TR-Safety Observation tool

Observation method for estimating safety level on construction sites.
(TR is an acronym from the Finnish words meaning `building construction).

See the introduction film how to use the App.

This app is the electronic version to gather the findings and document the observation tour. The observed safety aspects are: working habits, scaffolding and ladders, machines and equipment, protection against falling, lighting and electricity, and order and tidiness.
Each item is scored as `correct if it meet the safety standards, otherwise the item is scored as `not correct. The safety index is calculated as a percentage of the `correct items related to all the observed items.

The inspection tour covers the entire building site. The inspection route is divided into inspection grid squares as one advances, and observations are made one square at a time. The size of a square is determined when the inspection is carried out.

Observations:
1. Quick observations are made on a worker in the area of each square, one observation per worker. If the worker is wearing the required safety gear and is not taking obvious chances, a point is entered as ‘correct’. If a piece of protective equipment is missing or if obvious risk-taking is seen, a point is entered as ‘incorrect’.
2. Entries are made separately for each catwalk, scaffolding and ladder in the grid square. If the structure is secure and in good shape, an entry is made in the ‘correct’ column.
3. Observations are made on each item of machinery and equipment, complying with the (weekly) requirements set for inspection.
4. In the item for protection against falling, an observation is made separately on each individual unenclosed edge and gap. For example, a column breaks an unenclosed edge, so the railing between each span between columns is assessed separately.
5. One electrical observation is made from the area of the grid square, and this should be entered in the ‘correct’ column if the distribution boards and cable are properly placed and protected. One entry is also made for the general artificial lighting of the square. Also, an entry is made for the square on each workstation-specific artificial lighting in the area. Entries for lighting are not made if daylight provides sufficient illumination.
6. Finally, the orderliness of the square is assessed. A separate observation is made for each waste receptacle. It is ‘correct’ if there is still room for waste in it. Their own observations are made on orderliness for the workstations in the square. One observation is made for overall orderliness, taking access routes particularly into account.

Observations on lighting and orderliness are made for workstations etc. Workstations include the reinforcement station, the immediate environs of the construction saw, and the plumber’s moveable working location with equipment. A workstation may, if desired, also be any location where work is being done at the time of the observation.

When the monitoring form has been gone through for the first grid square, move on to the next. Entries are made on the same form, after the previous ones. Advance in this way throughout the tour, without interruption, to the end.

The targets of the occupational safety and health supervision are the immediate working conditions in the physical or psychosocial working environment or the employer’s activity planning, management and organization.

Original information: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki , http://www.ttl.fi/en/Pages/default.aspx, contact person: Markku Aaltonen.
Copyright (All rights reserved): Finnish Institute of Occupational Health | Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FI-00250 Helsinki