The period after your inspection is complete is the perfect time to take a deep breath, get organized, and prepare for the next inspection.
The following tasks are best done immediately after your inspection while the information is still fresh. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to accurately recall everything that happened.
The first step post-inspection is to begin preparing your own inspection report. If you took photographs, get hardcopies developed and save a back-up digital copy. If you took samples, send them off for analysis. Then, gather everyone together who was involved in the inspection in any way— from the employee who first saw the inspector, to each person who was asked a question, to everyone who participated in the walk through. Compile a written recollection of events with everyone’s input.
From there, you’ll also want to collect copies of any documents the inspector viewed, as well as any other physical evidence that relates to the inspection or could help prove your compliance should you need to file an appeal. If you’ve been working with a health and safety or environmental engineering consultant, make sure you discuss your full inspection report and get their guidance on the next steps.
Once you have compiled your full inspection report, it’s time to start preparing for the next inspection. Make sure your supplies, like your sampling materials and camera batteries, are replenished and ready to be used again. Go through the inspection process with your employees and address any breeches in protocol or changes to procedure that you want to implement for next time. Everyone should be on the same page about what went right, what didn’t go according to plan, and what could go better next time.
Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the inspection results. Hopefully your facility passed with flying colors. But don’t worry — if you did get a violation, the next chapter will instruct you on how to handle it. Stay tuned to learn Walden’s best tips for how to prepare for and survive an inspection.
Click here to download our full inspection preparation guide, “When Government Visits: How to Prepare For and Survive an Inspection.”
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