Safety auditing is a core safety management activity providing a means of identifying potential problems before they have an impact on safety 

A safety audit is a general term used to describe an activity where the facility gathers information about one or more aspects of the workplace to evaluate the risk levels for health or safety issues

 HSE audit assessment of an organization's health and safety policies systems and procedures primarily audits enable you to protect employees and customers from harm 

What are the types of audits? 

Internal audit 

External audit 

What are internal audits? 

That is normally performed by the internal team to evaluate the current state as an effect of a management system

What are external audits? 

It is the second type of audit which is usually conducted by a third party to evaluate and examine the effectiveness of the current management system 

What are the sources of evidence auditors look for

1. documents and records 

Examples; method statements, HSE policy procedures, training records, maintenance records, inspection records, risk assessment, incident records, civil claims, accident investigation reports, statutory examinations records, etc. 

2. interviews of workers and management 

3. direct observation of the site activity and behavior of individuals 

The steps to carry out an audit 

An audit is carried out in three steps 

1. priority preparations 

Auditors use three methods to gather factual information 

One; the scope of the audit 

Will it cover just health and safety or environmental management as well? 

Two; the area of the audit 

Will it be just one department or all departments?

Three; the extent of the audit

The fully comprehensive audit which may take weeks or more selectively for who will be required 

Auditors will need to be accompanied during their visit and will need access to managers and workers for information gathering 

Five; information gathering 

It is common practice for auditors to ask for copies of relevant documentation before starting the audit so that they can prepare what is needed during the audit 

Auditors use three methods to gather factual information 

One: reference to paperwork

The documents and records that indicate what should be happening and what has happened; relevant to a particular issue 

Two: interviews

Word-of-mouth evidence was given by managers and workers 

Three: direct observation of the workplace equipment activities and behavior 

What is the end of the audits?

Verbal feedback or presentation to the management team is usually provided at the end of an audit. This verbal feedback will be followed by a written report 

The report will make a recommendation for improvement and indicate priorities and timescales

 The importance of conducting a safety audit 

Organizations conduct safety audits to comply with laws or regulations and to provide a safe workplace for everyone 

A safety audit identifies different levels of risk in each work area of an organization 

One identifies the risks and levels of those risks within the workplace 

Two; to identify strengths and weaknesses in your safety procedures

Three; assess whether your safety procedures are legally compliant 

Four; compare current documentation and practices against best practices and legal obligations 

Five; recommend improvements in your safety procedures 

Six; ensure that there are adequate resources available to manage OHS and 

Seven; ensure that the resources devoted to health and safety are being utilized effectively.

Safety auditing is a core safety management activity providing a means of identifying potential problems before they have an impact on safety 

A safety audit is a general term used to describe an activity where the facility gathers information about one or more aspects of the workplace to evaluate the risk levels for health or safety issues

 HSE audit assessment of an organization's health and safety policies systems and procedures primarily audits enable you to protect employees and customers from harm 

What are the types of audits? 

Internal audit 

External audit 

What are internal audits? 

That is normally performed by the internal team to evaluate the current state as an effect of a management system

What are external audits? 

It is the second type of audit which is usually conducted by a third party to evaluate and examine the effectiveness of the current management system 

What are the sources of evidence auditors look for

1. documents and records 

Examples; method statements, HSE policy procedures, training records, maintenance records, inspection records, risk assessment, incident records, civil claims, accident investigation reports, statutory examinations records, etc. 

2. interviews of workers and management 

3. direct observation of the site activity and behavior of individuals 

The steps to carry out an audit 

An audit is carried out in three steps 

1. priority preparations 

Auditors use three methods to gather factual information 

One; the scope of the audit 

Will it cover just health and safety or environmental management as well? 

Two; the area of the audit 

Will it be just one department or all departments?

Three; the extent of the audit

The fully comprehensive audit which may take weeks or more selectively for who will be required 

Auditors will need to be accompanied during their visit and will need access to managers and workers for information gathering 

Five; information gathering 

It is common practice for auditors to ask for copies of relevant documentation before starting the audit so that they can prepare what is needed during the audit 

Auditors use three methods to gather factual information 

One: reference to paperwork

The documents and records that indicate what should be happening and what has happened; relevant to a particular issue 

Two: interviews

Word-of-mouth evidence was given by managers and workers 

Three: direct observation of the workplace equipment activities and behavior 

What is the end of the audits?

Verbal feedback or presentation to the management team is usually provided at the end of an audit. This verbal feedback will be followed by a written report 

The report will make a recommendation for improvement and indicate priorities and timescales

 The importance of conducting a safety audit 

Organizations conduct safety audits to comply with laws or regulations and to provide a safe workplace for everyone 

A safety audit identifies different levels of risk in each work area of an organization 

One identifies the risks and levels of those risks within the workplace 

Two; to identify strengths and weaknesses in your safety procedures

Three; assess whether your safety procedures are legally compliant 

Four; compare current documentation and practices against best practices and legal obligations 

Five; recommend improvements in your safety procedures 

Six; ensure that there are adequate resources available to manage OHS and 

Seven; ensure that the resources devoted to health and safety are being utilized effectively.