Peninsula Team, Peninsula Team
(Last updated )
Peninsula Team, Peninsula Team
(Last updated )
In this guide, we'll discuss what a Health & Safety audit is, the benefits of conducting one, and the process to follow.
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As an employer, you have a legal duty to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all your employees. One way to do this is to carry out a Health & Safety audit.
This analysis can provide you with valuable insights and identify improvements, keeping your employees and other visitors on-site safe from injury at all times. Failure to do so may lead to serious injury and legal damage.
In this guide, we'll discuss what a Health & Safety audit is, the benefits of conducting one, and the process to follow.
A Health & Safety audit is something a business conducts to identify any areas of improvement needed to enhance the safety of a business, as well as ensuring its legal compliance. Put simply, it is an evaluation and assessment of an organisation's Health & Safety:
These audits are conducted by a Health & Safety professional who is qualified in the field. They gather evidence using the following methods:
Following this, they will produce a report identifying areas in which the business can improve its Health & Safety management system.
A Health & Safety audit will cover a range of areas related to your Health & Safety management.
This includes:
There are two different types of Health & Safety audits that your company can perform. Although they both help to ensure compliance for your business - it's important to know the differences between them, so you know what your company needs.
Let's discuss each of them in more detail:
An internal audit is an audit which is carried out within a company, by an employee. It must be carried out by a competent person; someone who has the sufficient training, experience, and knowledge to identify Health & Safety issues.
The competent person you choose should hold the relevant Health & Safety training qualifications. An example of this is having either a National Examination Board in Occupational Safety (NEBOSH) Diploma or NEBOSH Certificate.
Conducting an internal Health & Safety means you have greater control over the process as a whole. For example, you might wish to conduct it in stages so disruption to production is minimised.
An external Health & Safety audit is carried out by an external auditor who must be experienced, trained, and fully qualified, such as a Health & Safety consultant.
The auditor will follow an audit process as detailed in the HSE's authoritative Health & Safety audit template (HSE Best Practice Document HSG65). They'll visit your site and request:
An advantage of employing an external audit is that it tends to be more comprehensive than an internal audit. However, it's also likely to be more disruptive to your company. For example, you might need to shut down your production line for a significant amount of time whilst it is assessed.
No, under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 there's no legal requirement for a Health & Safety audit to be carried out. However, employers do have a legal duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees as far as reasonably practicable. And, a Health & Safety audit is a useful tool to do so.
The Health and Safety Executive states that large public and private sector organisations should have formal procedures in place regarding Health & Safety audits - as well as being required to report on their Health & Safety performance.
There are several benefits your company can experience from carrying out regular Health & Safety audits of your company.
For example, an audit:
No legislation states how often a Health & Safety audit should be carried out. It depends on the size and risk factors of a particular business. For example, a chemical company should conduct them more regularly due to the dangerous materials they use.
But, it's good practice for all companies to carry out regular audits annually.
There are several steps a safety audit includes. By following them, you create a thorough safety audit system.
The steps include:
The first stage of a Health & Safety audit is for senior management to gather any required documentation that the auditors may need when carrying it out.
This documentation can include:
The second step of the audit process is arguably the most important - evidence gathering. This part can involve several stages, such as:
The third stage of the process is reviewing and recording the results of the audit. The auditor will issue a report based on important areas, with comments and recommendations.
They will also make the company aware of any missing records or policies related to staff training and other safety issues.
The last stage of the audit process is to publish the above report to all employees. All employees within a business have a right to know how their employer is looking after their health, safety, and wellbeing.
The report should include the following:
No matter whether you're looking to use an external or internal auditor, you should prepare for your audit properly.
An external auditor will have their own questions they’ll be looking to answer during the audit. But if you are conducting your own audit, you might want to create a checklist with questions that help evaluate your business’s Health & Safety. Examples of these are:
With Peninsula's SafeCheck, a Health & Safety auditor will assess your workplace and uncover those critical hazards which put you and your staff at risk.
So, you don't need to plunge your own time, training, and money into carrying out your own audit. The UK's leading Health & Safety specialists will sort it for you.
After your audit, you’ll receive a detailed, user-friendly report that guides you through your next steps. Meaning you’ll know exactly how to protect your workforce and pass a Health & Safety inspection.
Plus, Peninsula can help with every aspect of your Health & Safety management. Including:
Our team offers expert advice on Health & Safety. We provide 24/7 Health & Safety advice which is available 365 days a year.
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With SafeCheck, you can outsource your workplace Health & Safety audit to the UK's leading specialists - for only £295
With SafeCheck, you can outsource your workplace Health & Safety audit to the UK's leading specialists - for only £295
With SafeCheck, you can outsource your workplace Health & Safety audit to the UK's leading specialists - for only £295