Safety Audit Program

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A safety audit program should include a variety of safety audits that evaluate safety programs, inspections, plans, and practices within an organization.

A safety audit may include an evaluation of:

Safety systems, such as :

The Job Hazard Analysis
Safety and health management
The administration of specific safety and health programs
Safety planning
Compliance with safety codes and standards
Emergency preparedness

A safety audit program determines whether safety plans, procedures, and systems are effective, and whether the intended results are being achieved. It is a tool used to ensure problems and hazards are identified before they result in accidents or injuries.

A safety audit program also helps to identify the overall effectiveness of safety program management, and can be used to help assure regulatory compliance and a safe workplace.

Safety Audit Program - Responsibilities

Management

Management's responsibility is to design a safety audit program that covers all work areas, processes, and production procedures. The safety audit created for one work area may not be appropriate for other work areas, so the safety audit program must include audit procedures that have been developed and evaluated separately for each work area, process, and production procedure.

Once safety audit procedures are established, management schedules the safety audits and is responsible for ensuring that the safety audits are conducted by employees who understand the various safety programs and policies.

Overall, management has the responsibility to ensure the safety audits are done properly, in a timely manner, and in such a way as to produce valid results.

Supervisors

Supervisors have front-line responsibility for safety. They are responsible for conducting informal daily safety inspections, as well as formal weekly inspections. Any unsafe conditions must be reported to the appropriate person, and it is the supervisor's responsibility to ensure unsafe conditions are corrected.

The supervisor's safety inspections also serve as an audit of the safety audit process. If the supervisor is regularly reporting safety issues, then there has been a failure of the overall safety process the safety audit has failed to catch. This means management must make appropriate changes or corrections to the safety plan and audit process.

Safety Audit Program - Correcting Safety Issues

All safety program deficiencies found during a safety audit should be corrected as soon as possible. Documentation of the corrective measures should be noted on the audit sheet and included in the final audit report.

Safety audits may also identify specific safety hazards. These should be noted on the audit report and immediately corrected or controlled. Addressing a safety hazard should not wait until the audit report has been processed, analyzed, reviewed, or approved.

Safety Audit Program - Conducting Safety Audits

A safety audit program includes numerous safety audits. These are conducted to check the administration of individual safety and health programs, and to ensure compliance with all codes and standards.

The frequency of safety audits will vary depending on the type of workplace. Typically the following types of safety audits should be conducted at least once a year:

Accident prevention programs
Fire prevention
Flammable material storage
Visual communication (labels and signs)
Electrical safety
Electrical hot work safety
Lockout-tagout (LO/TO)
Hazard communication (HazCom)
Bloodborne pathogens
Respiratory protection
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Confined space entry
Fall protection, scaffolding, and ladder safety
Asbestos controls
Tool safety
Material handling Equipment/machine startup and shutdown safety
Contractor safety

Safety Audit Programs - A Safety Audit Example

An important aspect of a safety audit program is ensuring compliance with codes and standards, such as OSHA standards. A safety audit is not a safety inspection. Its primary purpose is not to inspect the workplace to identify hazards.

The purpose of a safety audit is to evaluate the plans, systems, and procedures that are used to ensure a safe workplace. For example, a safety audit would look at the safety inspection procedures, evaluate them, and determine whether those procedures are resulting in compliance with OSHA standards as well as resulting in effective safety inspections.

In addition, the safety audit program is used to verify compliance with standards, including internal standards and policies, and industry standards, as well as local, state, and federal regulations.

The following is an example of a safety audit checklist that is used to verify compliance with OSHA standards (note that the following doesn't ensure compliance with OSHA):

Safety Audit - Exit Routes, Emergency Plans, etc.

Question

OSHA Standard

Yes or No

Are the lights in the exit signs working?

1910.36(b)(1)

Are at least two routes available to permit prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an emergency?

1910.36(b)(1)

Are exits clearly marked to read "Exit"

1910.36(b)(2)

Are exits routes clearly marked?

1910.36(b)(4)

Are exit signs free of obstructions so that they are totally visible?

1910.36(b)(5)

Are exit route doors free of obstructions?

1910.36(d)(1)

Are exit route doors able to be opened without difficulty from the inside of the room at all times?

1910.36(d)(1)

Are exit aisleways at least 28 inches in width

1910.36(g)(4)

Are outside entrance and exit pads in good and level condition?

1910.36(h)(3)

Do all rooms have evacuation routes, and are they posted?

1910.38(a)

Safety Audit Program - Include Evaluating Management Effectiveness

Management is not exempt from being audited. Ineffective safety and health management increases the likelihood of deficiencies in safety and health practices. What types of problems might a management safety audit reveal? The following are real-life examples resulting from an audit of a hazardous waste site:

Deficiencies in site safety and health practices were found that were directly attributable to a lack of knowledge and experience among on-site safety and health personnel. Selecting qualified personnel, and providing complete and appropriate training, is a management responsibility.

The site management structure prevented personnel from exercising their judgment in matters of safety and health. A typical example of this was that on-site personnel were required to obtain approval for their day-to-day safety and health recommendations from off-site decision makers who were not readily available.

The contract language was inflexible with regard to PPE requirements, or because off-site safety and health decision makers had not responded to the recommendations.Key aspects of the safety and health programs had no overall coordination.

There was not one individual with overall safety and health enforcement authority. For example, employees of two different contractors worked side by side using different levels of PPE.

Safety Audit Program - Example From the U.S. Department of Transportation

Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of workplace fatalities and injuries. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) conducts a safety audit of motor carrier new entrants.

Failure to comply with standards in any one of 16 areas (listed below) will result in a new entrant's registration being revoked. Even if you are not subject to USDOT motor carrier regulations, your safety audit program should include an evaluation of vehicle and transportation activities.

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The following is the audit checklist used by the USDOT:

Failing to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substances testing program (domestic and foreign motor carriers, respectively). - § 382.115(a) / § 382.115(b)

Using a driver known to have an alcohol content of 0.04 or greater to perform a safety-sensitive function. - § 382.201

Using a driver who has refused to submit to an alcohol or controlled substances test required under part 382. - § 382.211

Using a driver known to have tested positive for a controlled substance. - § 382.215

Failing to implement a random controlled substances and/or alcohol testing program. - § 382.305

Knowingly using a driver who does not possess a valid CDL. - §383.3(a) / § 383.23

(a)Knowingly allowing, requiring, permitting, or authorizing an employee to operate a commercial motor vehicle with a commercial learner's permit or commercial driver's license which is disqualified by a State, has lost the right to operate a CMV in a State or who is disqualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle. - § 383.37

(b)Knowingly allowing, requiring, permitting, or authorizing a driver to drive who is disqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle. § 383.51

(a)Operating a motor vehicle without having in effect the required minimum levels of financial responsibility coverage. - § 387.7

(a)Operating a passenger carrying vehicle without having in effect the required minimum levels of financial responsibility. - § 387.31

(a)Knowingly using a disqualified driver. - § 391.15(a)Knowingly using a physically unqualified driver. - § 391.11

(b)(4)Failing to require a driver to make a record of duty status. - § 395.8

(a)Requiring or permitting the operation of a commercial motor vehicle declared "out-of-service" before repairs are made. - § 396.9

(c)(2)Failing to correct out-of-service defects listed by driver in a driver vehicle inspection report before the vehicle is operated again. - § 396.11

(c)Using a commercial motor vehicle not periodically inspected. - § 396.17(a)