Work Site Safety Inspection - Part 7

Work Site Safety Inspection


36. Stairs and stairways

• Are standard stair rails and handrails present on all stairways having four or more risers?
• Are all stairways at least 22 inches wide?
• Do stairs have at least 6.5 feet of overhead clearance?
• Do stairs angle no more than 50 degrees and no less than 30 degrees?
• Are risers on stair steps uniform, with no riser more than 9.5 inches?
• Are steps on stairs and stairways provided with a slip-resistant surface?
• Are stairway handrails 30-42 inches above the leading edge of stair treads?
• Do stairway handrails have at least three inches’ clearance between the handrail and the surface they are mounted on?
• Are stairway handrails capable of withstanding a load of 200 pounds applied in any direction?
• Where stairs or stairways exit directly into an area where vehicles may be operated, have you provided adequate barriers and warnings to prevent employees from stepping into traffic?

37. Tools and equipment:

37.1 Hand tools

• Are all company- and employee-owned tools and equipment in good working condition?
• Are hand tools such as chisels or punches that develop mushroomed heads reconditioned or replaced as necessary?
• Are broken or fractured handles on hammers, axes, or similar equipment replaced promptly?
• Are appropriate handles used on files and similar tools?
• Do employees use appropriate safety glasses, face shields, and similar equipment when using hand tools or equipment that might produce flying materials or be subject to breakage?
• Are jacks checked periodically to ensure they are in good operating condition?
• Are tool handles wedged tightly in the heads of all tools?
• Are tool-cutting edges kept sharp tools will smoothly without binding or skipping?
• Do employees use eye and face protection when they drive hardened or tempered tools, bits, or nails?

37.2 Portable power-operated

• Do grinders, saws, and similar equipment have appropriate safety guards?
• Are power tools used with the shield or guard that the manufacturer recommends?
• Are portable circular saws equipped with guards above and below the base shoe?
• Are circular saw guards checked to ensure guarding of the lower blade portion?
• Are rotating or moving parts of equipment guarded to prevent physical contact?
• Are all cord-connected, electrically-operated tools and equipment either grounded or of the approved double-insulated type?
• Are effective guards in place over belts, pulleys, chains, and sprockets on equipment such as concrete mixers, air compressors, and the like?
• Are portable fans provided with full guards having openings of 1⁄2 inch or less?
• Is hoisting equipment available and used for lifting heavy objects, and are hoist ratings and characteristics appropriate for the task?
• Are ground-fault circuit interrupters (on all temporary electrical 15-, 20-, and 30-ampere circuits) used during periods of construction?

 Or

• Is there an assured equipment-grounding conductor program in place during periods of construction?
• Are pneumatic and hydraulic hoses on power-operated tools checked regularly for deterioration or damage?

38. TRAINING

• Do new employees receive HSE orientation and training prior to exposure to hazards?
• Do employees complete required HSE on-site and online HSE training
• Are weekly safety meetings conducted consistently?
• Are HSE briefings conducted immediately after nears miss incidents and injury accidents?
• Is the on-site Safety Representative involved in safety orientation and training.
• Are safety meetings and other forms of HSE instruction documented with attendance rosters?
• Are employees trained on performing hazardous task certified as competent/qualified?

39. Transportation: employees and materials

• Do employees who operate vehicles on public thoroughfares have operator licenses?
• Are motor vehicle drivers trained in defensive driving and proper use of the vehicle?
• Are employees required to use seatbelts?
• Does each van, bus, or truck used to transport employees have an adequate number of seats?
• When employees are transported by truck, are safeguards provided to prevent them from falling from the vehicle?
• Are vehicles equipped with lamps, brakes, horns, mirrors, windshields, and turn signals that are in good repair?
• Are transport vehicles equipped with handrails, steps, stirrups, or similar devices so employees can safely mount or dismount?
• Is a fully-charged fire extinguisher, in good condition maintained in each employee transport vehicle?
• When sharp-edged cutting tools are carried in passenger compartments of employee transport vehicles, are they placed in closed boxes or containers that are secured in place?
• Are employees prohibited from riding on top of any load that can shift, topple, or otherwise become unstable?
• Are materials that could shift and enter the cab secured or barricaded?

