A safety audit is a process conducted by an internal or external party to identify weaknesses within your company’s safety programs.
Unlike a simple spot-check inspection which can be superficial, safety audits go far deeper. They determine whether or not your company is compliant with current workplace health and safety legislations.
A safety audit can include:
- A walk-through of your facility or worksite
- Interviews with all your employees; from upper management down to the last forklift driver
- Reviews of all your company’s safety documents, manuals and record-keeping systems
- Reviews of how well your safety plans and programs have been implemented
- Reviews of how your employees are trained to deal with onsite safety challenges and risks
If you shudder at the thought of a safety audit it is time to change your mind about them.
They’re a proactive approach to improving on-site safety.
Here are some of the ways in which your business can benefit.
Safety audits ensure your people go home safe and sound, everyday
Regular safety audits continuously identify where your business is weak in terms of following workplace health and safety legislation.
Safety audits point out gaps in your safety procedures and provide the data you need to make them better. If your company’s budget is ever an issue, the data from a safety audit will also allow upper management to create solid business cases in order to make positive change.
Improved procedures and protocols will see your employees receive more training. They’ll learn more, upskill and in turn, they’ll work more safely.
As you invest in them, they’ll feel more valued as employees. They’ll enjoy their work more and feel more confident working in an environment they know is as safe as can be. Why? Because you put in an effort to make it so.
Staff go home to their families and friends at the end of each day, safe and sound, feeling good.
Overall, safety audits make sure the risk of injury or death is significantly lowered.
Regular safety audits will ensure you’re always improving
A safety audit will get into the nitty-gritty of all your company’s safety documents, manuals, record-keeping systems and training procedures.
The information isn’t collected just to identify onsite hazards and risks. They’re used to design new and improved safety plans and programs to help improve a company’s safety processes. They make sure occupational health and safety standards are met.
By auditing your own company constantly, you’re proactively looking for ways to get better at what you do and deliver better results to your clients.
Overall, you’re making sure your company is always growing and improving. You’re safeguarding your business and its internal safety processes against mediocrity.
You’re making sure your company is on the straight and narrow towards success.
Regular safety audits will make sure you’re always ready for a BLITZ
Safety blitzes can be carried out by safety authorities at any time.
Tired of injuries and deaths costing the NSW Workers Compensation system so much money, Safework NSW announced a safety blitz in March this year with no warning.
Safety inspectors are now randomly turning up at businesses around the state, completely unannounced. They’re looking to heavily fine businesses that aren’t complying with occupational health and safety standards.
If you’re ordering safety audits on your business regularly, you’ll be ready for any blitz that may occur.
The best part? You won’t get fined.
Improve your safety audit process
Many aspects of a safety audit are straight forward, but others aren’t. In some cases, it can be difficult to determine how safe pedestrian staff really are when working near mobile plant.
Near-miss events are rarely noticed or reported. This is a hidden risk across your organisation.
Both drivers and pedestrians may not realise they’ve entered a safety exclusion zone. And if they do, they may not always comply with the necessary reporting requirements.
The BodyGuard Pedestrian Safety Warning System can be set up to accurately record all near-miss events where a pedestrian has breached an exclusion zone.
Reliable reports can be generated later to help you identify dangers within your business. You’ll identify the frequency of near-miss events and be able to take the appropriate actions to lower them.
Overall, the system will enhance the quality of your safety audits and in turn, lower risk across your organisation.
If you’re interested in finding out more, we’d love to tell you all about it.
Give us a call on +61 (2) 4355 4554 or get in touch via our contact page.