Periodic inspection

How are establishments in scope inspected?

Establishments in scope are inspected under a programme decided in advance; inspection does not wait for a complaint. Frequency follows the tier and a systematic appraisal of hazards — upper-tier establishments are inspected more often. What is sought is not the existence of documents but evidence that the system runs: a record, a drill report, a finding closed out.

Programmed inspection

In this field inspection is not a reaction to a tip-off or an accident; it runs under a programme decided in advance. The programme is built on the tier of each establishment and on a systematic appraisal of hazards; the interval is shorter for upper-tier sites.

What is looked for

  • that the notification has been made and is current,
  • that the policy and the safety management system are implemented — evidenced by examples, not by procedures,
  • that scenarios and barriers agree with the site,
  • that the emergency plan has been drilled and its gaps closed,
  • that the public has been informed,
  • that findings from the previous inspection have been closed.

Why the last item weighs most

An open finding from the previous visit sets the tone of the next one on its own: the establishment knew about the risk and left it. Closing a finding is not writing a reply; it is showing the change on site.

Preparation

The most useful preparation is to inspect yourself first: list the obligations, write beside each the record that evidences it, and open a finding wherever there is no record. That list surfaces most of what an external inspection will ask.

How this stands in Optifora

The 26 obligation records are filtered against the establishment's profile by regime and tier; each item is matched to the document or record that evidences it, and any item without a match appears as an open finding.

Manage this in Optifora

Optifora is not a single program but a compliance platform assembled from modules. The catalogue states which module is ready today and which is on the roadmap.

See what Optifora is