A Health & Safety Audit examines a whole organization including planning, policy making, implementation, hierarchies, processes, and decision making to test whether all safety aims & objectives are being met.It provides for a comprehensive view of policies, procedures and safety practices. The purpose is to generate action after assessing priorities and costs and draw up action programmes for approval by the board.
Regarding Health & Safety policies, the audit checks if legal requirements are met and the commitment level of the management at all levels. Also an investigation is made on the effectiveness of the health & safety commitee is there is one else why one has’nt been formed.
Regarding Health & Safety procedures, the audit checks how effectively the policies are implemented and communicated so as to provide for systematic risk assessment. It looks into safety training especially during induction and in case of job change as well as ensuring that accidents if any that occur should be thoroughly investigated. Importance is also given to health & safety considerations while designing, manufacturing and operating processs for products/services.
Regarding Health & Safety practices, the audit checks how safety practices conform to the legalities which lay down regulations, evidence to prevent recurrence of accidents and commitment levels of managers. The audit does a thorough analysis of the trends of performance indicators -positive or negative
These audits are conducted by safety advisors or specialists in HR but the more involvement there is of the line managers the better it is. Usually a Health & Safety committee is formed while otherwise outside agencies are hired. Example: Ernst & Young, British Safety Institute etc
