in the short, medium and long term.
Risk can be defined as “an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has an effect on
project objectives”. Effect may be positive or negative impact. (Salford, Project Risk and
Procurement Management, 2015)
The definition of risk set out in ISO 31000:2009, Risk management - Guide 73 is that risk
is the “effect of uncertainty on objectives”. (Management) (The Institute of Risk
Management).
An effect may be positive, negative or a deviation from the expected, and that risk is
often described by an event, a change in circumstances or a consequence. The negative
events can be classified as risks while positive events are classified as opportunities.
The PRINCE2 definition of risk is „uncertain event or set of events that, should it occur,
will have an effect on the achievement of objectives‟ (primer)

5. The OHSAS defined the risk as the “combination of the likelihood of an occurrence of a
hazard event or exposure and the severity of injury or ill health that may be caused by the
event or exposure.” (Expert, 2015)
The risk in any organization / project can be internally or externally. For example, the
data base of any organization especially the sensitive data related to employees, contracts,
financial statements, and the like can be at risk from both internally and externally. The
internal risk can be by disclosing the data to external source through employee without
authorization from the organization. External risk can be by accessing the data due to non
protection by IT department of that organization. Such access to the data can highly
impact the operation of the organization and its employees and can affect the future
vision, relationship with other organization, and cause a threat on all levels.
Risk Management:
INVESTOPEDIA explains Risk Management that is “the process of assessing, managing
and mitigating losses”. (Investopedia, 2015)
Another definition for Risk Management by Michael Stanleigh is “The process of
identifying, analyzing and responding to risk factors throughout the life of a project and
in the best interests of its objective”. (Stanleigh, 2015)
OHSAS defines the Risk assessment as the “process of evaluating the risks arising from a
hazard, taking into account the adequacy of any existing controls, and deciding whether
or not the risk is acceptable.” (Expert, 2015)
In order to identify the risk, assess, control and managed it, a process to be initiated by
organizations regardless their sizes to successfully deliver the projects with minimum
losses, injuries, cost, etc.
The idea of identifying and managing the risk is to provide a system that allows the
organization and project to avoid or minimize the effect of risk identified with cost-
effective approaches.

6. Risk Identification:
The first step in risk management process is identifying the risk. The project team and/or
risk professionals shall identify all of the possible risks that might affect the success of
the project.
The risk identification may include the following 10 Ps of risk management to have a
comprehensive list or as per project requirements. . The 10 Ps are as follows:
 Physical properties – premises/product/purchasing supplies
 People elements – people/procedures they follow/protection
 Actions or processes – processes/performance against targets
 Management issues – policy and strategy/planning and organizing.
Example: Microsoft announced before two years that they will stop the technical support
for windows XP. The organization I worked for started upgrading the windows on their
systems to the latest versions. One of the programs we are using in procurement is JD
Edwards Oracle system. After upgrading the operating system, the JD Edward version
causes technical issues with new version of windows so the decision was to upgrade the
JDE to the latest version as well. Below listed are some risks involved in this project:
 Compatibility of new system with the installed operating system
 Data base losses during system upgrade
 Delays on system upgrade completion date due to technical issues
 Adequate IT staff to complete the task
 Availability of technical support from oracle during system upgrade when
required
 Training of company staff after completion of system upgrade
 Unsuccessful of system upgrade and the ability to use the old system again
 Availability of alternative power supply and ups in case electrical power is down
 Availability of staff for night shift during system upgrade

7. Risk Analysis:
Once the project risks are identified and listed by project team and/or risk professional,
the analysis of risk shall start
The risk analysis is based on the attitude of the person who is involved in the
assessment. The culture can indicate how the person will act against identified risks.
There are risk seekers (lover) who would like to take the risks, risk adverse (avoider)
who‟s avoiding the risks. The project managers seeking usually to have balancing risks
and rewards (risk neutral). (Salford, 2015)
Risk analysis can be verified by using two techniques:
- Qualitative analysis
- Quantitative analysis (Salford, 2015)
Qualitative analysis:
Qualitative analysis can be defined as the technique concerned with discovering the
probability of a risk event occurring and the impact the risk will have if it does occur.
The qualitative risk analysis prioritizes the identified project risks using a pre-defined
rating scale.
The qualitative analysis based on several techniques to determine the probability and
impact of risk. For instance, brainstorming, historical data by consulting educated
opinion and expert judgement, etc. (Wikipedia)
One of the techniques is using the risk matrix. The risk matrix examines identified risks
from the viewpoint of probability (i.e. the chance of something happening) and
consequence (i.e. the impact if that something happens). (Salford, 2015)
The project team based on this technique shall start analyzing the defined risks and
specify the importance of each risk and the impact on project if it occurs. The team can
rank the impact on project using the category “High to Low”. Significant impact of
identified risk can be ranked as High, while the low category can be ranked if the risk
can be occurred on extreme condition.

8. WHAT ARE PERMITS-TO-WORK?
A permit-to-work system is a formal written system used to control certain types
of work that are potentially hazardous. A permit-to-work is a document which
specifies the work to be done and the precautions to be taken. Permits-to-work
form an essential part of safe systems of work for many maintenance activities.
They allow work to start only after safe procedures have been defined and they
provide a clear record that all foreseeable hazards have been considered. A
permit is needed when maintenance work can only be carried out if normal
safeguards are dropped or when new hazards are introduced by the work.
Examples are, entry into vessels, hot work and pipeline breaking.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
An HSE survey showed that a third of all accidents in the chemical industry
were maintenance-related, the largest single cause being a lack of, or deficiency
in, permit-to-work systems.
In a study of small and medium-sized chemical factories:
 two-thirds of companies were not checking systems adequately;
 two-thirds of permits did not adequately identify potential hazards;
 nearly half dealt poorly with isolation of plant, electrical equipment, etc;
 a third of permits were unclear on what personal protective clothing was
needed;
 a quarter of permits did not deal adequately with formal hand-back of
plant once maintenance work had finished;
 in many cases little thought had been given to permit form design. While
aimed primarily at the chemical industry the guidance provided may have
application in other industries.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
Don’t assume that your system is a good one just because you have not yet had a
serious accident. You should critically review your system and ask yourself the
following questions. Information .
 Is the permit-to-work system fully documented, laying down: -

10. D-12 Dean's Office Health and Safety 5/99