Slips, Trips and Falls

Slips, trips and falls are among the leading causes of injury in Ontario workplaces. As a result, the Ministry of Labour will be completing blitz inspections from March to July, looking for hazards that could lead to slips, trips and falls. What will the MOL look for: A well-documented health and safety program Hazard awareness and prevention training for slips, trips and falls (i.e. posted warnings, working at heights program and training etc.) Evidence that you’ve taken precautions to reduce risks To reduce injuries, inspections should be completed regularly to identify and remediate hazards. Things you should look for during your inspections, especially in high-traffic areas: Slippery surfaces – spills, seasonal hazards such as snow and ice Unsecured mats – mats can sometimes roll up and create a tripping hazard Uneven surfaces Debris Poor lighting Poor housekeeping and obstructions to walkways Protruding cords or cables How to prevent injury: Slip-resis

What does your attitude towards compliance say?

Employees, Your Company’s Culture and Brand We know that routine workplace inspections can be tedious, time consuming and some may even say boring.   The reasons for completing workplace inspections are clear –mandatory either from a regulatory or liability perspective, preventative maintenance and best practice; but it's time to adopt a new mindset about compliance. Believe it or not, your attitude about compliance sends key messages and insights about your company to employees and externally. For example the way you talk about routine inspections, the prioritization of inspections, reward and discipline for inspection performance and how quickly action is taken on deficiencies found during inspections sends messages to your employees and others about whether you really care about compliance or not. And this is not just noticeable to employees but also to clients and the broader industry. Employees Employees want to do work that is valued. If the work is not pr

Are your escalator inspections up to speed?

Escalators should be inspected daily during startup and shutoff to reduce hazards. The Canadian Standards Association’s CSA B44 sets out safety standards for elevators and escalators. Things you should look for during your inspections: Ensure obstructions are not lodged in the gaps between the step and side panel (“skirt”) If your escalator infrastructure is aging, consider adding brushes to the side panel to stop objects and shoes from getting caught Apply friction-reducing product to the side panel monthly if your escalator is an older model Ensure areas where passengers mount and dismount (landing/comb plates) are clear of obstructions Ensure landing/comb plates and step edges are painted yellow for accessibility Ensure adequate lighting on landings/comb plates and steps Ensure there are not broken “teeth” on the steps Ensure proper signage is installed and visible i.e. strollers and carts are prohibited signage Check for unusual noises and vibrations  Ensure the esca

Digital Inspections ROI

Digitizing inspections come with many benefits such as eliminating paper work and storage, ensuring compliance, and reducing labour costs. So how much do you really save? To answer this question, we broke workplace inspections and documentation processes into 3 main components: Paperwork and storage Ensuring compliance Labour costs Paperwork and Storage A popular method for inspecting locations/equipment is with pen and paper. Workers sign a paper tag at the location/equipment, then fill out a log sheet which is later submitted to the manager for review/action and eventually ends up in storage. When diving into the numbers, we found that the paperwork costs associated with inspections can really add up. We used data from our existing clients, who include hospitals, storage facilities, factories and commercial properties to determine the costs of paperwork associated with manual inspections. We used 500 locations/equipment with inspections on a monthly basis as a cons

73 Things To Inspect Using Tap Report

Sprinkler Valve Inspections

Sprinkler valves are an important part of a fire protection system that controls the pressure and flow rate of the water supply. You want to make sure that your sprinkler valves are in good working order because you never know when a fire will occur and water will be needed to ensure that the fire does not spread any further. Regular inspections can help maintain your sprinkler valve systems, identify any deficiencies and ensure they are functional. Here are some things you should look for during your sprinkler valve inspections: Water pressure - document in PSI or kPA. You want to make sure that the sprinkler valves have sufficient pressure to reach and extinguish a fire if required.  Position of the valves – are they positioned in normal open/closed state?  Accessibility - are the valves easily accessible? Are there any obstructions near the valves?  Condition - are the valves in good condition? Is there any physical damage present?  Leaks - are there any external or internal

Summer Tips

Make the most out of your summer by staying safe with these simple safety tips. 

How Toronto-based Tap Report is transforming workplace inspections

Eric Emin Wood   @ericewood Published: April 6th, 2018 Tap Report co-founder and CEO Paul Amendola had been managing fire and life safety inspections in Toronto’s financial district for six years when he started looking for digital solutions that would help him navigate the multiple inspection reports, maintenance orders, and asset approvals that kept coming across his desk – and found little. The closest he remembers finding was a few barcode-based systems that were “very difficult to use – and very expensive.” Tap Report co-founder and CEO Paul Amendola knew firsthand the frustration felt by workplace inspection teams – and wanted to help them. “It was very difficult to stay on top of everything,” he says. “Staff would sign off on what they thought was the kitchen in the north east corner, but unfortunately it would turn out to be the south east corner, which we wouldn’t find out until the tenant started complaining – and that happened a lot. People were making

Is Your Fire Watch Program Up To Code?

What is a Fire Watch? In Canada and the US, there are regulations such as the the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and jurisdictional Fire Codes that require buildings equipped with fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems to be fully operational at all times. In the event that any of these systems are off-line for any reason whatsoever, or there is the presence of Hot Works being performed, a Fire Watch inspection program is to be implemented immediately. A Fire Watch inspection program is the regular, physical inspection of the area to ensure a fire does not start. This inspection should be completed once every hour. A Fire Watch inspection program needs to be implemented if there are life safety systems that are offline and/or there is Hot Works being performed.  Hot Works Info    Did you know? [i] Hot Works is defined as any process involving flame, spark or heat production. This includes work such as cutting, welding, soldering, grinding etc. The Fire W

Custodian Management Case Study

Provide a description of yourself and your company.  Jamie Swartz, Custodian Lead at  Gordon Food Service. Gordon Food Service is a foodservice distributor with large facilities across Canada and the United States.  What do you use Tap Report for?  We use Tap Report for fire extinguisher inspections, sanitation inspections, refrigeration inspections, and heath and safety inspections at our facilities.  How has Tap Report helped you maintain your facilities?  Tap Report has helped us by making sure the required inspections are completed, reducing our risks and ensuring compliance.   As a manager, what do you find most valuable about Tap Report?  Making sure the inspections are completed on time is the most valuable aspect of Tap Report in my opinion. It ensures compliance, mitigating our risks.   What do you think has improved the most with using Tap Report?  Accountability for inspections being completed has improved greatly through the use of Tap Report at our facilitie