What are Construction Safety Inspection Checklists?
Construction safety inspection checklists are tools used by site supervisors and foremen to proactively check if the construction site is following safety protocols implemented to help keep workers safe and protected from safety hazards. These aim to improve workplace safety by ensuring all risks are mitigated and sites are inspected before work.
Importance
The construction industry has 21.1% of the total work-related fatalities among private enterprises and employers in construction have a responsibility to comply with safety regulations and promote safety in order to keep workers protected from work-related hazards. For this reason, having a construction safety inspection checklist becomes essential.
A construction safety inspection checklist can help with ensuring the following:
- Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are being used
- Emergency numbers and procedures are known and communicated effectively to staff
- Work areas and construction sites are orderly and free of hazards
- Electrical wirings, power tools, and plumbings are in good and safe working condition
Using construction safety inspection checklists can also increase productivity. As it can reduce incidents and injuries, employees can be more encouraged to work their best.
The Most Violated OSHA Standards in Construction
Using a construction safety inspection checklist can also help greatly increase compliance with safety standards. In particular, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set standards to help maintain safety in the workplace and of the top 10 most violated OSHA standards, 3 of them belong to the construction industry:
- Fall protection – Falls are one of the most common causes of work-related injuries and deaths that can be prevented by proper fall protection in construction sites.
- Scaffolding – Ever present in construction work, OSHA estimates that 65% of workers in the construction industry work on scaffolds.
- Ladders – About 33% of deaths from falls in construction are caused by falls from ladders.
Implementing safety measures can help manage health and safety risks that come with working in construction projects be it residential or commercial. Proactively conducting construction safety inspections using checklists designed to capture hazards can control risks and promote the safety of construction workers.
What to Include in a Construction Safety Checklist
A typical construction safety checklist has fields for the following:
- Date the construction safety inspection is being conducted
- Name of person preparing the inspection checklist
- Personnel involved
- Presence of OSHA rules and other safety guidelines in visible places
- Presence of emergency procedure guidelines, first aid kids, and emergency numbers
- Housekeeping tasks to be carried out
- Electrical and utility tasks to be done
- Condition of power tools and equipment to be used
- Presence and condition of barricades, ladders, scaffoldings, and PPE
- Violations and possible ones, if any
Here is a sample construction safety inspection checklist in use for reference:
The most common way construction safety inspection checklists are done is with pen and paper, but do consider going digital. With a digital checklist, you can save time and improve operations, giving more focus to safety.
Watch this video to learn more about how going digital can help with construction safety:
FAQs about Construction Safety Inspection Checklists
A construction safety inspection checklist should be used on a regular basis, preferably daily and when incidents happen. It is important to have a consistent safety inspection routine to ensure that all potential hazards are identified and mitigated in a timely manner.
Construction safety inspections should be conducted by qualified personnel, including safety officers, supervisors, and trained individuals with knowledge of construction safety regulations. They are also often the ones to use and manage construction safety inspection checklists.
Any identified hazards or deficiencies should be documented and reported promptly. Corrective actions must be taken to address these issues to ensure a safe work environment. The best way to ensure all findings and results are stored and easily accessible is by using a digital checklist provider that has cloud storage that can be opened on both desktop and mobile devices.
