Are you worried about not passing an OSHA inspection? Look no further.
Many business owners are unsure of what to do when it comes to these inspections because they seem to be random. Fortunately, there are several things that you can do to ensure the inspection goes smoothly.
How often are inspections done in facilities? In general, they’re performed quite often. However, they’re usually done in hazardous facilities.
If your building happens to land a spot on OSHA’s list, you can work towards getting off of it during the inspection.
Read on to learn how to prepare for and pass an OSHA inspection!
Create a Procedure
Before a facility inspection, you’ll want to make a procedure that will prepare yourself for when an inspector shows up. Determine who will greet the inspector and tour them around your property.
If your business employs the likes of security, you should consider having them walk with the inspector. Keep in mind that you shouldn’t have a large group of people with the inspector, but try to gather a small group.
You can also choose a meeting area to make things simpler with the inspector. This will allow for private discussion and gives everyone a calm environment to speak. When the inspector arrives, you should ensure that your property will be accessible during the inspection.
As the inspection occurs, take notes and photos so that you have a personal record to look at. You should also check the identification of the inspector to ensure that it’s not an impersonator.
Have Records Ready
During the inspection, you’ll be asked to present records of your business and facilities. If you don’t have these on hand, you’ll delay the process and give a bad impression. Organizing your documents will allow the inspection to go smoothly.
Ensure that all of your records are complete and accurate. You’ll also want to keep them together so you don’t have to search for them when asked. You can also use the cloud to store your data so that you can access it digitally from any device.
Take Care of Problems Ahead of Time
If you’ve performed building checks without having an inspector come, you have most likely noticed problems that your facility has. Whenever you notice problems, you must immediately address them so they don’t become a problem during an OSHA inspection.
Not only will you be keeping your facility up to code, but your employees will be working in a safer environment. It’s important to make a building walkthrough checklist of things that a typical inspector would look for.
When you’ve made a list, start performing inspections often. This will prevent you from receiving any citations in the future. You might also save money, as well, because you’ll be fixing things before they become worse.
Train Your Staff
One way that you can keep your facility safe and up to code is training your employees about safety. Your employees will be able to spot anything out of the ordinary and report to you about it.
This will promote a culture in the workplace that revolves around avoiding danger. Your employees will know how to avoid doing things that will break something and how to react whenever a dangerous situation happens.
You should also train your staff to prepare for OSHA inspections. Depending on the size of your facility, you might employ hundreds or thousands of people. In cases like this, you can use communication systems like the ones from www.plant-tours.com to equip everyone with headphones.
You can direct everyone at once or individual areas of your company based on the needs of the inspector. Should the inspector need to see an area that’s usually full of people, you can direct those that work there to go to a designated area.
Try practicing this several times with your employees to make sure that everyone is on the same page. You also shouldn’t convince your employees to avoid talking to the inspector, so ensure that they understand how they should speak with them.
Cooperate
The most important thing that you need to do during an inspection is to cooperate. If the inspector asks you questions or tells you they need to do something, you shouldn’t ignore them. Not cooperating could earn you a trip to a courtroom because you’ve failed to comply.
To ensure the inspection is as quick as possible, listen to everything that they say and don’t lie. If you have questions about the inspection process, feel free to ask them about it. Their information will help you during your next inspection.
Start Preparing for an OSHA Inspection Today
Because an OSHA inspection can happen at any time, you’ll want to start preparing in case it happens in your facility. If you’re not prepared, you’ll run the risk of losing your business and putting your employees in danger.
OSHA inspections are designed to ensure that workplaces are safe and healthy to work in. Keeping your building up to code will prevent any workers from getting injured, and you won’t get any citations during the inspection.
Start preparing for an inspection by creating a procedure that you can follow when an inspector arrives. You also need to train your employees on what to do when a hazard occurs and how to behave during an inspection.
If your business has a plethora of records, consider loading them up on a computer so that you can quickly access them. Using the cloud will let you access them from anywhere, preventing you from having to travel around the building.