By Shaun Davidson, CSP, Health, Safety & Environment Team Lead
Workplace safety audits are a valuable part of any company’s safety culture. Organizations use audits to gauge compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, as well as adherence to company policies and procedures, which often exceed OSHA requirements.
Audits can also be a proactive approach to identifying at-risk conditions and behaviors before they become an incident or injure an employee. The two main types of safety audits—informal/general walkthroughs and formal audits—can be effectively applied to your operations, job site, and company.
Informal/General Walkthrough Audits
Site or department leadership should conduct these audits daily to incorporate safety into their regular observations and practices. A simple way to integrate informal audits into daily routines is to walk the work area and speak with employees at the beginning of the shift. These audits, which can be documented, should continue throughout the day. During these walkthroughs, leadership should focus on answering a few simple, yet effective, questions:
- Do my employees know what we are doing today and the possible hazards associated with it?
- Do my employees have the necessary tools and safe equipment for that work?
- Is the work area safe for the required work? (This is especially important for fluid, fast-paced, and constantly changing worksites.)
- How are my employees doing today? Are employees engaged in their work? (This is crucial to determine since inattentiveness can cause injuries.)
Formal Audits
Formal audits are the more “traditional” auditing method where safety professionals or leadership trained in hazard recognition inspect work areas, focusing on specific hazards of the area, for compliance with regulations and policies, and then document findings for evaluation and/or follow-up. Formal audits should be scheduled and implemented periodically throughout the year to prevent unforeseen circumstances from creating hazards for employees.
Although there are several ways to conduct formal audits, they should always address the following questions:
- Are policies, procedures, regulations, and industry best practices being met?
- Is employee training in safety policies and procedures effective and adequate for the hazards of the work area?
- Is the equipment in the area operating normally and safely?
- Is equipment, such as machine guarding, emergency equipment, safety devices, personal protective equipment, tools, etc., in good working order?
- Is all required documentation, such as equipment maintenance records, training records, investigations, postings, signage, etc., complete and adequate?
Establish a Quality Safety Audit Program
A quality safety audit program is a critical tool for identifying risks, verifying compliance, and reinforcing safe work practices. It provides structure for consistent evaluations, ensures findings are documented and communicated, and supports accountability across all levels of an organization.
When implemented effectively, safety audits help prevent incidents before they occur and strengthen overall safety culture. A well-structured safety audit program will ensure:
- Audits are a fact-finding event and are documented as such.
- Audits are communicated to leadership. Plan when audits will take place so leadership can produce proper documentation for review. Communication is also essential in the event of abnormal work conditions, which would prevent a thorough and representative audit from being conducted.
- Findings are reviewed. Recognize which areas or employees excelled during the audit and address any deficiencies noted during the audit. Evaluations should be precise and fair.
- Recommendations and corrective actions from the safety audits are implemented. Area leadership, employees, and the auditor should work collaboratively on how and when deficiencies are corrected and documented.
- Audit results are communicated to leadership. Knowing how their area, team, or operation performed during the audit is essential to building and sustaining a strong safety culture.
Safety audits are a proactive approach to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees. If you need structure and guidance for your company’s job site and task audits, RETTEW’s Safety Consulting group can assist. Our Safety Consultants tailor their approach to your specific situation, identifying the most cost-effective solution while prioritizing safety and your operation.
Additional Offerings
RETTEW’s team of safety professionals has expertise in identifying and mitigating work location and job site dangers for a diverse client base, including private industry, contractors, municipalities, and other consulting firms. Our in-house staff and partners, including Certified Safety Professionals, Construction Health and Safety Technicians, Certified Industrial Hygienists, and Certified Ergonomics Compliance Directors, provide support to our clients in addressing construction, commercial, and industrial workplace safety concerns. Contact us to learn more about our comprehensive safety services.
