Health & Safety Audits in the Workplace

Croner covers how businesses should undertake health and safety audits in the workplace. A health and safety audit is a tool used to evaluate workplace H&S risks. Businesses must select a ‘responsible’, non-biased individual to undertake these audits.

Health and Safety audits and inspections are vital to the wellbeing of your workforce.

The HSE states organisations should have formal procedures in place for auditing and reporting on health & safety performance, so an audit isn’t only a matter of wellbeing; it is a compliance exercise too.

If you need immediate advice on how to correctly undertake health and safety audits, get in contact with one of our health & safety experts on 01455 858 132.

• Can you produce an internal safety audit report?
• Setting up a safety audit system
• Let’s break it down into several basic steps:
• Using a health & safety audit template
• Get expert support

What is a health & safety audit?

A health & safety audit is the process that ensures you are compliant with the most current health & safety regulations. Whilst its purpose is to ensure compliance, it also assesses how well your business is following standard processes, as well as your overall health & safety performance.

The HSE defines a health and safety audit as:

“A collection of independent information on the efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of the total health & safety management system and drawing up plans for corrective action.”

Can you produce an internal safety audit report?

Yes, you can. The one thing to remember when conducting a health and safety audit is that you must have a “competent person” leading it.

Alternatively, you can use an external auditor for the peace of mind that expertise brings.

Setting up a safety audit system

Regardless of your choice of auditor, you should have a system in place to ensure health & safety compliance.

It is often helpful to put together an office safety audit checklist to highlight what your organisation’s priorities are, and how you’re going to manage the risks most prevalent in your industry.

To start, the checklist should address certain safety audit questions, such as:

• Is your health and safety policy up-to-date and available to all employees?
• Does your management team know their health & safety responsibilities?
• What is your organisation's system for reporting hazards?
• How often are you undertaking health and safety checks?
• Do you have a valid fire risk assessment?

These are just a few basic questions that should be present in the health and safety audit checklist you utilise. Remember, the above is a non-exhaustive list. There are many, many more questions you’ll need to answer in a full health & safety audit, including industry-specific queries.

Once you have your full list of priorities, you can start to look at how to undertake the audit itself.

Health & safety audit procedure

Let’s break it down into several basic steps:

• Conduct an opening meeting with all relevant members of staff.
• Visit the site to be audited and assess the risks to employees.
• Document and record observations made on-site.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Rank issues in order of severity (address significant risks first, less significant risks after).
• Assess if a proper performance review system is in place.
• Submit the completed audit report.
• Take steps to prevent harm and remove unsafe hazards/practices.
• Conduct a closing meeting to formalise and record changes made.

You might want to include different steps depending on your industry and workplace. Your auditor can advise which steps to add.

Using a health & safety audit template

If you’re struggling to put together a health and safety audit checklist, there are templates out there for you to use.

However, finding a template that perfectly fits your organisation will be a challenge. You can access several audit and assessment templates on the HSE website. But don’t rely on these to guarantee full compliance.

If you really want to ensure absolute health & safety compliance within your business, a Croner consultant can provide it. Simply call 01455 858 132.

for FREE, same-day assistance.

Get expert support

Our health and safety specialists offer a range of services. They conduct on-site audits, create new and update existing health and safety policies, and provide actionable reports. Furthermore, they provide 24/7 advice and continually monitor and review your policies and procedures for compliance.

Speak to a Croner expert today on 01455 858 132.