Work site safety inspection - Part 2

Work Site Safety Inspection

11. Employer posting

• Are required governmental regulatory agency posters displayed where all employees are likely to see them?
• Are emergency telephone numbers posted where they can be readily used in an emergency?
• Where employees may be exposed to toxic substances or harmful physical agents, has appropriate information concerning employee access to medical and exposure records and material safety data sheets (MSDSs) been made readily available?
• Are signs for exits, room capacity, floor loading, and exposure to X-ray, microwave, or other harmful radiation or substances posted as required?

12. Energy Conservation

• Does the department have any equipment/machinery with significant energy consumption?
• Are there potential measures of economy within the department?
• How are the water and the electricity consumption in the department?
• Has conservation or other energy saving initiatives been initiated since the last survey?

13. Environmental controls

• Are all work areas properly lit?
• Are hazardous substances identified that may cause harm by inhalation, ingestion, skin absorption, or contact?
• Are employees aware of the hazards involved with the various chemicals they may be exposed to in their work environment, such as ammonia, chlorine, epoxies, and caustics?
• Is employee exposure to chemicals in the workplace kept within acceptable levels? Can a less harmful method or product be used?
• Is the work area’s ventilation system appropriate for the work being performed?
• Are proper precautions taken by employees handling asbestos and other fibrous materials?
• Are caution labels and signs used to warn of asbestos?
• Is the presence of asbestos determined before the beginning of any repair, demolition, construction, or reconstruction work?
• Are asbestos-covered surfaces kept in good repair to prevent release of fibers?
• Are wet methods used (when practicable) to prevent emission of airborne asbestos fibers, silica dust, and similar hazardous materials?
• Is vacuuming dust with appropriate equipment conducted rather than blowing or sweeping?
• Are grinders, saws, and other machines that produce dust vented to an industrial collector or a central-exhaust system?
• Are all local-exhaust ventilation systems designed and operated properly at the airflow and volume necessary for the application?
• Are the ducts free of obstructions?
• Have you ensured that belts are not slipping?
• Is personal protective equipment provided, used, and maintained whenever required?
• Are written standard operating procedures available for selection and use of respirators?
• Are restrooms and washrooms sanitary?
• Is potable water provided for drinking, washing, and cooking?
• Are all outlets for water that is not suitable for drinking, clearly identified?
• Are employees instructed how to properly lift heavy objects?
• Where heat is a problem, have all fixed work areas been provided with a proper means of cooling?
• If employees work on streets and roadways where they are exposed to traffic hazards, are they required to wear high-visibility clothing?
• Are exhaust stacks and air intakes located so that contaminated air will not be recirculated within a building or other enclosed area?

14. Ergonomics: computer workstations

14.1 Work posture

• Are head and neck are upright or in line with the torso (not bent down or back)?
• Are head, neck, and trunk face forward (not twisted)?
• Is the trunk perpendicular to the floor (may lean back into backrest but not forward)?
• Are shoulders and upper arms are in line with the torso, perpendicular to the floor, and relaxed?
• Are upper arms and elbows are close to the body (not extended outward)?
• Are forearms, wrists, and hands are straight and in line?
• Are wrists and hands are straight (not bent up, down, or sideways)?
• Are thighs are parallel to the floor and the lower legs are roughly perpendicular to floor?
• Are feet resting flat on the floor or supported by a stable footrest?
• Do computer users alternate computer tasks and other activities or take short breaks to reduce fatigue?

14.2 Chair

• Does the backrest support the lower back (lumbar area)?
• Does the depth and width of the seat pan accommodate the user (seat pan not too big or small)?
• Is there a space between the seat pan and the back of the knees and lower legs (seat pan not too long)?
• Is the seat pan is cushioned and rounded with a “waterfall” front (no sharp edge)?
• Do armrests, if used, support the forearms and do not restrict movement?

14.3 Keyboard and pointing device

• Is the keyboard platform stable and large enough to hold a keyboard and a pointing device?
• Is the pointing device next to the keyboard so it can be operated without reaching?
• Is the pointing device easy to activate and fits the hand comfortably?
• Do the wrists and hands rest on surfaces that are not sharp or hard?

