Work Site Safety Inspection - Part 4

Work Site Safety Inspection

22. Infection control

• If employees could be exposed to infectious agents in body fluids, have potential exposure events been identified and documented?
• Has a training and information program been provided for employees who could be exposed to infectious agents in body fluids?
• Have infection-control procedures been instituted where appropriate, such as ventilation, universal precautions, workplace practices, and personal protective equipment?
• Are employees aware of specific workplace practices for hand washing, handling sharp instruments, handling laundry, disposal of contaminated materials, and reusable equipment?
• Is personal protective equipment provided and available to employees who need it?
• Is necessary equipment such as mouthpieces, resuscitation bags, and other ventilation devices provided for administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?
• Are supplies and equipment — such as hand washing sinks, biohazard tags and labels, sharps containers, and detergents or disinfectants — available to allow employees to comply with workplace practices?
• Are environmental and working surfaces and equipment cleaned and disinfected after contact with blood or potentially infectious materials?
• Is infectious waste placed in closable, leak-proof containers, bags, or puncture-resistant holders with proper labels?
• Has medical surveillance including HBV evaluation, antibody testing, and vaccination been made available to potentially exposed employees?

Does medical surveillance cover the following:

• Universal precautions?
• Personal protective equipment?
• Workplace practices, which should include blood drawing, room cleaning, laundry handling, and cleanup of blood spills?
• Needle stick exposure and management?
• Hepatitis B vaccination?

23. Joint Health & Safety committees

• Is the safety committee composed of an equal number of employer and employee representatives?
• Are employee representative volunteers or elected by their peers?
• Are there the correct number of members (check with provincial and state rules)?
• Does the safety committee elect the chairperson?
• Are safety committee members compensated at their normal wages during safety committee training and meetings?
• Do employee representatives serve terms that last at least one year?
• Are terms of service alternated or staggered so that at least one experienced member is serving on the committee?
• Are reasonable efforts made to ensure that committee members represent the major work activities of the business?
• Does the safety committee hold regular meetings at least once a month except months when workplace inspections are performed?
• Does the safety committee follow a written agenda?
• Are minutes kept at each meeting?
• Are the minutes available to all employees?
• Are the minutes maintained for at least three years?
• Are all reports, evaluations, and recommendations of the safety committee included in the safety committee minutes?
• Has a reasonable time been set within which your employer must respond in writing to safety committee recommendations?
• Has the safety committee set up a system for collecting safety-related suggestions, reports of hazards, or other information directly from those involved in workplace operations?
• Is such information reviewed during the next safety committee meeting and recorded in the minutes?
• Does the safety committee assist your employer in evaluating the workplace safety and health program?
• Does the safety committee make written recommendations to improve the workplace safety and health program?
• Has the safety committee established procedures by which the safety committee inspection team can find and identify safety and health hazards?
• Does the safety committee conduct workplace inspections at least quarterly?
• Does the safety committee recommend ways for the employer to eliminate or correct hazards and unsafe work practices in the workplace?
• Does the safety committee inspection team include employer and employee representatives?
• Does the safety committee inspection team document in writing the location and identity of hazards?
• Are quarterly inspections of satellite locations done by the safety committee inspection team or by a person designated at the location?
• Has the safety committee established procedures to review all safety and health inspection reports made by the committee?
• Has the safety committee assisted in evaluating elements of the OHSMS?
• Has the safety committee made recommendations for improving safety and health accountability?
• Has the safety committee established procedures for investigating workplace injury accidents, illnesses, and deaths?
• Has safety committee’s purpose and operation been discussed with all safety committee members?
• Do safety committee members have access to applicable occupational safety and health standards?
• Have safety committee members received safety training on their duties and responsibilities, hazard identification and accident investigation.

                                               ------ Continued in next post

                                                          work site safety inspection part 5