Risk Assessment and Inspection Team

Who should be on an inspection team? Health and safety committee members are obvious choices of people to carry out formal inspections, especially if they have received training or certification. Additional training on specific issues of hazard identification and elimination and risk assessment for MSD is typically needed.

Other criteria for selecting members of the inspection team are:

• knowledge of regulations and procedures
• knowledge of potential hazards
• experience with work procedures involved
• knowledge of the equipment or production system

Engineers, maintenance personnel, occupational hygienists, health and safety professionals, supervisors or managers may be a part of the inspection team or they may be called upon to help with certain aspects of the inspection, or to help explain equipment or processes. Ergonomists or specifically trained health and safety personnel may be asked to provide input on more complex risk assessment approaches. For MSD, such methods may include for example, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) equation for manual materials handling.

Large workplaces may have more than one inspection team. The various teams can have separate areas to inspect.

Based on: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/effectiv.html