EEE H&S Premises Inspection

Lead Auditor

Responsible Person (RP) for area present?

Technical Lead (TL) for area present?

Academic Lead (AL) for area present?

Has an invitation been extended to Trade Unions?

Has an invitation been extended to the Central Health & Safety Team?

Is there a current safety information notice on or near the area entrance?

Does the workspace appear to be in a good condition for the Premises Inspection to proceed safely?

Is safety information available for reference at point of use e.g. Red Safety Folder?

Is there a risk assessment available which is easily retrievable and in date for the work area? e.g. General lab access risk assessment

Is there a monthly monitoring checklist present which is easily retrievable which is being completed on time by the RP?

Are works activities currently taking place within the location?

Is it safe to proceed with the inspection?

Is access and egress to the work area controlled via the use of a key, key fob or swipe card?

On the safety notice has a Responsible Person, Technical Lead and Academic Lead been identified where applicable?

On the safety notice have contact details (inc. telephone and email) been inserted?

Is a local laboratory / workshop induction process in place?

Is there a record of laboratory / workshop users who have completed the local induction?

Where required is there suitable lighting provided in each work area? (if unsure recommend a light survey by DSO or DTM)

Where required is the temperature maintained to a reasonable level for working?

Are air conditioning unit inspection / service dates identified?

Where required has adequate provision been made for ventilating each work area?

Is housekeeping within the area to a satisfactory standard to reduce likely hazards e.g. obstructions in the walkways, inadequate desk space.

Are floors, circulation areas and stairs maintained in a good condition to prevent or reduce trip hazards?

Are general waste materials allowed to accumulate in the workplace?

Are stored items adequately positioned and storage units not overloaded?

Are arrangements been put in place for areas of the workspace to be cleaned by campus services?

Is there a means to wash hands ideally with soap and water?

Are toilets and washing facilities available? e.g. within a reasonable distance?

Are toilets and washing facilities suitable and sufficient and are they regularly cleaned?

Is there a kitchen facility available? e.g. within a reasonable distance?

Is there a reasonable level of cleanliness in the kitchen area?

Is there an adequate supply of drinking water available? e.g. within a reasonable distance?

Are there provisions to boil water for hot drinks?

Are there provisions to warm/heat up food?

Are all fire exit and escape routes, fire alarm points, fire marshal jackets and items of firefighting equipment clearly visible, unobstructed and appropriately indicated?

Are sufficient up to date fire action notices prominently displayed by manual call points or evacuation routes?

Are all fire doors kept closed when not in use and never wedged open (except when on catches activated by the fire alarm system)?

Is there any evidence of excessive storage or build up of flammable/explosive materials? (this may be due to over purchasing or inadequate housekeeping)

Is there any evidence of exposed and unprotected ignition sources?

Are sufficient up to date first aid notices displayed prominently throughout the work area?

Is there a first aid box readily available, well stocked and sampled items in date?

Is eyewash readily available and in date?

Are there any additional measures in place to deal with emergency situations? e.g. emergency safety shower

Are there functioning gas alarms/oxygen depletion monitoring present within this area?

Are inspection records available including servicing identifiers (labels) showing as in date?

Are alarms tested and functioning as expected?

Does local technical support and other users have suitable knowledge on the operation of these alarms?

Are departmental users of the area aware of how to act in the event of an alarm sounding?

Are other building users aware of how to act in the event of an alarm sounding? (during out of hours, facility assistants conducting building checks)

Are workstations suitable, both for individuals using the workstation and for the type of work being undertaken?

Is DSE applicable in this location? e.g. is the space also being used as an office?

Has online training and self-assessment been communicated and completed by DSE users?

Where required, have adjustable window coverings been supplied?

Are there any sources of noise present with no obvious controls? e.g. if you have to raise your voice during a conversation this typically indicates in excess of 80db.

Are items of office equipment e.g. filling cabinets, photocopiers sited with enough room to allow safe use?

Are there users currently present within the laboratory/workshop?

Does the user know who there Academic Supervisor is?

How often do users receive in person support from their Academic Supervisor?

Do users know who the Technical Lead is?

Do users know how to request technical support?

Do users know who the Responsible Person is for the laboratory/workshop?

Is there obvious operational supervision present or available at the time of this inspection?

Are there hazards present which may require a manual handling assessment?

Are items stored sensibly with ease of access i.e. heavy items used frequently stored on waist level shelving or heavy items used infrequently stored at low level?

Has manual handling been eliminated where possible or minimised so far as reasonably practicable i.e. mechanical lifting aids, trolleys etc?

Are there manual handling assessments available for likely manual handling activities?

Are there experimental rigs, equipment or instrumentation?

Has an equipment register been compiled for all in use rigs, equipment or instrumentation?

Has a risk assessment matrix been compiled for all in use rigs, equipment or instrumentation?

Are risk assessments available for activities and tasks for the safe use of rigs, equipment or instrumentation?

Are risk assessments in the recognised format? e.g. STAR Risk Assessment

Are risk assessments in date?

Are operating procedures available for the completion of activities and/or the use of apparatus/mechanical equipment?

Are maintenance records available for items of apparatus and or mechanical equipment?

Are items of apparatus and or mechanical equipment adequately guarded or interlocked?

Are there items of access equipment present used to gain height? e.g. steps stools, steps or ladders etc.

Are they secured and locked to prevent unauthorised use?

Does the access equipment appear to be good working order?

Is there a visible inspection record attached to access equipment?

Has access equipment been inspected within the last 6 months?

Is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required to be worn within the work area?

Is PPE stored neatly and available at the main access point into the work area?

Is shared PPE in good condition without the likelihood of causing detriment to the user?

Is PPE being used by all who need to be wearing it?

Are hazardous substances present and likely to be used within the works area?

Is there a chemical itinerary available for hazardous substances present in the location?

Are COSHH assessments readily available for hazardous substances within the location?

Are COSHH assessments in date?

Have COSHH assessments been completed on the recognised format?

Are safety data sheets (SDS) available for hazardous substances within the location?

Are hazardous substances stored appropriately?

Is hazardous waste disposed of appropriately? (ask for users to describe the process)

Are there items of electrical equipment present?

Where required has all equipment been tested, labelled (shown as in date) in accordance with the PAT requirements?

Where applicable has a process for frequent testing local RCD provisions been implemented? (see online arrangement)

Are sockets being over loaded? (Evidence of daisy chaining on extensions)

Are there any apparent faults with electrical equipment including damage to sockets, plugs and cables?

Where applicable are Rig enclosures earthed?

Are additional hazards evident which could cause detriment to users of the works area? e.g. trailing cables causing a trips and fall.

Would you like to conduct a basic Environmental assessment?

Is there a provision of recycling bins for all users to easily recycle their waste? i.e. at least one recycling bin per works area.

Are there collection points or arrangements for recycling of specific waste? e.g. batteries, WEEE, hazardous waste etc?

Are there energy awareness stickers in place in the workplace and on equipment encouraging users to switch off lights and/or equipment when not in use?

Have all banks of three or more light switches within the works location been labelled to identify which lights each switch operates?

Is the building adequately secured to prevent unauthorised access?

Are footpaths/walkways in a generally acceptable condition with no obvious trip hazards?

Is external lighting adequate during hours of darkness?

Would you like to conduct a workplace hazard review?

Have all actions from previous inspections been addressed?

How was engagement with the inspection?

What is the current level of assurance for this inspection? (this may need to be completed by the DHSO)

What level of assurance would you recommend for this inspection?

Has there been measured improvement since previous inspections? (this may need to be completed by the DHSO)