What is a Safety Audit?
A safety audit is a structured assessment that works to evaluate how workplace activities affect the health and safety of employees. An audit can be used to help a business determine the overall success of their safety and health programs, as well as their environmental programs and process management. In most cases, businesses tend to hire an outside auditor who has been trained to identify and spot any potential problems in the workplace before someone gets hurt.
How to Conduct a Safety Audit
In order to properly conduct a safety audit, you should:
1. Prepare for the Audit
Before conducting a safety audit, make sure to inform all managers and supervisors so that they can plan to have all of the necessary documents, records, and procedures readily available. An auditor will take the time to review all past audits and corrective action recommendations, as well as any legal and training requirements in order to determine the overall scope of the audit.
2. Conduct the Audit
During the auditing process, written plans, procedures, and other important documents will be reviewed. Part of this review involves the auditor looking for any strengths and weaknesses in both the written and practiced procedures. An auditor will also take the time to talk to employees in order to gain additional insights into what works well and what can be done differently.
3. Make Recommendations Based on the Findings
Once the audit has been completed, all of the notes will be gathered into a report that summarizes the auditor’s findings. This report will cover everything from the areas that were audited, who conducted the audit, and a list of everyone who was interviewed. A good audit will be objective and concise and will include both negative and positive findings, as well as a list of recommendations and areas for improvement.
4. Take Corrective Action
An audit can reveal both major issues that need to be corrected right away and minor issues that can be implemented over time. The auditor will work closely with the business’ management team in order to determine a list of priorities based on the level of hazards identified in the report. After the items have been prioritized, tasks will be assigned to team members in addition to completion and review dates.
If you would like to learn more about how to conduct a safety audit, or if you are interested in one of our safety audit services, please contact EFAS at 604-294-EFAS or toll free at 1-833-294-EFAS or by filling out a contact form on our website.