An essential tool the safety of employees and ensuring OSHA, DOT, and EPA requirements is the Audit & Inspection process. ISTS has 25 years of experience with regulatory standards, and will use our knowledge of safety to compliment your companies process, production, and quality. There are key benefits to starting or improving the current annual review, and auditing within your facility:
- They help identify health and safety issues and give you the opportunity to correct them before they result in accidents.
- They are a demonstration of your commitment to good standards of health and safety.
- They provide the opportunity to constructively engage with a range of staff on health and safety matters and help to build a good health and safety culture.
- They provide confirmation that all the elements of your Health and Safety Management System are working as you expect.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AUDIT & INSPECTION?
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An inspection is a tour of the workplace to identify unsafe acts or conditions. At their best, they will involve discussions with the workforce to understand and correct the root causes of the unsafe acts and conditions. In this way, you will avoid the same unsafe condition, for example “fire escape blocked by materials” being observed again and again.
An audit is a more in depth survey of one, or a number of, aspects of the Management System. It will follow document trails, check the understanding of the workforce and look for evidence to demonstrate whether or not the management system is functioning properly and the undertakings given in the Health and Safety Policy are being met. |
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WHAT DO I NEED FOR AN AUDIT / INSPECTION PROGRAM?
There are a large number of audit and inspection schemes in use. Some are highly structured, others more free flowing. They may build in some form of rating system either qualitative or quantitative. Each will have its own advantages and shortcomings. The choice depends on the type of business and the expertise available amongst the auditors and inspectors.
Whatever systems are used, they will require a degree of skill and knowledge amongst the auditors and inspectors and commitment from you to maintain an agreed schedule and completed corrective actions.
ISTS can help you with your inspection process by devising and introducing an inspection and audit program to suit your needs. They will train the auditors and inspectors to give them the confidence they need to make effective observations and interventions.
ISTS will carry out a detailed audit of your organization's Health and Safety Management System giving you a prioritized action plan for improvement. Where appropriate, the audit can be summarised as a numerical rating against fixed performance criteria to help you identify the most cost effective areas to direct your efforts and make direct comparisons from one audit to the next.
Whatever systems are used, they will require a degree of skill and knowledge amongst the auditors and inspectors and commitment from you to maintain an agreed schedule and completed corrective actions.
ISTS can help you with your inspection process by devising and introducing an inspection and audit program to suit your needs. They will train the auditors and inspectors to give them the confidence they need to make effective observations and interventions.
ISTS will carry out a detailed audit of your organization's Health and Safety Management System giving you a prioritized action plan for improvement. Where appropriate, the audit can be summarised as a numerical rating against fixed performance criteria to help you identify the most cost effective areas to direct your efforts and make direct comparisons from one audit to the next.
