Structured and documented inspections

Structured and documented inspections Reasons for workplace inspections 

The difference between formal and informal inspections was described in Corrducting workplace inspections above. While informal inspections are intended to occrrrinarty health and safety management system, it is the formal inspections which will actually 

They may be one of the tools used in the overall audit of health and safety. A standard form of reporting will be nsed which has been developed beforehand. Formal inspections are intended to ensnre that structured inspections take place as a normal part of the management system. They also assist in complying with the law. 

Some inspection reports must be kept and be available to OHS authority inspectors as a legal requirement. 

The workplace inspection may be carried out by a wide range of people. Using the same checklist, a different emphasis could be placed on the same item for example, ventilation is an item that appears on checklists from almost all workplaces. However, a health and safety representative or mechanical fitter may look at the ventilation system in a vastly different way from an industrial hygienist or a ventilation engineer. The important issue in a workplace inspection is to identify if the ventilation system is working properly and receives regular maintenance. It is not a requirement to be a specialist in the area of ventilation to determine if the system is functioning properly 

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You may conduct the audit alone or using a team. (See the section Structured and documented inspections earher.) Just as for inspections, it is important to consult with employees, employee representatives, and health and safety committees on the audit process, design, development, workplace approach, evaluation and reporting. That does not mean they physically conduct the audit. 

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