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Safety Observations 101

What are safety observations?

Safety observations are evaluations conducted by managers or supervisors to be aware of potential risks within the workplace. Safety observations can also be used to approach employee safety and regulatory compliance.Ā 


They involve observing workplace activities to identify unsafe conditions or practices and suggest corrective actions to prevent incidents and accidents. Safety observations can help organizations improve their safety and reduce the risk of workplace incidents and accidents.


Where are safety observations reported through?

Safety observations are reported by a safety officer, manager, or supervisor. These reports are to document safety hazards within the workplace. By conducting safety observations, risks can be identified and reported and ultimately be a guide to prevent future incidents.Ā 

Safety observations can be reported through various channels, including paper-based forms, mobile apps, web-based portals, and dedicated phone lines. The specific channel used to report safety observations may depend on the organization's safety management system and technology resources.


Why are safety observations important?

Safety observations are crucial to employees and employers to ensure their health and safety while in the workplace. Safety observations allow organizations to identify potential hazards and risks in the workplace before incidents or accidents occur. They also provide valuable data that can be used to improve safety programs and prevent future incidents.


What is the difference between a safety observation and a near miss?

A safety observation is a planned activity aimed at identifying potential hazards and risks in the workplace before incidents or accidents occur. It is typically carried out by trained safety professionals or employees who are familiar with the workplace and its hazards.


A near miss, on the other hand, is an unplanned event that could have resulted in an incident or accident but did not. It is typically reported by employees who may not have specific safety training but are aware of unsafe conditions or practices.

In summary, while safety observations are proactive measures aimed at preventing incidents or accidents, near misses are reactive events that provide an opportunity to identify and address underlying causes to prevent future incidents. Employers are also encouraged to report both of these observations


How to conduct safety observations?

  1. Collect data on behaviors and practiceĀ 

  2. Conduct examinations of hazardsĀ 

  3. Take notes of hazards or precautionsĀ 

  4. Analyze and proceed with precautions to takeĀ 

To conduct safety observations, it is important to first identify the specific hazards and risks associated with the workplace or task being observed. Then, a team of trained safety professionals or employees can be selected to conduct the observation, using a standardized checklist or form to guide the process. During the observation, the team should look for potential hazards and risks, document their findings, and suggest corrective actions to prevent incidents and accidents.


How do you write a good safety observation?

To write a good safety observation, you should describe the unsafe condition or behavior in detail, including the location, date and time, and any contributing factors. You should also provide recommendations for corrective actions that can be taken to eliminate the hazard or reduce the risk of an incident or accident.


What is the safety observation process?

The safety observation process is to observe positive and negative actions within the workplace. The observation's goal is to identify which tasks employees are conducting correctly and incorrectly.Ā 

ā€“ Steps to followĀ 

  1. Planning: This involves identifying the specific hazards and risks associated with the workplace or task being observed and selecting a team of trained safety professionals or employees to conduct the observation.

  2. Observation: During this phase, the team observes workplace activities to identify unsafe conditions or practices and suggest corrective actions to prevent incidents and accidents. The team may use a standardized checklist or form to guide the process.

  3. Documentation: The team should document their findings, including the location, date and time, and any contributing factors. They should also provide recommendations for corrective actions to eliminate the hazard or reduce the risk of an incident or accident.

  4. Communication: The findings and recommendations should be communicated to relevant stakeholders, including management, employees, and safety professionals, as appropriate.

  5. Follow-up: It is important to follow up on the recommendations to ensure that corrective actions are taken and the identified hazards or risks are effectively eliminated or controlled.

By following these steps, organizations can systematically identify and address potential hazards and risks in the workplace and continuously improve their safety performance.


What is a safety observation list?

A safety observation list is part of the safety observation process. A safety observation list acts as a checklist for safe and unsafe practices. This checklist varies on the different tasks performed within the workplace. The checklist may also provide guidance on how to rate the severity of the hazard or risk and suggestions for corrective actions to address the identified hazards.Ā 

Using a safety observation checklist can help ensure that safety professionals or employees conduct consistent and thorough observations and identify potential hazards or risks in a systematic manner.


Example of safety observation report

Safety observation reports consists of safe and unsafe practices performed by employees in the workplace. For example, an unsafe practice would be employees not wearing safety glasses or goggles when working with hazardous chemicals or machinery. If the employees are performing tasks safely, this should be included in the safety observation report as well.Ā 


Common safety observations

  • Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hard hats, safety glasses, gloves, and safety shoes

  • Proper lifting techniques and safe manual material handling

  • Housekeeping practices to prevent slips, trips, and falls

  • Electrical hazards such as unsecured power cords or exposed wires

  • Proper use of ladders and scaffolds

  • Machine guarding to prevent contact with moving parts

  • Chemical handling and storage practices

  • Lockout/tagout procedures for energy control

  • Emergency response procedures such as fire drills and evacuation plans

  • Vehicle and pedestrian traffic control to prevent collisions and near-misses.

The specific hazards and risks associated with a workplace or task may vary, and the safety observation checklist should be tailored to address the specific needs of the organization.


Best practices for safety observations

The best practice for safety observations is identifying the at-risk behaviors performed by employees. By identifying at-risk behaviors, employees can recognize which actions or practices need to be improved.Ā 

  • Train safety observers: Provide training to safety professionals and employees who conduct safety observations, including how to use a safety observation checklist, identify potential hazards, and document findings.

  • Make safety observations frequent and routine: Conduct safety observations regularly and make it a routine part of workplace activities to identify and eliminate potential hazards and risks.

  • Encourage employee involvement: Encourage employees to report unsafe conditions or behaviors they observe, and incorporate their observations into the safety observation process.

  • Provide feedback: Provide feedback to employees and safety professionals who conduct safety observations, including recognition for good work and guidance on how to improve their observations.

  • Use technology: Consider using technology such as SMS360 to streamline the safety observation process and make it more efficient.

  • Follow up on recommendations: Ensure that corrective actions are taken to address identified hazards or risks and follow up to ensure that the corrective actions are effective.


Safety observation checklist

A safety observation checklist should compile all relevant information pertaining to the task at hand. For instance, when observing an employee using a forklift the safety observation checklist should include whether the employee took preventative and safe actions to perform the task.Ā 

For example, if the employee used the forklift in a specific area or if the proper lift equipment was used. Overall, a safety observation checklist should include actions and the observer is to determine whether they were performed in a safe or unsafe manner.Ā 


Safety observations on construction sitesĀ 

Safety observations vary in specific construction industries overall most of these are to be included within your safety observation checklist.Ā 

  • Fire PreventionĀ 

  • Electrical and utilityĀ 

  • Hand and power toolsĀ 

  • Heavy equipmentĀ 

  • Barricades and fencingĀ 

  • Storage and handling of materialsĀ 

  • Excavation and shoringĀ 

  • LaddersĀ 

  • ScaffoldingĀ 

  • Welding and cuttingĀ 

  • Personal protective equipment (such as masks, goggles, clothing, helmets, etc.,)Ā 

  • First-aidĀ 

  • Program administrationĀ 


Driving safety observations examplesĀ 

  • Seatbelt usage: Check that drivers and passengers are wearing seat belts at all times while the vehicle is in motion.

  • Speed: Observe the speed at which the vehicle is traveling and ensure that it is within the posted speed limit and appropriate for the road conditions.

  • Use of turn signals: Observe whether drivers are using turn signals when turning or changing lanes.

  • Distance between vehicles: Observe the distance between the vehicle being driven and other vehicles on the road, ensuring that drivers maintain a safe following distance.

  • Proper vehicle maintenance: Check that the vehicle is in good condition, including checking tire pressure, brakes, lights, and mirrors.

  • Distracted driving: Observe whether drivers are distracted by using their cell phone, eating, drinking, or engaging in any other activities that take their attention away from the road.

  • Driver behavior: Observe whether drivers are exhibiting safe driving behaviors, such as scanning the road ahead, checking blind spots, and obeying traffic laws.

  • Adverse weather conditions: Observe how drivers are adapting to adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow, or fog.


Safety observation and corrective actionĀ 

After completing the safety observation, corrective action must be taken whether it was safe or unsafe. Sometimes corrective action may take longer in some cases than others. It is imperative to stay on task with corrective actions to ensure workplace safety.Ā 


Safety audit observations and recommendationsĀ 

A safety audit is much like a safety observation but evaluates safety and strategies used within the workplace. Safety audits include safety data, documentation, and a closing interview with the workplaceā€™s safety official. Safety audits are usually conducted by auditersā€“ these are those appointed to carry out the audit.Ā 


Ā Safety observation examples in office

  • Excessive water usage near electrical equipment

  • Clutter free desk/work spaceĀ 

  • Stacking and liftingĀ 

  • Slipping and fallingĀ 

  • Collisions or untidy walk waysĀ 


Safety observation in factoryĀ 

Observe save or unsafe behaviors performed by employees when working with heavy machinery.Ā 

  • Equipment, machinery, and tools usageĀ 

  • Safety gearĀ 

  • Trips, slips, and fallsĀ 

  • Emergency exits and walkways clear of obstructions

  • Fire or electrical hazardsĀ 

  • Lifting techiniquesĀ 

  • Cross contamination of chemicals or hazardous materialsĀ 

  • Stacking and lifting ā€“ Prevent objects from becoming too tall or at the risk od fallingĀ 

  • Work breaksĀ 

  • Heat exposureĀ 


Safety observation tour examplesĀ 

*Insert SMS360 images/template


Explain SMS360 Safety Observations

SMS360 can make completing your safety observations simple, fast, and easily accessible. By completing your safety observations with SMS360, you can update past and present observations at any time. With SMS360, observations can remain open or closed if changes have or havenā€™t been implemented. Creating an observation and determining whether the action was safe/unsafe is as simple as a few clicks.Ā 

Observations can be reviewed or edited at any time as changes are implemented for unsafe actions or practices.Ā 

ā€“ Here are some ways SMS360 can be used to manage safety observations:

  • Reporting Safety Observations: SMS360 can provide an easy-to-use interface for employees to report safety observations. This can be done through a web-based portal, a mobile app, or even a dedicated phone line. The system can capture relevant details about the observation, such as the location, date and time, and a description of the observed hazard.

  • Managing Safety Observations: SMS360 can help organizations manage safety observations by providing tools to track their status and assign corrective actions. The system can also automate notifications to relevant stakeholders when an observation is reported, assigned, or completed.

  • Analyzing Safety Observation Data: SMS360 can help organizations analyze data from safety observations to identify trends, prioritize corrective actions, and track the effectiveness of safety programs. The system can generate reports and dashboards that provide insights into safety performance metrics, such as the number of observations reported, the types of hazards identified, and the corrective actions taken.


Overall, SMS360 can help organizations leverage safety observations to identify and mitigate potential hazards and risks in the workplace. By using SMS360, organizations can foster a safety culture that encourages employees to report safety concerns and take an active role in maintaining a safe work environment.






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