Health and Safety Audit

What is an audit?

A health and safety audit is an assessment that takes a look at all your health and safety documentation, including policies, systems and procedures. It must be undertaken by a competent health and safety advisor. It ensures your organisation health and safety is complaint.

What are the benefits of a health and safety audit?

It is recommended that health and safety audits are done regularly. They are widely recognised as the best practice for all different types of organisations. Audits aren’t just a simple box ticking exercise or defensive measure. They enable you to protect employees, customers and visitors from harm.  Ultimately a professional audit can safeguard the existence of the company from serious injuries that could result in prosecutions, severe reputational damage and financial penalties.

Why should I have an audit?

Although it isn’t a legal obligation to undertake an audit. Nevertheless, companies off all types and sizes find regular audits to be essential. So why should I undertake an audit?

1. Health and safety audits not only reveal what isn’t in line with health and safety legislation but also what and who are keeping to the legislation.
2. Setting up a safety audit system can not only protect employees and customers from injury and illness, but it can also motivate employees as it shows as an employer you care about their well-being.
3. A serious incident can cause unfavourable publicity that can damage trade, therefore having a correctly conducted audit can protect a company’s assets.
4. Prosecutions from the Health and safety Executive (HSE) for breaches in health and safety can lead to large fines and legal costs, possibly even imprisonment. These could have been pointed out from a audit and could save you potentially thousands.
5. Without a audit it’s not possible to be sure if your policy is fit for your organisation. An employer is legally obliged to have a health and safety policy in place. Therefore a audit can point out what is needed within your audit.

What is covered within an audit?

When it comes to an audit every organisation has different needs and to cover different legislation. This is what a typical audit will cover:

• Documentation – checking that you have a suitable health and safety policy, process documents and COSHH in place.
• Interviews with managers, heads and employees, who often have valuable insights based on everyday work.
• Checking to make sure every employee is following the health and safety policy.

So why OJ Health and Safety?

Here at OJ Health and Safety our competent health and safety advisors make what is a boring and sometimes stressful experience, hassle free. We pride ourselves on making our clients feel relaxed and confident about the health and safety within their companies knowing they have access to competent, timely and practical advice, training and services. Email admin@ojsafety.co.uk now for a free quotation.