# Checklist - Monitoring, Inspection and Indicators > Fire Service Safety Management System, version 0.3.3 (2026-10-25). The Human Factor. Document FSSMS-AUD-C18. > > Canonical: https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators > > Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 with the Adopting Agency Grant (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) > > General information only, not legal, medical or other professional advice. Verify every requirement against the current official text of the law, standards and manufacturer instructions that apply to you. Obtain your own legal review and consult your joint health and safety committee before adopting anything. You adopt, adapt, implement and rely on this material entirely at your own risk and on your own responsibility. Full terms: Terms of Use, thehumanfactor.ca. ## 1. Scope Category 18 audits the department’s own checking: the inspection schedule and checklists for stations, training grounds and equipment; the apparatus and equipment inspection, maintenance and test regime; occupational hygiene monitoring; the leading and lagging indicators and whether anyone acts on them; evaluation of legal compliance; the dashboard reported to the JOHSC and council; and closure of the deficiencies that inspections find. It is the category that tells the auditor whether the department would have found its own problems without the audit. It leaves to other categories: the audit program itself (category 19); the management review that receives the indicators (category 20); the records system (category 6); the content of each specialty’s equipment standard (categories 7 to 14); and the definitions and targets of the indicators, which are set in [04 Baseline Metrics and Indicator Set](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/baseline-metrics-and-indicator-set) and scored here for use. The full inspection and test intervals are in the [Annual Inspection and Review Schedule](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/annual-inspection-and-review-schedule); this category samples against it. ## 2. Criteria The CFAI column in the checklist crosswalks each item to the 10th edition performance indicator where one applies [(CPSE, 2019)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-cpse-2019); the 11th edition applies to agencies appearing before the Commission from 2027, and the crosswalk will be re-mapped then [(CPSE, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-cpse-2024). | Source | What it requires | Items | |:---|:---|:---| | Applicable OHS statute and regulations: the duty to identify and control hazards through scheduled inspections with prompt follow-up, any inspection frequency the law fixes, the committee’s or representative’s part in inspections, and the records and statistics to keep ([J04 Hazard Assessment and Workplace Inspections](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j04-hazard-assessment-and-workplace-inspections); [J05 Joint Committee and Health and Safety Representative](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j05-joint-committee-and-health-and-safety-representative); [J09 Records Retention](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j09-records-retention)) | Scheduled inspections, follow-up, records | 18.1, 18.7 | | Applicable OHS regulations: tools and equipment inspected by the user before each use and by a competent person at the interval the regulation sets, with inspection and maintenance records kept for the period it sets (this package keeps them five years); any fire-service rules for SCBA, ladders, aerial devices and harnesses ([J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j12-fire-service-ohs-rules-and-fireground-operations); [J13 Firefighter PPE and Protective Equipment](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j13-firefighter-ppe-and-protective-equipment); [J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j14-respiratory-protection-fit-testing-and-breathing-air); [J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices); [J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)) | Pre-use and periodic competent-person inspection; records | 18.2 | | ISO 45001 cl. 9.1.1 monitoring, measurement, analysis and performance evaluation; cl. 9.1.2 evaluation of compliance (ISO 45001:2018) | Determine what is monitored, methods, criteria, when; evaluate compliance with legal and other requirements at planned intervals and act on the result | 18.3 to 18.5 | | NFPA 1550 ch. 8 apparatus and equipment (inspection, maintenance and testing per the in-service vehicle standard), ch. 12 facility safety (inspections at least annually, Annex K checklists), HSO duties ch. 4 (facility inspection, apparatus evaluation) [(NFPA 1550, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1550) | Apparatus and equipment regime; annual facility inspection; HSO’s annual in-service fleet evaluation | 18.1, 18.2 | | NFPA 1910 in-service emergency vehicle inspection, maintenance, testing and retirement [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1910) | Daily and