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Use timing, teamwork, and conversation to maximize the value of workplace inspections

Published Date
Author Jessica Bowes

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“Every workplace is on a safety journey at all times,” says Tova Larsen, Health and Safety Consultant at WSPS. “Workplace inspections give you regular opportunities to see where you are at and to figure out where to go next.” Ontario workplaces with six or more workers are legally required to perform workplace inspections every month. When done properly, inspections provide a systematic check of hazards and controls in practice.

Tova explains that effective workplace inspections follow these five fundamental steps.

  1. Prepare—A detailed plan will lead to an effective inspection. Consider using floor plans to guide your inspection so that you don’t miss an area of the workplace.
  2. Conduct—This involves more than simply checking the boxes. Engage workers and supervisors in conversation and listen with genuine interest.
  3. Recommend—Determine recommendations based on findings. Some recommendations may require more research. Involve the experts – internal or external support if required – and key stakeholders to inform your recommendations.
  4. Report—Create a report that outlines inspection findings and recommendations and share it with your health and safety committee.
  5. Follow-up—Establish a mechanism to ensure necessary actions are taken to control hazards, including any findings that may require immediate action.

Inspect at the right time to make it count

“If it is practical to inspect the entire workplace each month, then you must do so. However, if it is too large, you can break it up into zones, as long as the entire workplace is inspected over a calendar year,” says Tova. She frequently reminds clients that yards, parking lots, and outbuildings must be included in the plan. “Outside property is part of the workplace as well,” she says. 

Once you have divided your facility into manageable zones, you need to schedule the inspections. “To a certain degree, the quality of your inspection hinges on the timing of it, so you need to think about this when creating the inspection schedule,” says Tova. She offers these tips for ideal scheduling. 

  1. Inspect during peak time. It sounds counter-intuitive, but if you want to see how things are actually being done, you need to inspect the workplace during the busy time, not during downtime. Unannounced inspections are best, where practical, because it prevents panic-cleaning before the inspection. “You’ll see the daily reality,” says Tova.
  2. Schedule some inspections during each shift. If your workplace has two or three shifts, make sure at least some of the inspections take place during the afternoon or evening shifts. “What happens on the night shift might be very different from what happens during the day,” says Tova.
  3. If a machine isn’t running, go back when it is. Don’t overlook a process or piece of equipment. If something isn’t happening when you are completing the inspection, make a note and go back another time. “Don’t just check a box,” says Tova.
  4. Consider the seasons. Different hazards will be present depending on the season, so your inspection schedule needs to account for this. “During winter, snow and ice must be addressed in parking lots and outdoor areas. In summer, controlling exposure to noxious weeds may be more relevant,” says Tova.

Build your dream team

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires worker members to perform workplace inspections on behalf of the joint health and safety committee (JHSC). “Management members or supervisors are allowed to join the worker member on their inspection; however, they cannot perform inspections on behalf of the JHSC in lieu of a worker member,” explains Tova. “It’s all about conflict of interest.”

However, Tova also points out that inspections are not exclusive to the JHSC. Other workplace parties may perform inspections as well. “Health and safety representatives conduct inspections in smaller workplaces that don’t have a JHSC. Supervisors are frequently doing daily or even hourly walk-throughs. Your corporate health and safety department may inspect on behalf of management. And of course, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development of Ontario inspects Ontario workplaces for compliance with OHSA,” says Tova. 

In addition to worker members of your JHSC, here are a few others you may consider inviting to join your inspections:

  1. New workers and students. Bringing a new staff member on your next workplace inspection not only helps to reinforce the organization’s safety culture, but it also provides an opportunity to liaise with a JHSC worker member. New workers may also spot hazards to which veteran workers have become complacent.
  2. Senior leadership. If a regional manager, vice president, or other senior leader is visiting your workplace, consider inviting them along on your monthly inspection. It can help them see the challenges that the JHSC are finding. By seeing the process in action, they may be more likely to support JHSC recommendations in the future. Having senior leadership participate also reinforces their commitment to worker well-being and a strong health and safety culture.
  3. Prospective JHSC members. If your organization struggles to get workers excited about volunteering for the JHSC, try creating opportunities for employees to shadow JHSC members during an inspection. It will help them see what’s involved and may pique their interest in joining. It also helps employees develop confidence that they could be a great JHSC member.

Talk to workers

You can only learn so much from observation. Go beyond what you can see by talking to workers. “It’s amazing what you find out by having a conversation with a worker while doing an inspection,” says Tova. She recommends the following:

  1. Ask specific questions. Don’t simply ask workers if they have any health and safety concerns. “Most often, the answer is no,” says Tova. If you really want to find out how things are going, start a conversation by asking specific questions based on what you see. “For example, if you see a pile of boxes, ask how long they have been there, how heavy or awkward they are, and how often they are moved around,” suggests Tova. You can also ask workers what they would do in certain situations, such as if a customer was making threats, or if they were asked to use an unfamiliar piece of equipment.
  2. Ask about the history. If you spot a hazard, workers are often in the best position to know when the problem started or why a task is being done a certain way (e.g. shipping delays, being rushed, or being short staffed). This information is critical to addressing the root causes, rather than simply putting a band-aid on the immediate problem.
  3. If there is a problem, ask if anyone reported it. If a worker tells you about an ongoing hazard, find out if they reported it to their manager. If they did, look into what was done about it or if there was a communication gap. If they didn’t report it, find out why (e.g. afraid to speak up or having past negative experiences reporting hazards). A conversation like this goes beyond the immediate hazard. It can give you an indication of how well the organization’s internal responsibility system is working. 

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The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date. 

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