There are TWO TIERS of safety inspections regardless of the type of construction project – road, building, waterway, or hazardous waste clean-up.
First Tier – Initial Site Inspection at the Start of the Project.
This inspection is more of a Program Audit than a site safety inspection and is best performed at the very start of the site work – even before work if possible!! The audit focuses on Overall Safety Management, Security, Anticipated Hazards, Postings and Training, and, if necessary, a Site-Specific Health and Safety Plan (HASP), but it should occur at the project site when work has begun or is about to begin.
This inspection is also to prevent citations from an OSHA Inspector who may arrive early in the project, which is not an unusual situation.
Essential Elements Include:
- Safety Policy Statement
- Written Safety Program for Contractors and Subcontractors
- Assignment of Management and Safety Responsibilities
- New Hire or New Site Workers Orientation
- Employee Safety Rules
- Posting of Required Signs and Notices
- Accident/Injury Report System including First Aid/CPR
- Safety Committee/Toolbox Safety Meetings
- What To Do If OSHA Arrives
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Hazard Communication Training of Site Personnel
- Site-Specific HASP including Job Hazard Analysis
- Emergency Evacuation Plan
- Chemical Inventory and SDS’s
- Site Security – Both On and Off Work Hours
- Environmental/Community Awareness
The most critical factor in the First Tier Inspection/Audit is to make sure all policies and activities have been anticipated and addressed. These efforts must be addressed long before the site work begins. But the FIRST TIER SITE INSPECTION is when all these preparations have been implemented at the start of the project—usually within the first few weeks of setting up at the worksite.
Don’t wait until someone is injured, or OSHA shows up, or the neighbors file a lawsuit, to look at the safety elements required for a project.
We can offer our services for such First Tier Inspections/Audits. Atlantic Environmental is now under the ownership of Phase Associates. Feel free to fill out our online Phase Associated contact form to get in touch.
Search for our follow-up article, where we will talk more about Tier 2 – Progress Inspections at Construction Sites.
Our primary service areas for Construction Site Safety Inspections are: NJ, NY, NYC, PA, CT, DE, (Boston) MA, RI, Wash DC, WI, MD, MI, (Chicago) IL, VA, IN, (Atlanta) GA, AL, NC, SC, TN, (Dallas, Ft Worth) TX, OK, DC, AR., we can service most other areas of the U.S. but with some added travel charges.