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The legal requirements for a Health and Safety Audit The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to manage health and safety. Implementing a Safety Management System will assist the employer to manage safety. Auditing is an important element in any Safety Management System (see Figure 1), and involves asking “are we doing what we say we are doing?”. It is important for ensuring continual improvement in the management of health and safety. What is a Health and Safety Audit? An audit involves collecting information on the efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of the Safety Management System and drawing up plans for corrective action.
Carrying out a health and safety audit involves the following key steps: – An assessment of the organisation’s Safety Management System – A review of all relevant documentation – Interviews with key personnel – Walk-though inspection – Preparation of a report of findings and prioritised recommendations in order to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation, guidance and best practice. How Nifast consultants can help with your Health and Safety Audit: – Our experienced consultants can deliver an independent assessment of your Safety Management System – We can provide a gap analysis against a benchmark occupational health & safety system model, such as OHSAS 18001. – We will deliver a prioritised list of recommended improvements, which will assist management in drawing up an action plan – A systematic auditing programme can become a benchmarking tool for health and safety performance Does your organisation need a Health and Safety Audit: – Are your organisation’s systems in line with current health and safety legislation and best practice? – Do you know where the gaps are in your Safety Management System? – Do you require a health and safety audit to be carried out by an independent competent person? – Would you like a regular audit of your systems to be carried out to ensure you are up-to-date? |
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What is involved in a Health and Safety Audit?