Safety Audits
Safety auditing is a valuable management technique that is highly recommended by the Health and Safety Executive. The use of audit techniques is an accepted and effective means for examining existing health and safety arrangements within an organisation, to ensure that risks are being properly managed and that high standards are being maintained. An audit will show exactly how you measure up to legal requirements, and whether your performance is up to standard. It will act as a benchmark from which you can form a health and safety plan.
Purpose
The main purposes of the audit are as follows:
- to monitor existing health and safety arrangements and to identify strengths and weaknesses
- to identify areas of significant risk to staff and members of the public and to assess existing precautions
- to ensure compliance with the requirements of health and safety legislation
- to develop action plans aimed at improving health and safety standards, and reducing the potential for accidents and work-related ill-health
- to enable Directors to have a regular overview of health and safety standards.
Frequency and Scope
Audits should be completed annually, although effective monitoring requires that regular checks are made to make sure that the system is still appropriate for the needs of the task, and that it is being fully complied with. Checking only after an accident has happened is not an acceptable form of monitoring.
Properly completed audits will also be valuable for demonstrating to enforcing authority officers (from HSE or local authorities) that your organisation has an effective system for the management of health and safety.
Recent Audits undertaken includes:
- Coleg Elidyr
- Artscape
- Border Distribution
- Colchester Oyster Fisheries
- Ty Glyn Davies Trust