• Third-party audits are helpful in establishing the initial list of hazards.
• Third-party audits are typically done around every five years.

Third-party audits are an excellent way to get a fresh look at the hazards in a workplace. These can be done by private consultants, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) consultation personnel, corporate personnel, and workers’ compensation representatives. These types of audits are very helpful in establishing the initial (comprehensive) list of hazards. They are also typically done every five years or so, to refresh the baseline of hazards.

To ensure that the worksite will receive the comprehensive survey, consider asking potential surveyors certain questions:

• What type of training and experience do they have? How recent is it?
• Do they have experience in this industry?
• Do they have references? Check to see whether any OSHA inspections occurred after the consultant has conducted an audit, and if so, whether any serious hazards were found that the consultant had missed.
• What tools will they bring?
• What kind of information will they need in advance? A professional who is planning an in-depth survey will prepare by learning beforehand as much as possible about the worksite and its processes. Both safety and industrial hygiene professionals will probably want to see a layout of the operations. The industrial hygienist may ask for a list of the chemicals they use or the safety data sheets (SDSs) received from the suppliers and the types of processes in which they will be used.
• What kind of test equipment will they bring? Expect the safety professional to bring: a tape measure and electrical testing equipment. The industrial hygienist should bring noise testing equipment and, depending upon the chemicals or other contaminants expected, sampling pumps or grab sampling devices.
• How long will the survey take? It should take several times longer than a routine inspection of the worksite.

Self-inspections

• Self-inspections can help ensure ongoing hazard detection.

Self-inspections are typically done by the site safety manager and/or safety committee. These types of inspections are usually done anywhere from monthly to yearly, depending on how comprehensive they are. Self-inspections are a good way to ensure ongoing hazard detection as well as provide visibility for the safety effort.