Inspection Basics Picture This

This image highlights a hazardous work environment full of common yet serious inspection failures. Tools are scattered across the floor, creating trip hazards. A large puddle of liquid poses a slip risk. A lockout tag is visible but the area remains cluttered and potentially energized. A worker is climbing a ladder improperly, while another appears distracted on a phone call in a high-risk area. Meanwhile, the seated worker is filling out an inspection checklist—yet no one is correcting the hazards.

This scene underscores a critical truth: writing an inspection report isn’t enough. An effective inspection requires hazard identification, communication, and immediate follow-up. Inspections should focus on conditions (slips, blocked exits, faulty PPE) and behaviours (distraction, unsafe use of ladders, smoking near combustibles). All findings must be acted upon—not just documented. Safety is not a checklist; it’s a commitment.