This brings together the checklists from all twelve chapters. Use it as an annual review or before starting up a new plant. Every question answered "no" is a task for the safety plan in chapter 12.
Chapter 1. Why safety is part of the business
- Do we know the three or four most serious hazards in our plant?
- Have we had accidents or near misses in recent years? Are they recorded, and did we analyze why they happened?
- Is there a person responsible for safety, with the time and authority to do that job?
- Do we know which safety regulations apply to our plant in our country?
- Is safety discussed in management meetings, just like production and sales?
- Do expansion projects and equipment purchases include safety from the start?
- Does every worker know how to stop their equipment and what to do in an emergency?
- Have we reviewed with our insurer which safety measures it requires or recommends?
Chapter 2. The map of regulations
- Do we know which safety law and regulations apply to our plant?
- Do we have the official, current texts, not just summaries?
- Did we make a list of what the regulations require us to have in writing? Do we have it?
- Did we check whether our insurer or our customers require additional standards, such as NFPA or ISO 45001?
- Does every machine in the plant have its manual in our language?
- Do we have the declarations of conformity for the equipment, where applicable?
- Do purchases of new equipment include the safety requirements in writing?
- Does someone check every year whether any regulation that affects us has changed?
Chapter 3. Combustible dust and explosions
- Do we know which dusts in our plant are combustible? Do we have a lab analysis or published data for our materials?
- Has a dust hazard analysis been done, in writing and up to date?
- Is there a written housekeeping program, with frequency, method and a person responsible? Is it recorded?
- Is cleaning with compressed air prohibited in dusty areas?
- Do the cyclones, filters and ducts have spark detection, venting or suppression, according to their risk?
- Is the cooler monitored to prevent embers and hot spots?
- Is there a work permit for welding, cutting and grinding?
- Is the electrical equipment suitable for the dusty areas?
- Do staff know what to do if a piece of equipment catches fire?
Chapter 4. Machines: guarding and lockout before you intervene
- Have we identified the catching, cutting and striking points on every machine?
- Do all drives (belts, chains, couplings, shafts) have fixed guards in place?
- Do the inspection doors on mills, mixers and pellet mills have interlocks? Do they work?
- Do we check periodically that no interlock is bypassed or broken?
- Are the emergency stops visible, within reach and tested?
- Is there a written lockout procedure for each machine that covers all its energy sources?
- Does every person who intervenes have their own lock and tag?
- Do contractors know and follow our lockout procedure?
- Is the lockout procedure reviewed at least once a year?
- When we buy a machine, do we ask in writing for its guards and lockout points?
Chapter 5. Electrical hazards
- Are the panels closed, locked, with no energized parts within reach and with labeled circuits?
- Is the space in front of the panels clear?
- Are there temporary installations that became permanent?
- Do we measure grounding and the continuity of exposed conductive parts, with a current record?
- Are the RCDs tested periodically?
- Are the main panels outside dusty areas, or do they have adequate protection?
- Is there a program for cleaning and inspecting panels, with the equipment de-energized?
- Are dusty areas classified, and is the electrical equipment suitable for each zone?
- Is it written down who may work on the electrical installation and with what authorization?
- Does the lockout procedure include verifying the absence of voltage?
Chapter 6. Noise and vibration
- Do we have a current noise map of the plant, made by a professional?
- Do we measure the personal exposure of the most exposed positions, such as the mill operator and the pellet mill operator?
- Do we know which limit and which exchange rate apply in our country?
- Are areas above the action level marked with signs?
- Is there a plan to reduce noise at the source, with deadlines and owners?
- Do we ask the supplier for noise data before buying a machine?
- Are hearing protectors available, suitable and worn the whole time?
- Do exposed staff have periodic audiometric tests, and are the results reviewed?
- Do we assess vibration from hand tools and vehicles?
Chapter 7. Silos, storage bins and confined spaces
- Have we identified and posted signs on all the confined spaces in the plant?
- Is there a written entry procedure, and is a permit used for every entry?
- Are loading and unloading equipment locked out and tagged out before entering a silo or a hopper?
- Do we have a gas detector that measures at least oxygen and CO, calibrated and in use?
