Page 130 - IGC BOOK

4.3 Health and Safety Auditing

Introduction to Auditing

Auditing is the structured process of collecting
independent information on the efficiency,
effectiveness and reliability of the total safety
and health management system and drawing
up plans for corrective action.

Definition

Auditing is the systematic, critical examination
of an organisation’s health and safety
management systems and procedures.

Scope and Purpose of the Audit

The main purpose of the audit is to evaluate how well health
and safety is being managed against the standards. The
audit identifies the strengths and weaknesses and areas which are vulnerable. The outcome of
the audit is the report to the management with action plans which allows to manage health and
safety successfully.

Consider the scope of the audit before audit starts. Questions to be asked will the audit cover
health, safety, welfare, environment? Will the audit cover a department or a process? How
comprehensive will the audit be? When you get answers for these questions, consider what
information is required to be gathered.

The entire scope of the health and safety management system of an organisation should be
subjected to a comprehensive audit from time to time. Individual aspects of the health and
safety system and procedures can, of course, be subjected to individual audits for example.

• Occupational ill-health

• Fire prevention and emergency arrangements
• Work at height

• Confined space.

Distinction Between Audits and Inspections

Health and safety audits assess health and safety management systems or part of it.

• It verifies standards through interviewing people and observation.

• It assesses documents including HSE policy, risk assessments, SSoW, SOP, PTW, internal audit
reports.

ENSIGN | Unit IG1 – Element 4 – Health and Safety Monitoring and Measuring 18