Conducting Safety Audits

Safety audits are intended to assure that effective program elements are in place for identifying, eliminating, or controlling hazards that could adversely impact a company’s physical and human assets. Conducted properly, this type of audit will help reduce injury and illness rates, lower workers compensation and other business costs, empower employees by involving them in activities affecting their own safety and health, increase job satisfaction, and make the company more competitive.

Although the OSHA does not require it, a voluntary safety audit program is a sound business practice that demonstrates a company’s interest in and commitment to continuous improvement of its health and safety effort.

The objectives of a safety audit should be to maintain a safe place of work through hazard recognition and removal, to verify employees are following the most effective safety procedures, to make certain the facility, equipment, and operations meet the required local, state, and federal, health, and safety requirements and best industry business practices to produce a safe place of work. In addition, safety audits assure that necessary administrative records supporting the required health, safety, and medical activities are maintained.

In this course, participants will learn how the safety audit impacts your written safety programs, and determines the effectiveness of the safety programs. They will also learn what areas to inspect and who should be involved. They will also learn how to review accident reports and OSHA logs.