14.4 Monitor

• Is the top of the screen at or below eye level so that it can be read without bending the neck?
• Can those who wear bifocal or trifocal lenses read the screen without bending their necks?
• Does the monitor distance allow one to read the screen without leaning forward or backward?
• Is the monitor is directly in front of the user?
• Is the screen free from glare from windows or other light sources?

14.5 Desk or other work surface

• Is there enough space between the top of the user’s thighs and the work surface or keyboard platform so that the thighs aren’t trapped?
• Is there enough space under the work surface for the legs and feet so that the user can get close enough to the keyboard to type comfortably?

14.6 Accessories

• Is the document holder stable and large enough to hold documents?
• Is the document holder about the same height and distance from the user as the monitor screen?
• Are palm rests padded and free of sharp or square edges?
• Do palm rests allow the forearms, wrists, and hands to remain in a straight line?
• Can a telephone be used with the head upright (not bent) and the shoulders relaxed?

15. Ergonomics: general

• Can the work be performed without eye strain or glare?
• Can the task be done without repetitive lifting of the arms above the shoulder level?
• Can the task be done without the employee having to hold his or her elbows out and away from the body?
• Can employees keep their hands or wrists in a neutral position when they are working?
• Are mechanical assists available to the worker performing materials-handling tasks?
• Can the task be done without having to stoop the neck and shoulders to view the work?
• Are pressure points on body parts such as wrists, forearms, backs of thighs avoided?
• Can the work be done using the larger muscles of the body?
• Are there sufficient rest breaks, in addition to scheduled rest breaks, to relieve stress from repetitive-motion tasks?
• Are tools, instruments, and machinery shaped, positioned, and handled so that tasks can be performed comfortably?
• Are all pieces of furniture adjusted, positioned, and arranged to minimize strain on the body?
• Are lifts confined within the knuckle-to-shoulder zone?
• Is work arranged so that workers are not required to lift and carry too much weight?
• If workers have to push or pull objects using great amounts of force, are mechanical aids provided?

16. Exit doors

• Are doors required to serve as exits designed and constructed so that the way of exit travel is obvious and direct?
• Are windows that could be mistaken for exit doors made inaccessible by barriers or railing?
• Are exit doors able to open from the direction of exit travel without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort?
• Is a revolving, sliding, or overhead door prohibited from serving as a required exit door?
• When panic hardware is installed on a required exit door, will it allow the door to open by applying a force of 15 pounds or less in the direction of the exit traffic?
• Are doors on cold-storage rooms provided with inside release mechanisms that release the latches and open the doors even they are padlocked or otherwise locked on the outside?
• Where exit doors open directly onto a street, alley, or other area where vehicles may be operated, are adequate barriers and warnings provided to prevent employees from stepping directly into traffic?
• Do doors that swing both directions have viewing panels in each door if they are frequently used?

17. Exits

• Are all exits marked with an exit sign and illuminated by a reliable light source if used in darkness?
• Are directions to exits marked with visible signs if the exits are not immediately apparent?
• Are doors, passageways, or stairways that are neither exits nor access to exits, and that could be mistaken for exits, marked “NOT AN EXIT,” or “TO BASEMENT,” “STOREROOM,” and the like?
• Are exit signs provided with the word “EXIT” in lettering at least six inches high and the stroke of the lettering at least 3⁄4-inch wide?
• Are exit doors side-hinged?
• Are all exits kept free of obstructions and unlocked?
• Are at least two means of egress provided from elevated platforms, pits, or rooms where the absence of a second exit would increase the risk of injury from hot, poisonous, corrosive, suffocating, flammable, or explosive substances?
• Are there sufficient exits to permit prompt escape in emergencies?
• Are the number of exits from each floor of a building and the number of exits from the building itself appropriate for the building occupancy load?
• When workers must exit through glass doors, storm doors, and such are the doors fully tempered and do they meet safety requirements for human impact?

                                               ------ Continued in next post

                                                          work site safety inspection part 3