Importance of a Safety Technical Inspection

Employers are responsible for keeping employees safe in the workplace, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Safety technical inspections prevent and reduce injuries related to hazardous occupational activities, such as riding lifts or operating cranes.

Function

• Before heavy machinery, equipment or vehicles are operated, they must be inspected to make sure they are in safe operating order. Trained and competent workers or engineers are required by OSHA to perform technical inspections that aim to detect defaults or wear-and-tear that could cause the equipment to malfunction and cause injuries.

Features

• Technical inspections may be performed through visual observation or testing routines. Inspectors keep an inspection log that contains the dates that the inspections are performed, who performed the inspections and what the outcomes were. If equipment passes the inspection, then it may be operated. However, equipment that does not pass the inspection must not be operated until it is repaired or replaced.

Significance

• Safety inspections keep workers safe and protect employers from the liability risk of occupational injuries or fatalities. If workers are injured or become ill due to employer negligence, companies cover the costs of the employee's medical bills and time away from work. Companies also lose money on the lost productivity.