weekly checks, annual pump, aerial and ground ladder tests, hose testing, retirement criteria | 18.2 | | NFPA 1850 selection, care and maintenance of structural ensembles and SCBA [(NFPA 1850, 2026)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1850) | Routine and advanced inspection intervals, SCBA inspection and flow testing | 18.2 | | COR element 9 inspections and element 7 preventive maintenance [(CFCSA, 2021)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-cfcsa-2021) | Planned inspections by trained people with worker participation; preventive maintenance program with records | 18.1, 18.2 | | CFAI 2D performance monitoring (2D.1, 2D.2, 2D.6, 2D.9), 6B facilities, 6D apparatus maintenance, 6E and 6F equipment and safety equipment, 9B communications system maintenance, 11A.3 risk reduction documented [(CPSE, 2019)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-cpse-2019) | Quarterly internal reporting; annual gap determination and notice to the authority having jurisdiction; certified technicians; testing and tracking systems | 18.2, 18.4, 18.6 | | Package: Workplace Inspections program, [04 Baseline Metrics and Indicator Set](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/baseline-metrics-and-indicator-set), [03 Accountability and Reporting](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/accountability-and-reporting) | Monthly station inspection by officer and worker member; JOHSC member annually; indicator set with a psychological-safety measure; monthly indicator report | All | | Psychological safety as a condition of safety [(Edmondson, 1999)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-edmondson-1999); work-as-done [(Hollnagel, 2014)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-hollnagel-2014) | Near-miss, good-catch and stop-work data as leading indicators; inspections look at how work is done, not only at the building | 18.1, 18.4 | ## 3. How to score 1. Score D, I and E for each item 0 to 3, then derive the item score ([01 Audit Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/audit-program) section 5). 2. Both-required evidence codes (D+I, D+O, O+I) need each type before I can exceed 1. 3. Weights C3, K2, S1; L items must score at least 2 or the category fails its legislated floor. 4. Category score = sum(weight x item score) / sum(weight x 3). Effectiveness index uses E. 5. Record a finding, owner and due date for every item below 3, and give each finding its grade and priority ([01 Audit Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/audit-program) section 6): a major nonconformity is P1 (Imminent) or P2 (Serious) by risk, a minor nonconformity P3 (Moderate), an opportunity for improvement P4 (Improvement). Every finding enters the [Corrective Action Register](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/corrective-action-register) within five working days (a P1 the day it is found), with the due dates its priority sets. ## 4. Checklist | \# | Item | Stage | Wt | Evid | CFAI | Scoring anchors (1 / 2 / 3) | D | I | E | Score | Finding | Owner | Due | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | **18.1 Inspection schedule and checklists** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18.1.1 | A written inspection schedule names every workplace (stations, training grounds, shops, offices, storage, vessels) with the inspection type, frequency, who inspects and the checklist used, and covers the whole workplace within 12 months ([Annual Inspection and Review Schedule](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/annual-inspection-and-review-schedule)) | S1 | C3 L | D | 6B.2 | 1: some stations scheduled / 2: every workplace scheduled / 3: schedule reviewed annually with the hazard profile; completion reported monthly | | | | | | | | | 18.1.2 | Every station is inspected monthly by the station officer with a worker member using [Form - Workplace Inspection Checklist (Station)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-workplace-inspection-checklist-station), and the completed form is filed within five working days | S1 | C3 L | D+O | 6B.2 | 1: some months missed / 2: twelve of twelve on file for sampled stations / 3: completion rate at or above 95 per cent department-wide; a form observed being completed properly | | | | | | | | | 18.1.3 | A JOHSC member takes part in each station’s inspection at least once a year, and the committee reviews the inspection completion rate at every meeting ([02 JOHSC Integration](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/johsc-integration)) | S1 | C3 L | D+I | \- | 1: committee informed / 2: participation recorded for every station / 3: committee minutes show the rate reviewed monthly and a station chased | | | | | | | | | 18.1.4 | The station checklist covers every area and system: apparatus bay, zoning and gear storage, decontamination and laundry, shop and lockout, hazardous materials storage, electrical, exits and fire separations, fire protection systems, kitchen and living areas, fitness room, grounds, generator and fuel, and the inspection of the previous month’s open items | S1 | K2 | D | 6B.3 | 1: generic municipal form / 2: all areas on the department form / 3: form revised in the last two years from inspection findings and the hazard profile | | | | | | | | | 18.1.5 | Inspectors (officers and worker members) are trained in the checklist, the hazard categories, photographing and recording, and entering deficiencies in the register | S1 | K2 | D+I | \- | 1: untrained / 2: training recorded for sampled inspectors / 3: inspectors interviewed describe what a ‘competent person’ item means and how they escalate | | | | | | | | | 18.1.6 | A full annual facility inspection of every station is completed by the HSO or a facilities program team member with corporate facilities staff, using a checklist at least as complete as the standard’s sample facility inspection checklist [(NFPA 1550, 2024, ch. 12 and Annex K)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1550) | S1 | K2 | D | 6B.3 | 1: not done / 2: annual report for every station / 3: annual findings compared year on year; repeat findings flagged | | | | | | | | | 18.1.7 | Training grounds, towers, props and burn buildings have pre-use inspection checklists and a documented annual structural and systems inspection | S1 | C3 | D+O | 8C.5 | 1: ad hoc / 2: pre-use and annual records on file / 3: pre-use check observed; annual inspection by a qualified person | | | | | | | | | 18.1.8 | Inspections look at work as done, not only at the building: the inspection pair watches a routine task (apparatus check, gear cleaning, shop work) and records conditions that make it hard to do safely [(Hollnagel, 2014)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-hollnagel-2014) | S2 | S1 | D+I | \- | 1: building only / 2: task observation section on the form / 3: inspectors interviewed describe a condition they found this way and what changed | | | | | | | | | 18.1.9 | Informal daily checks by the officer (housekeeping, bay doors, exits, out-of-service tags, hazards reported overnight) are expected and the officer can describe them | S1 | S1 | I | \- | 1: not expected / 2: officers describe a routine / 3: consistent across stations and platoons interviewed | | | | | | | | | 18.1.10 | Volunteer stations are inspected on the same schedule and form as career stations, on a training night, by the volunteer officer with a volunteer member | S1 | C3 L | D+I | 6B.2 | 1: career only / 2: records for sampled volunteer stations / 3: volunteer completion rate within five points of career | | | | | | | | | **18.2 Apparatus and equipment inspection and test regime** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18.2.1 | Every apparatus is checked at the start of each shift (career) and at least weekly (volunteer) against a written checklist covering safety systems: brakes, lights, seat belts, tires, warning devices, fluid levels, SCBA seats, and the equipment manifest; the check is recorded and defects reported ([NFPA 1910, 2024](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1910); [NFPA 1550, 2024, ch. 8](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1550)) | S1 | C3 L | D+O | 6D.5 | 1: checks done, not recorded / 2: records complete for sampled apparatus / 3: check observed at shift change; a defect found and tagged on record | | | | | | | | | 18.2.2 | Defective apparatus and equipment are tagged out of service with a documented fault, and a process returns them to service only after repair by a qualified person and a recorded check | S1 | C3 L | D+O | 6D.5 | 1: verbal / 2: tag and log at every station / 3: tagged item observed; return-to-service record traced | | | | | | | | | 18.2.3 | Annual pump tests, aerial device tests, ground ladder tests and fire hose tests are completed by qualified persons to the in-service vehicle standard, with certificates on file for every apparatus and every ladder and hose length [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1910) | S1 | C3 L | D | 6D.1, 6E.3 | 1: some apparatus / 2: certificates complete for the year / 3: failures and repairs traced; schedule met within 30 days for every unit | | | | | | | | | 18.2.4 | Preventive maintenance is done by trained and certified emergency vehicle technicians to the manufacturer’s and the standard’s intervals, in-house or under a service level agreement, with records per apparatus [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1910) | S1 | C3 | D | 6D.1 | 1: general fleet shop / 2: certified technicians, records per unit / 3: HSO’s annual in-service fleet evaluation on file with retirement and refurbishment recommendations | | | | | | | | | 18.2.5 | SCBA are inspected after each use and at least weekly (career, daily where in daily use) and monthly (volunteer), flow tested annually, and cylinders hydrostatically tested at the required interval; records attach to each unit [(NFPA 1850, 2026)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1850) | S1 | C3 L | D+O | 6F.4 | 1: gaps / 2: records complete for sampled units / 3: observed check; flow test and hydrostatic dates reconciled to the SCBA inventory with zero gaps | | | | | | | | | 18.2.6 | Structural PPE receives