Overview

Description: Provides clarifications for complying with OSHA requirement for conducting safety inspections. Explains responsibilities of DHS managers and safety committees, lists DHS-specific requirements and provides tools.

Purpose/Rationale: By providing direction beyond what is found in the OSHA OARS, more thorough identification of hazards and follow-through on correction is anticipated.

Applicability: Defines responsibilities of DHS managers and safety committees.

Failure to Comply: Individual offices are subject to citation and penalty by OSHA.

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Policy

1. General

Managers are responsible for ensuring that safety inspections are routinely conducted and action is taken in a timely manner to correct identified hazards.

2. Conducting a safety inspection
1. Responsible manager, designee and safety committee representatives will conduct quarterly inspections.
2. Each facility shall be inspected at least quarterly in its entirety.
1. OSHA permits large facilities such as the Human Services Building or Portland State Office Building to be divided into portions so that a portion is inspected each quarter. However, the entire facility must be inspected within a year.
3. Hazards must be documented in writing.
1. The Office Safety Inspection Form can be used or modified for documenting an office inspection.
2. Work areas may elect to develop a specialized form.
3. A specialized form should be used for offices or environments that perform other than routine office or social service functions.
4. DHS Safety & Health or institution safety offices are available to assist with development of specialized forms.
5. The DHS 0056, Safety Committee Recommendation to Management form, may be used to document recommended corrective action.
3. Identifying and correcting hazards

Corrective action will be taken by the responsible manager when hazards are identified either as the result of an inspection or reported directly by employees.

4. Review of inspection resulsts

Inspection results and recommended corrective action shall be reviewed by the safety committee.

5. Retention of Inspection Records

Inspection records will be maintained on-site for three years.

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Procedure(s)

• None

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Form(s)

• DHS 2206, Office Safety Inspection Form
• DHS 0056, Safety Committee Recommendation to Management

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Reference(s)

• Inspection Guidelines for Safety Committees
• OAR 437-001-0760(7), Rules for all Workplaces
• OAR 437-001-0765(6)(d), Rules for Workplace Safety Committees

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Definition(s)

• N/A

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Contact

• Name: Robert Salinas III; Phone: 503-945-6380; Email: robert.salinas@state.or.us

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Policy History

• Version 3.0:
  • 08/08/2006 - Clarifies inspection requirements for large buildings.
• Version 2.0:
  • 03/03/2004 - Revisions to clarify how often inspections are to be completed.
• Version 1.0:
• 08/12/2002 - Initial Release

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If you have comments about this site, send email to dhs.policyinfo@state.or.us.

Oregon Department of Human Services
500 Summer St. NE E25, Salem, OR 97301-1098
Phone: (503) 945-5944
Fax: (503) 378-2897
TTY: (503) 947-5330