Everyone likes getting a 'good' result from their Safety Audit. If executed well a good result from a Safety Audit can give a measure of comfort that people aren't being exposed to unnecessary risks and are well protected against injury and illness. For some it can also mean that new markets or industries are accessible with a new, or continuing, certification. For others it can provide affir...
Has there been a more famous food safety message than Seinfeld's 'Double Dip' episode? Perhaps not, but that same message can also apply to Safety Audits. I'm not talking about food hygiene but how the outcomes and findings from your safety audits are employed to best support you and the auditee. There's limited value in issuing two non-conformances for the same poor performance without prop...
Spending time on the things that really matter is a challenge for nearly everyone in today's fast paced society. In our haste to get things done we often focus on the things we can get repeatedly done quickly, and easily, with what's left over sometimes getting only cursory attention in the time that remains. It's easy to adopt a similar approach during a Safety Audit, especially when they are oft...
Failing to read and understand the fine print in contracts or conditions has left many people high and dry. The same can happen when the finer detail in Audit Standards and their criterion aren't properly understood. Whilst Audit Standards don't deliberately try and conceal their requirements (like the fine print in some contracts!) they aren't always written with the general populace in mind and ...
Have you ever been asked to do something without knowing the reason for it? No doubt we all have. For simple tasks, minimal understanding of why something needs doing, probably won't impact on your ability to complete it successfully. But for more complex tasks, understanding the 'Why', can often be critical to preparing for and then achieving what was intended. And Safety Audits are far from simp...
Would you let someone without a driver's licence borrow your car? People without medical training prescribe you medication? Or let someone decide on risk controls who didn't have training in health and safety? For most of you the answer is a definitive "No". In fact, we use and rely on trained, qualified and experienced people every day in our private and professional lives. Think about who operat...
A pilot will always develop a Flight Plan to describe their proposed aircraft flight prior to taking off. It includes two safety critical aspects: fuel calculation to ensure the aircraft will safely reach its destination and specific information for air traffic control to minimise the risk of a mid-air collision.This process helps the pilot to plan a successful flight minimising the risk of...
We can all remember being asked to attend a meeting or facilitate a workshop at the last minute, with limited or no time to prepare. The thought of having to 'wing it' is awful and, unsurprisingly, most of us avoid it wherever possible. This isn't dissimilar to how an Auditor feels if they're not given enough time before the audit to prepare. Poor preparation may mean the audit results are not rep...
You can have the best Safety Culture and safety practices in the world, but if you don't get your documentation right or provide access to records, the audit is going to be an uphill battle. Safety Audits are about evaluating if your health and safety management system is doing what its supposed to do. To do this Safety Auditors need evidence, sourced from visual observations, interviews with mana...
You've spent countless hours writing and developing your health and safety management system, so isn't it time to find out just how good it is? Isn't it time to get that Self Insurance licence or AS4801 accreditation that the System was designed for? Why wait when I could get a Safety Audit done now and move onto something else? But wait you must. By design, Safety Audits check performance at a mo...
Safety Audits, A waste of everyone's time or a great way to identify safety improvements? Opinion will be mixed. Anyone who has been involved in a Safety Audit will have a different one, formed by their own experiences and those around them. Safety Audits can be good, or they can be a disaster. A good Safety Audit should have all parties engaged positively, working towards a common goal, finding m...