Would You Know If Your Workplace Is Safe?

• Are you confident that you have a safe workplace?
  
• How do you know?
  
• Do you regularly inspect your workplace to identify safety problems?
  
• Do you in fact know what constitutes an unsafe workplace?
  
• Do you talk to your employees about safety issues and encourage your employees to report safety problems?
  
• Do you regularly inspect your workplace to identify safety problems?
  
• Do you fix the identified problems?
  
• If so, do you ensure that the work being carried out is done safely?

Below is a sample selection of questions from six practical checklists developed by Workcover NSW to help you establish sound safety practices in your workplace. These checklists are useful to all types of businesses. They cover the areas of slips, trips and falls; emergency procedures; electrical; chemicals; machinery and equipment; and manual handling. Not all the questions may be relevant to your workplace but they should assist you to highlight your own workplace safety issues.

Some sample questions on your workplace safety

• Are floor surfaces free of water, oil or other fluids?
  
• Are floor surfaces even?
  
• Are spills cleaned up immediately?
  
• Are walkways and doorways clear of boxes, extension cords and litter?
  
• Is the tread on stairs adequate to minimise slipping?
  
• Are stairways kept clear of boxes, equipment and other obstructions?
  
• Are walkways well lit?
  
• Have you identified emergencies that may require an evacuation of the working area?
  
• Have you identified what signal(s) will be used to start evacuation?
  
• Are emergency procedures displayed in your workplace?
  
• Have you nominated a person to be responsible for managing an evacuation?
  
• Are switchboards and electrical equipment in a safe condition?
  
• Are all power points, light fittings and switches in a safe place and free of obvious defects?
  
• Are main and isolating switches clearly labelled and accessible?
  
• Are the electrical fittings and electrical equipment, including portable power tools, regularly inspected and maintained?
  
• Can all materials and equipment be lifted and carried easily?
  
• Is there appropriate first aid to deal with splashes or other incidents from chemicals?
  
• Are machine guards in place on all operating equipment?
  
• Is there adequate clearance/aisle space around machinery and equipment?
  
• Is rotation of tasks used to avoid repetitive work?
  
• Are work benches at a comfortable height?

Sources

www.workcover.nsw.gov.au
www.australianbusiness.com.au

Author Credits