Health inspectors are responsible for ensuring that you or your business is in compliance with health and safety laws and that the premises you use are clean, safe, and secure. Health inspectors will check that the ventilation system in your office or building is working and will visit your site to test it to ensure there are no structural problems that need to be repaired. An inspection will usually include the routine inspection of fire exits, heating systems, kitchens and bathrooms, as well as inspecting ventilation and electrical systems. A health inspector is someone who has been trained and will do the work of an inspector. Health inspectors are in charge of determining what the safest and best conditions for you or your employees are in charge of making sure you or your business is compliant with the health and safety legislation.
If you have a health inspector, they will inspect the premises on a specified date and time. The inspector will document any problems that he or she finds during the inspection. If you don’t want to hire a health inspector, there are other alternatives available. When you hire a health inspector, you will likely have to pay them an additional inspection fee, as well as provide them with access to the premises to perform their job.
If you think you may need a health inspector, the best thing to do is to make a checklist of the areas that need the most attention. This is called a “health risk assessment.” You may want to ask the health inspector to review the rest of your facility and give you a report of any safety issues that he or she notes. You can then go over the health inspector’s report with your own staff to ensure you have not overlooked anything that might be a problem. In some situations, the health inspector will be restricted to reviewing the one area of your facility, but if he or she inspects more than one area, they will be able to provide you with an overall assessment of the safety of the facility.
When you hire a health inspector, you can also ask them to help you determine whether or not your business is compliant with health code. They may be able to help you determine what the current standards are, and how your facility measures up. For example, are employees using personal protective equipment on the job? Are you keeping a record of employees’ information (like prescriptions) in an easily accessible place? Does your inspector finds problems with the control of hazardous waste, such as the storage of used cleaning products or blood products?
Most health inspectors are generalists, and they are trained to look for certain things. For example, if they see that your employees are poorly trained, they will look for ways to improve this aspect of your business. A general health inspector will look at things like the floor covering (whether it’s slip resistant or not), the lighting around the facility, the temperature and humidity in the facility, and whether the air quality in the work area is acceptable. If your inspector determines that the health of your employees is not safe, he or she may recommend that your facility to install safety devices, make its workplace cleaner, or offer other options to improve the health of your employees. When you hire a health inspector, it’s important to address these types of issues because many problems go unnoticed until they are brought to the attention of management.
Another important thing to consider when hiring an inspection firm is the cost. Make sure you understand how much the inspection will cost, and how that will affect your bottom line. The cost should not deter you from hiring a professional inspector, however, because many inspection firms provide an estimate based on the inspection and a visit from the inspector. You can use this estimate to negotiate a better price with the inspector, if you feel that your inspector is being less than forthcoming with information or offering excuses for their inaccurate or incomplete findings. You might also ask your potential inspector to explain their reasoning behind specific items he or she finds during the inspection. This gives you a better understanding of what the problem is, why it was found, and what actions need to be taken to correct it.
