What is a Health and Safety Checklist?
A health and safety checklist is a tool used to reinforce Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) practices and help organizations comply with safety rules and regulations. Performing regular inspections using health and safety checklist templates is a proactive approach to preventing work-related incidents, injuries, and illnesses.
The use of health and safety inspection checklists can also help organizations apply the latest best practices for situations or changes in the workplace that impact lives and livelihoods.
How Can You Identify Health and Safety Problems?
Every workplace will have hazards; depending on the industry, businesses will have to contend with different types of hazards that come with the job. It is an employer’s legal responsibility to look after employees and protect them from health and safety hazards in the workplace, and knowing the common types of hazards is the first step in avoiding work-related accidents and injuries. Here are steps to guide you with identifying health and safety problems in the workplace :
- Conduct Inspections and Observations – Regularly inspect the workplace by walking through work areas and observe how tasks are performed. Pay attention to equipment usage, chemical handling, and work practices. Look for unsafe conditions or behaviors that could lead to injuries.
- Consult with Employees – Engage workers to gain insights on safety concerns with interviews about hazards they’ve encountered. Create anonymous surveys to gather feedback on issues that require anonymity such as workplace harassment and bad practices.
- Conduct Risk Assessments – Systematically evaluate risks associated with work activities. Break down jobs into tasks and identify hazards at each stage. Assess the likelihood and severity of potential injuries.
- Review Records and Data – Analyze existing information on workplace hazards and examine past incident reports, near-misses, and accident records. This helps you get an idea on what to focus on.
Benefits of Using a Safety Checklist
A health and safety audit checklist proves to be an essential tool for ensuring workplace safety. For one, it simplifies the process of identifying and assessing workplace risks by mapping out the essential safety aspects, measures, and considerations. This way, safety officers can carry out these checks in a streamlined fashion and maintain safety standards across the organization.
With the data gathered from this safety checklist, organizations can proactively address the identified hazards and take preventive measures before they escalate. This practice notably reduces the likelihood of unfortunate workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses. It demonstrates, in writing, that you have implemented reasonable steps to determine and rectify workplace risks.
Common Types of Health and Safety Inspection Checklists
Safety checklists come in various types and formats depending on the industry and hazard to be addressed. Here’s a quick overview of the common types of health and safety inspection checklists used in various industries:
General Safety Checklists
A general safety checklist is fundamental for evaluating overall safety measures in workplaces. They cover a wide range of safety factors applicable to most industries and work environments, such as first aid, fire safety, and emergency procedures.
Workplace Safety Checklists
Workplace-specific checklists are tailored to address safety concerns and hazards unique to a particular industry or setting. These checklists ideally cover safety checks within the facilities such as sanitation, storage, and garbage disposal procedures.
Equipment Safety Checklists
Equipment safety checklists revolve around upholding safety standards for tools, equipment, or machinery used in the workplace. They ensure that the equipment is in good working condition and that employees are sufficiently trained to operate it safely.
Process Safety Checklists
Lastly, process safety checklists outline safety considerations during specific work activities or processes. They will walk employees through the steps and precautions to exercise when carrying out their day-to-day jobs. Some examples include the following:
What Should You Include in a Health and Safety Checklist?
Using checklists during health and safety inspections paves the way for a safe and secure work environment. So if you’re creating a general health and safety checklist for the first time, make sure to include the following areas:
- Overall working environment
- Housekeeping
- Material storage
- Electrical safety
- Ladders and step ladders
- Kitchen areas
- Toilet facilities
- First aid
- Fire precautions
- Fire instructions
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) requirements
- Machinery
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Eyewash bottles and cylinders
- Outside areas
To illustrate how this works, here’s an example of a health and safety inspection report accomplished using a checklist:
FAQs about Health and Safety Checklists
Health and safety checklists can be used by anyone responsible for workplace safety, including employers, safety managers, supervisors, and employees. They are a valuable resource for performing regular inspections and finding potential work-related risks.
While using this checklist is not necessarily a legal requirement, it can work as a guiding tool for ensuring compliance with health and safety standards and regulations.
Check with your local authorities and regulatory agencies to find specific legal requirements applicable to your location. Aside from this, consider looking into industry associations and occupational health and safety organizations for guidelines and best practices to incorporate into your checklist.
To keep your checklists relevant and reliable, they must be regularly reviewed and revised according to the changes in regulations or workplace conditions. It also helps to ask for feedback from employees, supervisors, and safety professionals to identify improvements, meet the current workplace needs, and continuously improve the quality and usability of the checklist.
Jona Tarlengco