Frequency and duration of inspections by safety representatives
The frequency and duration of inspections should be agreed between the employer and the safety representative at the start of his or her term of office and should involve the safety committee, if such exists. It is difficult to set down exact frequencies for inspections, taking into account the numbers of employees exposed and the level of risk. However, the following examples can be used as a guide to determine the frequency and time spent on inspections. The types of businesses listed below are indicative and not exhaustive.
Type of business | Number of employees | Frequency of inspection | Duration of inspection |
Risk |
Small office Retail establishment Service delivery business operating from one main workplace unit, section or department [2] Small school | Less than 10 | Fortnightly/monthly | One hour |
Low |
Medium-sized office, retail or service business with several work areas, either in one unit, section or department or spread over some nearby locations As above at multilocational workplaces [3] | 10 to 50 | Once a week/ fortnightly per unit, section or department Once a month per location | One hour One hour |
Low Low |
Large office, retail or service business with several work areas, with many units, sections or departments or spread over some nearby locations As above at multilocational workplaces | More than 50 | Once a month per unit, section or department Once a month per location | One hour One hour |
Low |
Type of business | Number of employees | Frequency of inspection | Duration of inspection | Risk |
Small manufacturing workplace | Less than 10 | Once a week/fortnightly | One hour | Medium Risk: (e.g. manual handling, semi-automated units and packaging, finish goods storage and dispatch) |
Small manufacturing workplace | Less than 10 | Once a week/fortnightly | Two hours | High Risk: If the risks are increased or there are regular changes (e.g. manual handling, chemical/physical agents use, printing processes,) |
Small construction site | Less than 10 | Once a week/fortnightly | One hour | High Risk e.g. If working at heights, traffic risks, excavations |
Medium-sized manufacturing environment (each manufacturing unit, section or department to be inspected) | 10 to 50 | Once a week/ fortnightly per unit, section or department | One hour | High Risk: If the risks are increased as above or there are regular changes |
Medium-sized health care institution (e.g. private hospital, nursing home), Medium-sized school or public body | 10 to 50 | Once a week/ fortnightly | One to two hours | High: if risks change regularly, or number of other people exposed increases e.g. members of the public, students etc. |
Medium-sized | 10 to 50 | Once a week | One to two | High: if risks |
construction site | hours | change regularly, | ||
(whole site to be | working at heights, | |||
inspected) | traffic risks, excavations or the number of people exposed changes regularly e.g. when new workers or trades taken on etc. |
Type of business | Number of employees | Frequency of inspection |
Duration of inspection |
Risk |
Large manufacturing environment (each unit, section or department to be inspected) | More than 50 | Fortnightly/monthly per unit, section or department |
One hour |
High Risk: If the risks are increased as above or there are regular changes |
Large construction environment (each unit, section or department to be inspected) | More than 50 | Once/twice a week |
Two hours |
High: if risks change regularly, as above or the number of people exposed changes regularly |
Large regional hospital, large public body (e.g. county council, government department or large school) (each unit, section or department to be inspected) | More than 50 | Fortnightly/monthly per unit, section or department |
One hour |
High: if risks change regularly, or number of other people exposed increases e.g. members of the public, students etc. |
As above at multilocational workplaces | More than 50 | Fortnightly/monthly per location |
One hour |
High: as above |
Originally posted 2013-10-06 11:52:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter