While implementing a robust and sustainable observation program for companies, one question comes up often: “How many safety inspections should I do?” My answer, of course, is, “It depends.” As cryptic as it may sound, it is true. Safety inspection frequency will depend on several factors:

Most companies conduct periodic worksite safety audits. This process is part of the traditional landscape of a comprehensive health and safety plan. At regular intervals someone within the organization sets out to critically observe in an effort to identify and rectify hazards. Most organizations ...

Regardless of how it’s done, workplace monitoring is a critical and longstanding function of the safety profession. It’s also encouraging to see line managers and selected employees increasingly involved in this function as well. The goal of safety monitoring is to gain a better understanding of ...

Much (perhaps too much) of the safety literature of the last few years has focused on employee driven “behavior-based safety” peer observation programs. The fact remains, however, that safety is a line management responsibility. Implied in that responsibility is the need (obligation?) to fully ...

In my past blog, “The Value of Safety Observations, Especially Safe Observations”, I discussed collecting workplace safety observations – both safe and unsafe. What I wish to explore further is the structure of the safety inspection process that determines what observations will be collected. As ...

Having done SafetyNet inspections for almost a decade, I like to explore the data collected – the “whys” of the observations. They allow me to glean insight into the ability to forecast and focus from what we see in the observations. Keeping good people from getting hurt is always the goal. I ...

In my previous blog I discussed the concept of increased inspections and safety observations leading to fewer incidents. However, inspections should not be done simply for the sake of doing inspections. A proper strategy should be employed ensuring observers are engaged in the most meaningful and ...