routine inspection after each use by the wearer and advanced inspection at least annually and after exposure by a trained person, recorded per garment [(NFPA 1850, 2026)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-nfpa-1850) | S1 | C3 | D | 6F.4 | 1: annual only / 2: records per garment / 3: sampled garments match records; overdue rate under five per cent | | | | | | | | | 18.2.7 | Life safety rope, harnesses, hardware, fall protection, confined space, trench and water rescue equipment are inspected before each use and by a competent person at least annually, with a log per item and a retirement rule | S1 | C3 L | D+O | 6F.4, 6F.5 | 1: no logs / 2: logs per item, annual competent-person inspection / 3: inspection observed; retired items traced | | | | | | | | | 18.2.8 | Extrication tools, saws, generators, fans, gas detectors (calibration and bump test), thermal imagers and hydraulic equipment have inspection and test intervals, records and a qualified person named | S1 | K2 | D | 6E.3, 6E.4 | 1: partial / 2: schedule and records for all listed / 3: gas detector bump tests observed; calibration certificates current | | | | | | | | | 18.2.9 | Portable extinguishers and station fire protection systems (alarms, sprinklers, emergency lighting, exit signs, kitchen suppression) are inspected and tested at the code intervals by qualified persons, with records | S1 | C3 L | D | 6B.3 | 1: some / 2: records complete for every station / 3: deficiencies traced to repair | | | | | | | | | 18.2.10 | Radios and communications equipment relied on for safety (portables, mayday buttons where fitted, repeaters, backup systems) are checked at the start of shift and tested on a schedule, with records [(CPSE, 2019, criterion 9B.6)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-cpse-2019) | S1 | K2 | D+O | 9B.6 | 1: as noticed / 2: schedule and records / 3: radio check observed at shift change; backup tested in the year | | | | | | | | | 18.2.11 | An inventory of apparatus, SCBA, PPE and safety-critical equipment exists by location and serial number, and the inspection and test records are tracked against it | S1 | K2 | D | 6E.4, 6F.5 | 1: partial / 2: inventory complete, tracking in use / 3: physical sample at two stations matches the inventory | | | | | | | | | 18.2.12 | Equipment carried on volunteer apparatus is inspected and tested to the same regime and intervals as career apparatus | S1 | C3 L | D+I | 6D.5 | 1: career first / 2: records complete for sampled volunteer units / 3: overdue rate equal across station types | | | | | | | | | **18.3 Occupational hygiene monitoring** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18.3.1 | Diesel exhaust control systems in every station are inspected and their effectiveness verified at least annually, with records | S1 | C3 | D | 6B.3 | 1: installed, not checked / 2: annual service records / 3: effectiveness verified (capture observed or air sampled) and gaps actioned | | | | | | | | | 18.3.2 | Noise exposure has been assessed for the tasks and locations where it is likely (apparatus cabs, sirens, saws, pumps, shops) and hearing protection zones are posted | S2 | K2 | D+O | \- | 1: not assessed / 2: assessment on file / 3: zones posted and observed in use | | | | | | | | | 18.3.3 | Indoor air quality concerns (mould, carbon monoxide, off-gassing in gear rooms, asbestos in older stations) are assessed on a documented trigger and the results acted on | S2 | K2 | D | 11A.3 | 1: reactive / 2: trigger and assessment records / 3: an assessment led to a recorded change | | | | | | | | | 18.3.4 | Carbon monoxide and gas detection is installed and maintained in apparatus bays and sleeping areas where required, and tested on schedule | S1 | C3 | D+O | 6B.3 | 1: not installed everywhere / 2: installed and tested / 3: test observed; records complete | | | | | | | | | 18.3.5 | Monitoring results are reported to the JOHSC and the affected members, and the department can show what changed because of a result | S2 | K2 | D+I | 11A.3 | 1: filed / 2: reported / 3: members interviewed know a result and a change | | | | | | | | | **18.4 Leading and lagging indicators** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18.4.1 | The department has adopted the indicator set in [04 Baseline Metrics and Indicator Set](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/baseline-metrics-and-indicator-set), with a definition, data source, compiler, baseline and target for each indicator | S1 | K2 | D | 2D.1 | 1: counts collected / 2: set adopted with definitions and baselines / 3: targets set and reviewed annually | | | | | | | | | 18.4.2 | Lagging indicators are compiled monthly: injury frequency and severity, lost time, exposures, vehicle collisions, regulator orders, workers’ compensation claims | S1 | K2 L | D | 2D.2 | 1: annual only / 2: monthly on file / 3: twelve-month trend published and discussed | | | | | | | | | 18.4.3 | Leading indicators are compiled monthly: inspection completion, corrective action closure time and overdue count, training currency, fit test and medical currency, PPE advanced