- Is pellet storage always ventilated, with signs on both sides of the door?
- Are there a harness, a lifeline and rescue equipment suitable for each silo?
- Is an attendant always stationed outside, with no other tasks, while someone is inside?
- Is there a written rescue plan, and has it been practiced?
- Is walking on the material to make it flow, and entering below bridged material, prohibited?
- Do entrants, attendants and supervisors have the training our country's regulations require?
Chapter 8. Fires and self-heating
- Do we measure the material temperature in pellet and feed silos, at several points, and record the trend?
- Do we measure CO at the top of the pellet silos?
- Do we inspect silo roofs, joints and openings to keep water out?
- Do we check that pellets do not go into storage hot, damp or with a lot of fines?
- Do staff know that water is not used inside a pellet silo and that a silo on fire must not be opened?
- Is there an extinguishing plan for silo fires prepared with the fire department, including the nitrogen supply?
- Do the ducts, cyclones and filters have the spark detection called for by the risk assessment?
- Do we have written prevention and emergency plans, with people responsible for them?
- Are extinguishers accessible, inspected every month and maintained every year?
- Have staff received training in extinguisher use and evacuation this year?
Chapter 9. Animal feed hygiene
- Do we have a written food safety plan based on a hazard analysis (HACCP or whatever our regulations require)?
- Do we buy only from registered or approved suppliers, and can we prove it?
- Is every incoming lot sampled and recorded, with written rejection criteria?
- Do we have a procedure against cross-contamination (cleanout, flushing, sequencing), and is every formula change recorded?
- Is flush material identified and stored separately?
- Do we test for mycotoxins in the highest-risk raw materials and according to the feed's intended use?
- Is the finished product area separated from the raw material area, and is condensation controlled in coolers and silos?
- Is there a pest control program with a map, frequency and records?
- Is there a written cleaning program with frequency, method, person responsible and record?
- Can we trace a lot backward (raw materials) and forward (customers) within a few hours?
- In wood pellet plants: do we check the origin of the wood, and do we clean the magnetic separators and record it?
Chapter 10. Loads, postures and personal protective equipment
- Have we identified every job where bags are lifted by hand, and how many lifts each person makes per shift?
- Have we assessed those jobs with a recognized method (NIOSH, the table in Resolución 295/2003, NOM-036 or another)?
- Does the weight of our bags comply with our country's legal limit?
- Have we mechanized, or do we plan to mechanize, bagging and palletizing?
- Are the loading openings on mixers and hoppers at a reasonable height?
- Do we inspect big bags before each lift and use a suitable lifting attachment?
- Is standing underneath a suspended big bag prohibited?
- Do we have a written PPE assessment for each job?
- Do we record the PPE issued to each worker?
- Do respirator users have a medical evaluation and a fit test?
- Is wearing gloves near moving parts prohibited?
Chapter 11. Training and safety culture
- Is there a written annual training program, with topics by position and by level?
- Does every new person receive onboarding before starting work?
- Is there a period of supervised work and a signed authorization before leaving them alone?
- Is training repeated when someone changes positions or a new machine arrives?
- Is lockout/tagout training hands-on, at the machine?
- Do special tasks (silos, confined spaces, hot work) have their own training and authorization?
- Do contractors receive onboarding and work under a permit?
- Were drills held this year, and were they recorded with their improvements?
- Does every training session have a record with date, topic, duration, instructor and signatures?
- Do operators know they can, and must, stop an unsafe task?
- Are near misses reported and analyzed?
Chapter 12. The plant safety plan
- Do we have a risk matrix by workstation and by equipment, written and reviewed this year?
- Is there an annual plan with actions, owners and dates?
- Is there a regular meeting to follow up on the plan?
- Do we keep records of housekeeping, maintenance, lockout, hot work, confined space entries and training?
- Are records filled in at the time, and does someone review them?
- Do we record accidents, incidents and near misses?
- Is every accident investigated for root causes, with corrective actions that are verified?
- Do we carry out routine inspections with checklists?
- Was there at least one internal audit in the past year?
- Does management review the results once a year and set the next plan?
