What is a Construction Inspection Checklist?
A construction inspection template is a set of tasks and items that a construction site must inspect, verify or check to guarantee the systematic progress of a construction project. Construction supervisors, site owners, contractors, and inspectors use them to avert failures, hazards, and injuries that could happen on site. A construction site inspection checklist contains a list of processes and procedures that comply with the standard rules and regulations to help organize and optimize a construction project in numerous ways.
These checklists exist as a means to diagnose construction faults and prevent severe work accidents. Regular inspection of any construction project will prevent any impending fault and mitigate costly fines and repairs, as they are performed by experienced and trained safety officers. An adequately structured construction checklist is paramount for a successful construction process or project.
There are several common areas that a construction inspection checklist focuses on. They are as follows:
- General Safety: In a construction inspection checklist, assessments and tasks that support the safety of every construction worker should be available.
- Equipment and Tools: A construction inspection checklist helps you keep tabs on all the equipment and tools that will be used to perform or support any construction-related tasks.
- Quality and Certification: Construction inspection templates checks whether workers have the recommended/necessary qualification and expertise for a specific construction job.
- Pre-Work: The construction inspection templates will check if you have done everything that needs to be done before the construction work begins.
In this article, we will discuss:
1. What A Construction Site Inspection Entails
2. A Checklist for Construction Site Inspection
3. Advantages of Digital Construction Inspection Checklist
What Does A Construction Site Inspection Contain?
The construction industry is filled with high-risk and hazardous tasks, including commercial construction, rebuilding, remodeling, and repair. Because of this, construction workers are prone to occurrences like electrocution, falling off rooftops, machine accidents, getting hit by heavy equipment, etc.
Given this, a checklist includes safety procedures that comply with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) rules and other safety checks concerning personal protection, proper equipment handling, and the construction environment. It’s crucial to know that if there’s a need for re-inspection on a construction site, the entire project should be on hold until all inefficiencies and faults are rectified. Let’s look at the major aspects that a construction inspection checklist focuses on:
Compliance With OSHA Rules & Regulations
OSHA is an agency under the USDL (United States Department of Labour) that works to contribute to the health, rights, and safety of workers on the job. OSHA laws and standards entitle you to a safe workplace and also the right to do the following (but not limited to) as a worker:
- Receive health and safety training in your workplace in your native language.
- Work with required safety equipment in case of accidental falls.
- Request for inspection from OSHA
- Report any illness or injury that occur in your workplace
- Review a list of injuries related to a particular line of work
Construction inspection forms or temples will feature OSHA-mandatory standards to help workers achieve safety before, during, and after any construction work. OSHA safety standards targets the following:
- Hazard communication
- Crane safety
- Electrical safety
- Forklifts
- Foot protection
- Floor and wall opening
- Hand protection
- Elevated surfaces
- Scaffolding
- Head protection
- Eye and face protection
General Safety (Personal Protection)
As a construction site owner, worker, or supervisor, it’s important to know that wearing the right attire and proper protective equipment is vital while in this line of work. The four most common causes of casualty-causing hazards on a construction site are electrical, being struck by heavy equipment, falls, and getting caught-in or in-between site equipment/structures. More than 50% of these accidents happen due to inadequate protective measures and equipment.
While on the job, construction workers must pay attention to the safety of themselves, and specifically, their eyes, head, feet, and lungs by using personal protection equipment as stated by OSHA Standard 1926.28. While performing activities like welding, cutting, nailing, etc., safety goggles, glasses, and face shields should always be worn. It’s also imperative that workers put on headgear like hard hats on-site in case of falling objects from above and other dangerous possibilities. Footwear that is puncture-resistant and fit for rough work should be worn on-site, always. Lastly, because of industrial fumes, dust, and other respiratory dangers, workers should try to wear masks at all times.
Machines and Equipment
Equipment inspection and maintenance is a necessary preventive measure for occupational hazards and disasters. Surveyors and inspectors should properly inspect every machine and equipment used on-site. Any faulty machine or equipment must be sidelined for replacement or proper repair. It’s important to look for the following when inspecting construction machines and equipment:
- Loose bolts, belts, fasteners, or screws
- Broken or chipped glass/window in construction vehicles and machines
- Faulty brakes
- Tire pressure
- Faulty seatbelt
- Hydraulic leaks
Construction Environment
The state of a work environment can pose a dire risk to workers if it’s not properly inspected for faults. One major set up in any construction environment is scaffolding. Scaffolding is the setting up of temporary frameworks that construction workers use to suspend themselves in the air during work. Faulty scaffolding can cause fatal accidents. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 20% of workplace deaths result from faulty scaffolding, and scaffolding results in over 4,000 injuries and 60 deaths per year.
Another issue is elevated surface mishaps which causes almost 35% of compensation claims that come from construction. Construction site owners should always inspect or double-check signs showing the capacity of elevated surfaces, the construction of handrails alongside entry and exit, and standardized guardrails for elevated surfaces above 48 inches.
Checks to Include on a Construction Site Inspection?
There are certain parts of a construction site inspection that are vital to its proper completion, along with other items that may be specific to a certain job site. Below are some relevant checks that can be featured in construction inspection templates or checklists. You can also add them to any construction site inspection form that has already been prepared for your job site:
- How well the work has complied with your set construction plans and specifications
- If the work quality meets the required standards and specifications
- Inspect all paints and coatings
- Materials including machines and equipment should be inspected before and after use
- Foundations should be inspected before they are covered
- Excavation-work should also be inspected before being filled
- Installed insulation should be properly inspected so as to ensure the adequate reduction of heat-loss and heat-gain in the building
- Construction workers must be fully equipped with tools and attires for the job and adequate expertise and experience
The points highlighted above are just a few of many checks that you can find in a typical construction site inspection form or template. There are various means to ensure the smooth process of a construction job, that’s why it’s useful to find a tool that can be customized/personalized to suit your specific job site’s needs. This is a feature that Lumiform offers; you can create a customer construction inspection checklist from scratch and update it as you go, or choose from one of our 12,000+ pre-made templates to find one that suits your needs.
Advantages of Digital Construction Inspection Checklist
Safety officers who engage in the inspection of construction sites need to consider a lot of important elements to ensure the workers’ safety. If they happen to miss a single detail while inspecting, it can cost the company money, time, and even put lives in jeopardy. It is absolutely vital that they complete these inspections properly and thoroughly to secure a safe workplace and provide preventive measures so that nothing goes under the radar.
By substituting paper construction forms for digital construction inspection checklists, you can better meet these requirements and standards. With Lumiform, the outstanding inspection and audit app and desktop software, inspectors can meet all examination standards and save time on the managerial part of the inspection. This contributes to the growth and overall management of activities in construction companies.
For construction site inspectors, using Lumiform in place of hardcopy construction inspection forms will enable them to do (but not limited to) the following:
- Correct activities or actions via the app and keep track of any construction task going on via the notification dashboard
- Take photos or write notes on their device concerning any noticed damage or hazard and instantly attach them to the checklist for re-evaluation
- Receive real-time data with just the touch of a button
In addition, the Lumiform inspection and audit app will automatically create a comprehensive report at the end of any inspection. Inspectors can access the pre-uploaded construction site inspection checklist online or offline via a mobile device.
