Safety inspections (sometimes referred to as safety rounds) are a key practice in industrial safety, helping to identify and fix hazards before they cause serious problems. Most organizations focus on horizontal safety inspections because they are easy and comfortable. However, vertical safety inspections—checking equipment and conditions at elevated locations—often get ignored. Climbing stairways, ladders and scaffolding requires extra effort, making these inspections less frequent. This neglect can lead to serious risks, as critical equipment at higher levels may have hidden hazards.
Why Ignoring Vertical Safety Inspections is Dangerous
Many essential operations happen at heights, such as reactors, elevated piping and storage tanks. When these areas are overlooked, serious incidents can occur. Unattended corrosion, unnoticed leaks and malfunctioning pressure relief systems are some of the hidden dangers that can lead to catastrophic failures.
Consider an industrial setting where chemical reactions take place in overhead reactors. A minor unnoticed leak in a high-altitude pipeline can lead to a significant gas release, potentially causing health hazards or fire outbreaks. The absence of routine vertical safety inspections increases the likelihood of such incidents going undetected until it is too late.
Historical Incidents due to Missed Vertical Safety Inspections
In 2016, a devastating boiler explosion occurred at the Tampaco Foils Ltd. factory in Tongi, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, resulting in 24 fatalities and numerous injuries. Investigations revealed that the explosion was caused by poor maintenance and a lack of regular inspections, leading to undetected corrosion in the boiler system. The failure to conduct thorough vertical safety inspections allowed critical structural degradation to go unnoticed, ultimately leading to the disaster.
This incident underscores the vital importance of routine vertical inspections in preventing catastrophic failures in elevated equipment.
Challenges in Conducting Vertical Safety Inspections
1. Physical Effort and Accessibility
- Climbing stairways and ladders takes effort, discouraging frequent inspections.
- Some elevated areas are difficult to reach, making checks inconvenient.
- Inspectors may experience fatigue while conducting inspections at higher altitudes, leading to oversight of crucial hazards.
2. Time Constraints and Priorities
- Workers focus more on horizontal inspections as they are easier and faster.
- High workloads make it hard to dedicate time to vertical safety inspections.
- Production pressure often forces operators to prioritize immediate operational needs over routine safety checks.
3. Lack of Awareness and Training
- Many teams do not realize the importance of checking elevated areas.
- Training programs often do not emphasize vertical safety inspections.
- Workers may not be well versed in detecting early signs of structural degradation, leaks, or corrosion in high-risk zones.
4. Safety Risks at Heights
- Falls and exposure to hazards make inspections dangerous.
- Lack of proper safety gear discourages inspectors from checking these areas.
- The absence of proper fall protection measures can increase the likelihood of serious injuries during inspections.
How to Improve Vertical Safety Inspections
1. Make Vertical Safety Inspections Mandatory
- Create a checklist specifically for inspecting elevated areas.
- Assign responsibility to ensure these inspections happen regularly.
- Implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) that require documentation and reporting of each vertical inspection.
2. Use Technology for Safer Inspections
- Drones can inspect high-risk areas without requiring workers to climb.
- Install remote sensors to monitor equipment performance in elevated locations.
- Infrared cameras and gas detection sensors can help detect leaks or overheating equipment at height without human exposure.
- AI-based predictive maintenance tools can analyze data from high-altitude equipment, predicting failures before they occur.
3. Train and Motivate Teams
- Conduct regular training on the importance of vertical inspections.
- Use virtual reality (VR) simulations to teach safe inspection techniques.
- Establish hands-on workshops where employees can practice safe climbing and working at height.
- Develop mentorship programs where experienced inspectors guide new employees in proper vertical safety inspections.
4. Provide Proper Safety Gear
- Ensure inspectors have harnesses, helmets and slip-resistant footwear.
- Implement a strict permit-to-work system for high-risk areas.
- Equip workers with portable communication devices to maintain contact while conducting inspections in elevated zones.
5. Encourage a Strong Safety Culture
- Involve leadership in vertical safety inspections to set an example.
- Recognize and reward employees who proactively report hazards in elevated areas.
- Establish a reporting system where workers can anonymously highlight unsafe conditions observed in high-risk zones.
KPIs for Line Managers
To ensure the effectiveness of vertical safety inspections, line managers should be measured against key performance indicators (KPIs), such as:
- Frequency of Vertical Safety Rounds Conducted—Number of documented vertical inspections per month.
- Compliance Rate—Percentage of completed vertical inspections versus scheduled inspections.
- Hazards Identified and Mitigated—Number of safety issues reported and resolved from vertical inspections.
- Training Participation—Percentage of workers trained on vertical safety practices.
- Incident Reduction—Decline in incidents related to equipment at elevated locations.
Basic Checklist for Vertical Safety Inspections
In conclusion, ignoring vertical safety inspections can lead to serious incidents, as shown in past cases. Many workers avoid them due to the extra effort required, but the risks of skipping them are too high. Organizations must make vertical safety inspections a priority by integrating technology, providing training, and ensuring proper safety equipment.
To ensure a holistic safety approach, industries must evolve their inspection strategies. With the right combination of mandatory inspections, technological advancements, training programs, and strong leadership, vertical safety inspections can become a standard practice rather than an overlooked duty. A complete safety approach must cover all levels—ground and heights—to protect people and assets effectively.