inspection currency, SCBA test currency, decontamination compliance, rehab deployment, incident safety officer assignment rate, effective response force attainment | S2 | K2 | D | 2D.2 | 1: some / 2: all listed monthly / 3: targets met or trend improving on most; a leading indicator predicted a problem that was fixed | | | | | | | | | 18.4.4 | At least one psychological-safety measure is in the monthly set: near-miss and good-catch reports per working fire, stop-work calls made and reviewed without reprisal, learning-team participation, and the proportion of members reporting they can raise a concern with their officer and get an answer [(Edmondson, 1999)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-edmondson-1999) | S2 | K2 | D+I | \- | 1: none / 2: at least one measured monthly / 3: measure reviewed at the management review; members interviewed confirm reporting is safe | | | | | | | | | 18.4.5 | Indicators are split by station, platoon and career or volunteer status so differences are visible | S2 | S1 | D | 2D.2 | 1: department total only / 2: splits available / 3: a split revealed a problem acted on | | | | | | | | | 18.4.6 | Each Program Improvement Team reviews its program’s indicators quarterly and records trends, outliers and actions in the quarterly update ([06 Program Improvement Teams](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/program-improvement-teams)) | S2 | K2 | D+I | 2D.2 | 1: not done / 2: quarterly updates on file for all teams / 3: team leads interviewed describe an action taken from the data | | | | | | | | | 18.4.7 | Performance gaps and negative trends are determined at least annually and reported to the fire chief and the management review, with remedial actions prioritized [(CPSE, 2019, criterion 2D.6)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-cpse-2019) | S2 | K2 | D | 2D.6 | 1: informal / 2: annual gap analysis on file / 3: remedial actions in the register with owners | | | | | | | | | **18.5 Compliance evaluation** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18.5.1 | A legal and other requirements register lists every statute, regulation, standard and agreement the department has adopted, with the current edition and the program that discharges it ([02 Standards and Law Master Map](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/standards-and-law-master-map)) | S1 | C3 L | D | \- | 1: partial / 2: complete and current / 3: updated within 90 days of each change; changes communicated | | | | | | | | | 18.5.2 | Compliance with each legal requirement is evaluated at least annually by a documented method (the legislated items in the audit checklists or a separate compliance review), with results recorded and actions taken (ISO 45001:2018, cl. 9.1.2) | S1 | C3 L | D | \- | 1: assumed / 2: annual evaluation on file / 3: nonconformities found internally and closed before any regulator visit | | | | | | | | | 18.5.3 | Regulator orders, directions and inspection reports are logged, actioned, closed with evidence and reported to the JOHSC and the fire chief | S1 | C3 L | D | \- | 1: handled ad hoc / 2: log complete / 3: no repeat orders on the same subject in three years | | | | | | | | | 18.5.4 | Changes in law and standard editions are identified on a schedule and the affected programs, procedures and training updated within a stated time | S2 | K2 | D | \- | 1: reactive / 2: schedule and change log / 3: last three changes traced to updated documents and training | | | | | | | | | **18.6 Dashboard to JOHSC and council** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18.6.1 | The HSO issues the monthly indicator report on the template in [03 Accountability and Reporting](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/accountability-and-reporting) to the operations meeting and the JOHSC by a fixed day each month | S2 | K2 | D | 2D.2 | 1: irregular / 2: twelve on file / 3: issued on time every month; decisions recorded against it | | | | | | | | | 18.6.2 | Quarterly program updates and the monthly report roll up into the annual health and safety report to council, which includes gaps in capability and capacity to mitigate the identified risks [(CPSE, 2019, criterion 2D.9)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-cpse-2019) | S2 | K2 | D | 2D.9 | 1: no council report / 2: annual report delivered / 3: council decisions or budget lines traced to the report | | | | | | | | | 18.6.3 | The dashboard is visible to members at every station in a form that protects identity, and members can say what the department is measuring | S2 | S1 | O+I | \- | 1: not visible / 2: posted or on screen / 3: members interviewed name two indicators and the current trend | | | | | | | | | 18.6.4 | Steps taken to reduce risk and address identified workplace hazards are documented and reported so the department can show its due diligence [(CPSE, 2019, criterion 11A.3)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-monitoring-inspection-and-indicators#ref-cpse-2019) | S1 | C3 L | D | 11A.3 | 1: scattered / 2: register and reports show steps / 3: a due diligence file could be