Health and Safety Audit
Kevin Kerin – Managing Director CMIOSH IMaPS, MIIRSM
Latest USP Briefings | 12th May 2023 | 1:30 pm | 5 min. read
Navigating the tricky waters of Health and Safety legislation can feel like a nightmare, especially when it comes to wading through huge piles of Legislation, Regulations and Guidance Documents which exist to ensure that organisations are legally compliant and keeping their workers, and anyone affected by their undertakings, safe from harm.
As an organisation, are you content that your current Health and Safety Management System stands up against the various pieces of applicable legislation? Maybe you already know that there some areas of weakness within your system which need addressing, or maybe you think that your management system is working well and is compliant within all areas of applicable Health and Safety legislation, but you just want to be sure.
If either of the above statements are true, then a Health and Safety Audit is the way forward.
What is a Health and Safety Audit
A Health and Safety Audit is the systematic process of evaluating your current Health and Safety Management system (policies, procedures & processes) against a set list of criteria, which is taken from the various pieces of Health and Safety governance, to identify any area(s) of weakness.
The audit will also identify areas where you are excelling as an organisation and will demonstrate to your employees that Health and Safety is at the heart of the organisation.
Think of the Health and Safety Audit as a snapshot in time, or as an MOT for your business. At the time that the audit is conducted, it will highlight areas of success, but also areas where the organisation needs to provide time and resources to address any issues found.
Why do I need a Health and Safety Audit
You need to consider your Health and Safety Management System as a suite of live documents and supporting safe systems of work. These documents and systems of work may have been correct at the time they were initially produced and implemented; however, both documents and systems of work need to be continuously reviewed to ensure that they remain up-to-date and compliant with current legislative requirements, as well as support the operational activities which the organisation undertakes.
A Health and Safety Audit is great for providing you with confirmation that your Health and Safety Management System is working well, or alternatively, that there are some areas that need to be addressed to ensure your organisation gets back on track to meeting good levels of compliance.
How often should a Health and Safety Audit be conducted?
Although there is no defined period when it comes to conducting Health and Safety Audits, we advise that a Health and Safety Audit should be completed every 12-24 months. Undertaking a regular ‘service’ of your Health and Safety Management System will not only aid in maintaining your Health and Safety systems and procedures but it will also provide valuable information as to how well your company complies with Health and Safety Legislation as well as measuring success against any internal initiatives for Health and Safety which you have implemented.
Who completes a Health and Safety Audit?
A Health and Safety Audit should be completed by an individual who has a deep understanding of the legislation which is applicable to an organisation and its undertakings. You may already have someone within your organisation that can undertake the audit. If you do not have someone appropriate within the organisation you would need to find an external Health and Safety auditor, who can complete this audit for you.
Need to know more about a Health and Safety Audit?
At USP, our Health and Safety consultants have an impressive amount of experience in conducting Health and Safety Audits for small to large organisations nationwide and across a wide spectrum of industries. If you want to know more about how USP can help your organisation through this important process, as well as understanding how we conduct our Health and Safety Audits, please visit our Health and Safety Audit page, or contact us on 01903942996 or email info@universal-safety.co.uk.
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