The Comprehensive Baseline Survey
The comprehensive baseline survey should include a detailed review of existing documentation, employee input, and observed conditions. At a minimum, the survey should address the following elements:
- Copies of written inspections, surveys, and reports conducted by external agencies (such as the fire department) and in-house personnel, as required by applicable safety and health standards. Examples include overhead crane inspections, powered industrial truck daily inspections, equipment maintenance records, and other mandated evaluations.
- Employee reports of hazards or potential hazards, including near-miss reports, safety suggestions, and concerns raised through formal or informal reporting systems. Employee input is a critical component of identifying hazards that may not be evident during routine inspections.
- Accident and incident investigation records, including documentation of root-cause analyses, corrective actions taken, and verification that follow-up actions were completed and effective.
- Injury and illness trend analysis, using available data to identify recurring issues, high-risk tasks, affected job classifications, and opportunities for prevention and improvement.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) assessments to ensure appropriate selection, availability, proper use, employee training, and compliance with applicable standards.
- Ergonomic analyses to evaluate workstations, job tasks, material handling activities, and work practices that may contribute to musculoskeletal disorders or cumulative trauma injuries.
- Specific identification and evaluation of confined spaces, including their locations, characteristics, potential hazards, and applicable entry requirements.
- Identification of energy sources associated with specific machines and equipment, including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, and other forms of hazardous energy, to support effective lockout/tagout procedures.
As part of the overall wellsite analysis process, the employer or general contractor should also require subcontractors to conduct their own baseline hazard analyses. Subcontractors should share pertinent findings, identified hazards, and control measures from their baseline analyses with the general contractor and, when appropriate, with other subcontractors to promote coordination and reduce the potential for overlapping or unrecognized hazards.
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4-2. What should subcontractors do with their baseline survey analysis?
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