assembled for any hazard within a day | | | | | | | | | **18.7 Deficiency closure** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18.7.1 | Every inspection deficiency enters the [Corrective Action Register](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/corrective-action-register) within five working days with a priority on the register’s scale, an owner and a due date, and every P1 hazard is controlled the same shift | S1 | C3 L | D+I | 11A.3 | 1: on the form only / 2: register entries match sampled forms / 3: same-shift control recorded for every P1 item in the year | | | | | | | | | 18.7.2 | Deficiencies that belong to corporate facilities, fleet or a contractor are passed through a recorded work request and tracked by the department until closed, with the service level agreement response times applied | S1 | K2 | D+I | 6B.2 | 1: passed and forgotten / 2: tracked in the register with the external reference / 3: closure times against the agreement reported quarterly | | | | | | | | | 18.7.3 | Overdue inspection deficiencies escalate on the register’s priority scale (a P1 to the fire chief as soon as it is overdue; a P2 to the deputy chief at its due date and the fire chief at 30 days overdue; a P3 to the deputy chief at 30 days overdue and the fire chief at 60), and the overdue report goes to every JOHSC meeting | S1 | K2 L | D | \- | 1: no escalation / 2: escalation recorded / 3: overdue count trending down; oldest open item under 90 days | | | | | | | | | 18.7.4 | Closure of an inspection deficiency is verified by someone other than the person who fixed it, with evidence, and repeat deficiencies at the same station trigger a root-cause look | S2 | K2 | D | \- | 1: self-closed / 2: verification recorded / 3: repeat deficiencies analysed; a systemic cause fixed | | | | | | | | | 18.7.5 | The member or inspection pair who raised a deficiency is told when it is closed, and the station can see its open items | S1 | K2 | D+I | \- | 1: no feedback / 2: feedback recorded / 3: members interviewed know the status of their station’s open items | | | | | | | | | **Accountability loop** | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18.8 | The Workplace Inspections program and [04 Baseline Metrics and Indicator Set](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/baseline-metrics-and-indicator-set) carry a completed accountability and closed-feedback-loop table (owner, doer, verifier, feedback, closure) with default roles filled, including how a member’s concern raised through an inspection or about an indicator gets an answer back to that member, and the loop test holds when walked through with the owner | S1 | K2 | D+I | \- | 1: table present, roles blank / 2: table complete, owner can explain it / 3: loop test walked through with a real example from the last year | | | | | | | | **Loop test.** A worker member on a Monday station inspection records that the diesel exhaust hose on bay two will not stay attached to the tailpipe. The officer tags the bay position and backs the apparatus out to start it the same day; by Friday the item is in the register with the facilities program manager as owner and a work request number; within 30 days corporate facilities has repaired the connector and the HSO has checked every bay in the department for the same fault; the worker member sees the closure on the station’s open-items list and hears from the officer what was found elsewhere. ## 5. Effectiveness questions Answer from observation or interview only; record the evidence. 1. Watch a shift-change apparatus and SCBA check at a station the auditor chooses on the day: was it done to the checklist, were defects recorded, and did the officer know the status of every unit before the crew went available? 2. Take the three oldest open inspection deficiencies in the register: does the station know about them, has the member who raised each heard anything, and is the escalation record present? 3. Ask members whether they can raise a concern about a station, an apparatus or a piece of equipment, or about what the department measures, and get an answer. Did they name a person and a response? Separately, ask whether a near miss or a stop-work call they made in the last year appeared in any report they saw. ## 6. Interview and observation prompts 1. (Station officer) Show me this month’s inspection form and the open items from last month. Who did the inspection with you? 2. (Worker member or JOHSC member) What did you find on your last inspection, and what happened to it? 3. (Driver or operator) Walk me through the apparatus check you did this morning. Show me where you recorded it. What do you do with a defect? 4. (Logistics or SCBA technician) Show me the flow test and hydrostatic dates for these three units from the inventory, then show me the units. 5. (Fleet) Who did this year’s pump and aerial tests, and what failed? 6. (HSO) Show me last month’s indicator report and one decision that came from it. Which leading indicator moved first before the last injury cluster? 