40. Ventilation for indoor air quality

• Does the HVAC system provide at least the quantity of outdoor air designed into the system at the time the building was constructed?
• Is the HVAC system inspected at least annually and maintained so that it is clean and efficient?
• Are efforts made to purchase furnishings or building treatments that do not give off toxic or offensive vapors?
• Are indoor air quality complaints investigated, and are the results conveyed to workers?

41. Walkways(For construction and operation process)

• Are aisles and passageways kept clear and at least 22 inches wide?
• Are aisles and walkways appropriately marked?
• Are wet surfaces covered with non-slip materials?
• Are openings or holes in the floors or other walking surfaces repaired or otherwise made safe?
• Is there a safe clearance for walking in aisles in which vehicles operate?
• Are materials and equipment stored so sharp objects do not obstruct the walkway?
• Are changes of direction or elevation easily identified?
• Do aisles or walkways near moving or operating machinery, welding, and similar operations keep employees away from hazards?
• Is there floor-to-headroom height of at least 6.5 feet provided for the entire length of any walkway?
• Are standard guardrails provided wherever aisle or walkway surfaces are elevated more than four feet above floor or ground?
• Are bridges provided over conveyors and similar hazards?

42. WASTE AND WASTE WATER

• Is the waste collected and stored correctly?
• Is the waste separated correctly? (containers labeled, incompatible substances separated, etc.)
• Has the municipality granted any exemptions regarding waste, and are they still valid?
• Which types of waste water does the site have (sanitary waste water, process waste water)?
• Are there any requirements regarding measurements of waste water, and if requirements are set – are the measurements carried out?

43. Welding, cutting and brazing

• Do you allow only authorized and trained personnel to use welding, cutting, or brazing equipment?
• Are compressed gas cylinders regularly examined for signs of defect, deep rusting, or leakage?
• Are cylinders kept away from sources of heat?
• Are employees prohibited from using cylinders as rollers or supports?
• Are empty cylinders appropriately marked, their valves closed, and valve-protection caps placed on them?
• Are signs posted that read “DANGER — NO SMOKING, MATCHES, OR OPEN LIGHTS,” or the equivalent?
• Are cylinders, cylinder valves, couplings, regulators, hoses, and apparatus kept free of oily or greasy substances?
• Unless secured on special trucks, are regulators removed and valve-protection caps put in place before moving cylinders?
• Do cylinders without fixed hand wheels have keys, handles, or nonadjustable wrenches on stem valves when in service?
• Are liquefied gases stored and shipped with the valve end up and with valve covers in place?
• Before a regulator is removed, is the valve closed and gas then released from the regulator?
• Is open circuit (no load) voltage of arc welding and cutting machines as low as possible and not more than the recommended limit?
• Are electrodes removed from holders when not in use?
• Are employees required to shut off the electric power to the welder when no one is using it?
• Is suitable fire-extinguishing equipment available for immediate use?
• Are welders forbidden to coil or loop welding electrode cable around their bodies?
• Is work and electrode lead cable frequently inspected for wear and damage and replaced when needed?
• Do the means for connecting cable lengths have adequate insulation?
• When the object to be welded cannot be moved and fire hazards cannot be removed, are shields used to confine heat, slag, and sparks?
• Are fire watchers assigned when welding or cutting is performed in locations where a fire might develop?
• When welding is done on metal walls, are precautions taken to protect combustibles on the other side?
• Before hot work begins, are drums, barrels, tanks, and other containers thoroughly cleaned and tested so that no substances remain that could explode, ignite, or produce toxic vapors?
• Do eye-protection helmets, hand shields, and goggles meet appropriate standards?
• Do employees use appropriate PPE when exposed to the hazards of welding, cutting, or brazing operations?
• Do you check for adequate ventilation where welding or cutting is performed?
• When welders work in confined spaces is the atmosphere monitored and is there a means for their quick evacuation in an emergency?
• Are regulator-pressure adjusting screws released when welding or cutting is stopped for an extended period of time?

44. Work environment: general

• Are all work areas clean and orderly?
• Are walking surfaces dry or slip-resistant?
• Are spilled materials or liquids cleaned up immediately?
• Is combustible scrap, debris, and waste safely contained and removed from the site promptly?
• Are covered metal waste cans used for oily and paint-soaked waste?
• Is the appropriate number of toilets and washing facilities provided?
• Are toilets and washing facilities sanitary?
• Are work areas adequately lighted?