Are you managing safety correctly?
Simply put, if you don’t audit it, how do you know?
Introduction
Health and safety audits are crucial for every organisation. They provide a systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which an organisation’s health and safety policies and procedures comply with regulatory requirements. Health and safety audits are vital for schools, colleges, doctor’s surgeries, businesses and hospitality venues amongst others. If you have a health and safety management system, then a health and safety audit is considered to be very good practice.
What is a Health and Safety Audit?
A health and safety audit is a thorough examination of an organisation’s health and safety management system. It assesses whether the system is effective in managing risks and protecting employees & others who engage with the business, school or other type of organisation. Health and safety audits also evaluates compliance with applicable health and safety laws and regulations.
Why are Health and Safety Audits Important?
Health and safety audits are essential for several reasons:
- Compliance: Audits ensure that an organisation is complying with relevant health and safety laws and regulations. Non-compliance can result in legal penalties and damage to your reputation.
- Risk Management: Audits identify potential health and safety risks, allowing you opportunities to take proactive measures to mitigate these risks.
- Continuous Improvement: Regular audits help organisations to continually improve their health and safety performance by identifying areas for improvement and implementing corrective actions.
- Monitoring Health and Safety: You have a legal duty to monitor health and safety in your business or organisation. Audits provide documented evidence of this.
The Audit Process
The health and safety audit process typically involves the following steps:
- Planning: This involves defining the scope of the audit, identifying the areas to be audited, and developing an audit plan.
- Execution: The auditor conducts the audit according to the plan, gathering evidence through interviews, observation, and review of documentation.
- Reporting: The auditor prepares a report detailing the audit findings, including any non-compliances or areas for improvement.
- Follow-up: The organisation implements any necessary corrective actions and the auditor conducts a follow-up audit to ensure these actions have been effective.
Conclusion
Health and safety audits are a vital tool to ensure the well-being of their employees and compliance with health and safety regulations. By identifying potential risks and areas for improvement, audits contribute to the creation of a safer and healthier workplace.Remember, a successful health and safety audit is not about finding faults, but about finding opportunities for improvement and learning. It’s about making the workplace safer for everyone. So, embrace the process and use it to drive positive change. There is a saying, ‘what gets measured, gets done!’ – audits are a great ‘measuring tool’ for health and safety and drive continual improvement.
How can JCH Safety Help?
JCH Safety provide both health and safety audits as well as fire safety audits. As Chartered Health and Safety Professionals and third-party accredited Fire Risk Assessors, you can rest assured that you are in good hands. Feel free to get in touch to find out more. We have experience in carrying out health and safety audits for schools and businesses alike. Our health and safety audits typically cost around £2000-00 which includes site visits, virtual interviews, document review and audit report. Depending on the size and complexity of your organisation, the price may vary to a lower or greater amount. Therefore, why not get in touch to arrange a free quote?
– JCH Safety are Nuneaton’s local health and safety experts covering Coventry, Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands area –
– Health & Safety Compliance – Fire Risk Assessments- Online Training –
CALL NOW or email sales@jchsafety.co.uk
