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Checklists play an important part in promoting safety in any industrial working environment. Start by learning how these lists work, then find out how to make a safety audit checklist to account for operational procedures. This explanation also points out the far-reaching benefits of having workers complete checklists for important safety measures.
Checklists Create a Culture of Safety
Requiring workers to complete pre- and post-operation checklists for heavy equipment emphasizes the importance of safety in any work environment. Checklists may seem like an unnecessary complication to workflows, but these safety documents go a long way toward ensuring that every step is completed in accordance with relevant safety requirements.
The most complete checklists cover several aspects of safety such as employee safety training, personal protective equipment and safety protocols. It is also possible to account for the condition of equipment or a working area by using one or more checklists.
Paper checklists are more prone to get lost in the shuffle. The best way to maintain detailed records of regular safety walks is to digitize checklists with safety management software. These checklists can be accessed, filled out and submitted from mobile devices, approved on devices used by supervisors in any location and accessed on devices and computers at the home office.
In this way, a checklist has the ability to keep workers in the field or on the floor, supervisors and other employees apprised of safety conditions. Unique checklists can also be developed for all of the working environments associated with an enterprise. The contents of these checklists are likely to vary considerably based on sites and machinery.
Making an Industrial Safety Checklist
Employers and supervisors should work together to determine the best way to keep workers safe by promoting accountability. Checklists often turn out to be the best way to remind staff of all of the measures required for safe operation and completion of maintenance, repair or emergency shutdown procedures.
While it is possible to use paper checklists, enterprises that rely on software for document workflow management may want to create digital checklists that can be filled out anywhere at any time, even when field workers are in locations without access to an internet connection. The most thorough checklists account for several aspects of safety:
- Employee training: Make sure all employees are properly trained for tasks.
- Personal protective equipment: Ensure that employees have access to the requisite PPE.
- Working area conditions: Confirm a workplace or worksite meets safety standards.
- Equipment condition: Check and note the condition of the equipment used on location.
- Signage and information: Look for posted safety information and warning signs.
- Emergency procedures: Remind employees of steps to take in an emergency.
Based on workflows, an organization may benefit from having a general industry safety audit checklist. It may also be beneficial to develop specialized checklists for setting up, inspecting and maintaining machinery and work areas.
Any checklists an organization uses should account for the specific circumstances and conditions of the relevant equipment or work location. Multiple checklists may be necessary for employees in working environments that have equipment requiring frequent pre- and post- operation measures in addition to regularly scheduled inspections.
Safety Audit Checklist Tips
No matter which checklist you develop first, every list should have clearly defined areas of concern. A general industry safety checklist may start out with training, which is necessary for the completion of mandated safety walks, in addition to safe operation, maintenance or repairs. Other relevant areas for a particular checklist should also be broken down into categories and areas that require attention.
After an enterprise implements one or more checklists, it may be necessary to audit the contents of lists to ensure that checks on one list do not overlap unnecessarily with other lists and that submitted lists do not suggest that maintenance or other issues are going unaddressed in spite of the new procedures that have been put in place.
Using a Safety Inspection Checklist
The best way to encourage employees to complete checklists is to make submission a step in workflows. When you use work safety software or a dedicated computerized maintenance or enterprise asset management system, these checklists should be filled out and submitted digitally.
Incorporating checklists into workflows is the best way to increase the likelihood that safety requirements are kept in mind and met during the use of equipment and completion of tasks. Workers on an industrial, manufacturing or warehouse floor should have no problem submitting these safety reports online and getting immediate approvals and sign-offs. Field workers can appreciate the ability to fill out inspection checklists offline and submit documents as soon as an internet connection is available.
Industrial Safety Checklist Benefits
From reminding trained employees of the safety measures that accompany workflows to generating detailed inspection logs for audits, there are many benefits to using checklists in construction and industrial workflows. Complex workflows may have numerous safety requirements that could prove challenging for employees to observe or maintain at all times. Checklists should include the most important requirements to direct your workers’ attention to the most critical points for workplace safety.
Let Fluix Help You Foster a Culture of Industrial Safety
Enterprises that incorporate safety inspection checklists into operational workflows often reduce worksite accidents caused by preventable safety hazards. Integrating digitized checklists into safety protocols can be an effective way to prioritize safety throughout every occupational process.
Fluix has software that makes it possible to automate more aspects of workflows and enables workers in the field to complete checklists offline empowers any business to reap the benefits of consistent and thorough safety inspections. Contact us today for more information.
Conduct Safety Inspections More Effectively
- Complete inspections using a mobile device
- Keep records of safety audits
- Avoid time-consuming data entry