7. (Program manager) Show me your team’s last quarterly update and the indicator trend you acted on. 8. (Senior officer H&S) Show me the legal register and the last compliance evaluation. What did you find before the regulator did? 9. (Observe) Shift-change apparatus, SCBA and radio check; out-of-service tags; the diesel exhaust connection; the gas detector bump test. 10. (Observe) A monthly station inspection, or the completed forms for the last three months at two stations on different platoons. 11. (Everyone) Who would you tell if a piece of equipment was unsafe, and what would happen? 12. (Everyone) What one thing about inspections, testing or measurement would you fix first? ## Jurisdiction requirements This chapter relies on the following legal requirements, which differ by province and territory. Check your jurisdiction’s section on each topic page before adopting it. | Topic | What to check in your jurisdiction | Page | |:---|:---|:---| | Hazard Assessment and Workplace Inspections | Whether the law requires a written hazard assessment and scheduled inspections with prompt follow-up, and whether it fixes how often the workplace must be inspected and by whom (items 18.1, 18.7) | [J04 Hazard Assessment and Workplace Inspections](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j04-hazard-assessment-and-workplace-inspections) | | Joint Committee and Health and Safety Representative | The committee’s or representative’s statutory part in workplace inspections and in receiving their results (items 18.1.2, 18.1.3) | [J05 Joint Committee and Health and Safety Representative](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j05-joint-committee-and-health-and-safety-representative) | | Records Retention | Which inspection, monitoring and maintenance records and statistics the law requires, and how long each must be kept (items 18.2, 18.4.2) | [J09 Records Retention](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j09-records-retention) | | Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations | Whether a fire-service OHS regulation adds equipment rules (SCBA, ladders, aerial harness) that the inspection regime must cover (items 18.2.5, 18.2.7) | [J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j12-fire-service-ohs-rules-and-fireground-operations) | | Firefighter PPE and Protective Equipment | Which ensemble, SCBA and PASS standards a regulation requires, and the general duty to inspect and maintain PPE before each use (items 18.2.5, 18.2.6) | [J13 Firefighter PPE and Protective Equipment](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j13-firefighter-ppe-and-protective-equipment) | | Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air | The respirator program standard, fit-test frequency and type, and breathing air and cylinder rules that the SCBA records must show (item 18.2.5) | [J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j14-respiratory-protection-fit-testing-and-breathing-air) | | Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices | Whether tools and equipment must be inspected before each use and by a competent person at a set interval, how long inspection and maintenance records must be kept, and the testing standards for ground ladders and aerial devices (items 18.2.3, 18.2.7, 18.2.8) | [J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices) | | Fall Protection and Rope Access | Harness or fall-arrest rules for work from an aerial ladder or platform, and the inspection rules for fall protection and rope rescue equipment (item 18.2.7) | [J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access) | ## References Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations \[CFCSA\]. (2021). *National COR accreditation standard* (final draft, 2021-06-11). Center for Public Safety Excellence \[CPSE\]. (2019). *Fire and emergency service self-assessment manual* (10th ed.). Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Center for Public Safety Excellence \[CPSE\]. (2024). *Fire and emergency service self-assessment manual* (11th ed.). Commission on Fire Accreditation International. Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. *Administrative Science Quarterly, 44*(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 Hollnagel, E. (2014). *Safety-I and Safety-II: The past and future of safety management*. Ashgate. International Organization for Standardization. (2018). *ISO 45001:2018, Occupational health and safety management systems: Requirements with guidance for use*. National Fire Protection Association. (2024). *NFPA 1550, Standard for emergency responder health and safety* (consolidates NFPA 1500, 1521 and 1561). National Fire Protection Association. (2024). *NFPA 1910, Standard for the inspection, maintenance, refurbishment, testing, and retirement of in-service emergency vehicles and marine firefighting vessels* (consolidates NFPA 1071, 1911, 1912 and 1925). National Fire Protection Association. (2026). *NFPA 1850, Standard on selection, care, and maintenance of protective ensembles for structural and proximity firefighting and open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)* (consolidates NFPA 1851 and 1852).