walk-through survey

1. WALK-THROUGH SURVEY
Dr. Dalia Abdallah El-Shafei
Lecturer, Community medicine department, Zagazig

2. Investigation of the workplace is as central to the
practice of occupational medicine as clinical
assessment is of the individual patient.
It is an essential step in the control of occupational
hazards to health. Moreover, by visiting a place of
work, a doctor can understand better the demands
of a job, and thus give better advice on fitness for
employment. Investigations may be prompted in
various circumstances.

4. Direct inspection & walk through
survey
One method of investigation is direct inspection of
the workplace. Inspections often take the form of a
structured “walk through” survey, although more
narrowly targeted approaches may sometimes be
appropriate.

6. Planning for a walk through
survey
 The initial visit should be by appointment.
 Arrangements should be checked before
visiting, as a planned visit saves time.
 The survey should be structured, but the precise
way it is organised is less important
 At least 3 approaches are commonly adopted.

7. 1- Following a process from start
to finish
- From raw materials coming in to finished goods
going out.
- What hazards occur at each stage?
- How should they be controlled?
- Do the controls actually work?
- Focusing the assessment on the process helps
with basic understanding of the work and its
requirements.

8. 2- Auditing a single category of
activity or hazard
- Such as dusty or noisy procedures or manual
handling, wherever it occurs within the organisation.
- Does the control policy work everywhere, or are
there special problems or poor compliance in
certain groups of workers or sites?
- This approach is useful for introducing and
monitoring new policies.

9. 3- Detailed inspection site by
site
- What are the hazards in this particular site?
- How are they handled?
- The inspection moves on only when the
geographical unit of interest has been thoroughly
inspected.
- This site focused approach is often appreciated by
shop stewards and workers’ representatives with
local ownership of the problem. They may
accompany the inspection and often give insight

10. Circumstances that may prompt
investigation of a workplace
 Initial assessment when first taking over care of a
workforce or advising an employer
 Introduction of new processes or materials that
could be hazardous
 New research indicating that a process or substance
is more hazardous than was previously believed
 An occurrence of illness or injury in the workforce
that suggests an uncontrolled hazard
 A need to advise on the suitability of work for an
employee who is ill or disabled
 Routine review

11. Arranging a walk through
survey
• Visit by appointment (at least to begin with)
• Check whether you will:
- be accompanied by someone with responsibilities for safety
- see someone who can explain the process
- have a chance to see representative activities
• Look at documentation on health & safety, such as data
sheets, risk assessments, safety policy, accident book
• Do some preliminary research: identify sorts of hazard likely
to be encountered and legal standards that are likely to apply
• If visiting because of an individual’s complaint, discuss it

12. What to cover in a walk through
survey
 After listing the hazards, it is important to consider
who might be exposed and in which jobs, how likely
this is under the prevailing circumstances of the
work (including any precautions followed), the
magnitude of the expected exposures, and their
likely impact on health (that is, the risks to health).
The aim is to determine whether risks are
acceptable, taking into account both the likelihood of
an adverse outcome and its seriousness, or whether
further control measures are required and, if so,

13.  As prevention is better than cure, can the
hazard be avoided altogether, or can a safer
alternative be used instead? Otherwise, can
the process or materials be modified to
minimise the problem at source? Can the
process be enclosed, or operated remotely?
Can fumes be extracted close to the point at
which they are generated (local exhaust
ventilation)?.

14.  Have these ideas been considered before
issuing ear defenders, facemasks or other
control measures that rely on workers’
compliance (“Do not smoke,” “Do not chew
your fingernails,” “Lift as I tell you to”)? A
realistic strategy should always place more
reliance on control of risk at source than on
employees’ personal behaviour and
discipline

15. Health and safety professionals use
checklists to ensure that all the major types of
hazard are considered and to ensure that the
control options are fully explored. They seek
to verify that these options have been
considered in an orderly hierarchy

17. What the survey may find
It May prompt improvements directly or
highlight a need for further
investigation, such as workplace
measurements or a health survey.

18. Formal assessment of
exposures
 More formal measurement of exposure may be
required if an important hazard exists and the risk
is not clearly trivial. Often a specialised technique
or sampling strategy will be needed, directed by
an occupational hygienist.

20. Action after a workplace
assessment
 Draw conclusions about the prevailing risks and the
adequacy of the controls.
 Results must be communicated to senior managers
who have the authority to set, fund, and oversee
policies in the workplace.
 A written report is advisable, but a verbal
presentation, perhaps at a meeting of the
organisation’s safety committee, may have more
impact, as may a short illustrated slide show.