17 Oct 2018

Safety audits are important for organisations if they are to comply with laws and regulations and also provide a safe workplace. 

In an interview, Ministry of Basic Education safety, health and environment (SHE) coordinator, Mr Martin Keabona said safety audit identified different levels of risk in each work area of an organisation. 

He explained that an audit was a systematic and independent examination that determined whether activities and related results conformed to planned arrangements and were implemented effectively.

Mr Keabona said safety audits determined whether a company complied with safety legislation as well as identify weaknesses in an organisation’s safety programmes and processes. 

Audits therefore, he said, were used as a guide for designing safety plans or to identify corrective action to be undertaken.

Mr Keabona explained that safety audits promoted constant review of systems to ensure that they were not weakened by habit. He said they also helped identify weaknesses in human resource departments. 

He pointed out that auditors must have successfully completed a recognised Lead Auditor Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) training programme and be appropriately trained and experienced to be able to audit. 

The safety management system audit, he said, was a major exercise and a final step in the health and safety management control cycle carried out every two to four years, and a means of assessing the adequacy of the organisation’s SMS.

“SMS addresses all aspects of safety management in a structured manner such as using written questions, reviewing records, staff interviews and observations of workplaces and operations. 

SMS audits may be beneficial when carried out by an independent person or organisation,” said Mr Keabona.

He noted that it was important to review past programme area audits and corrective action recommendations as well as review an organisation’s requirements for a specific programme in order to become familiar with the document, inspection and training requirements. 

Mr Keabona said auditors should not form an opinion or make evaluative comments during fact findings.

He explained that an audit’s findings could include how an organisation could remedy potential threats to employees and visitors. ENDS