Workplace Safety Audits: 4 Primary Areas of Focus

In the world of workplace safety, one of the cornerstones is the workplace safety audit.

Safety audits are an essential component of workplace safety, along with safety policies, safety procedures & execution, safety awareness and safety training. Workplace safety audits are the hub of these other four components, ensuring that policy, procedure, awareness and training are working in concert to form a superior workplace culture.

In this edition of the Advanced Consulting & Training workplace safety blog, we’ll explore workplace safety audits and focus on four areas on which managers and supervisors can focus to ensure that workplace safety audits are conducted properly, regularly and thoroughly.

5 Important Steps to a Workplace Safety Audit – and 4 Areas to Focus On

In a previous article on workplace safety audits, we talked about the 5 Important Steps to a Workplace Safety Audit.

To recap, these steps are:

1. Workplace Safety Audit Planning
2. Workplace Safety Audit Execution
3. Compiling the Workplace Safety Audit
4. Take Corrective Action as Informed from the Workplace Safety Audit
5. Communicate the Results of the Workplace Safety Audit

In this article we’ll break down the audit focus into four distinct areas on which an effective workplace safety audit ought to focus:

• Safety Policies (“Macro”)
• Safety Procedures (“Micro”)
• Safety Awareness
• Safety Training

These four areas, when working in harmony, encompass both the big picture and the day-to-day of a worksite or organization that promotes, maintains and grows a superior workplace safety culture.

Thus, the Workplace Safety Audit should focus on these four areas to ensure that each is up to snuff and that all four are working together.

Workplace Safety Audit: A Big Picture Look at Safety Policies

Safety policies are the big picture reflection of an organization’s workplace safety culture.

A company or work site with effective, detailed, well-informed and well-thought-out safety policies is far more likely to be a safer workplace.

Safety policies stem from a number of areas:

• Past experience in your organization & industry
• Best practices of workplace safety in your industry
• Federal, provincial and municipal workplace safety laws & regulations
• Workplace safety audits that you have conducted

Yes, workplace safety audits you’ve conducted in the past have led to current safety policies; while your next workplace safety audit (and subsequent audits) will lead to better safety policies.

Workplace Safety Audit: The Day to Day of Safety Procedures & Execution

While workplace safety policies have a big picture scope, they also inform the safety procedures and processes that are to be followed in the day-to-day operations of your workplace.

When safety policies are planned and put into place at the managerial level, it’s the supervisors and staff who are executing the safety procedures that stem from said policies.

Specifically, supervisors are to ensure that safety procedures are being followed at all times; and their role is extended to include providing feedback to management as to how policy and procedure can be improved.

Staff are to be aware of all safety procedures and processes for their given role(s), following these to the letter in the safe execution of their job.

Workplace safety audits should ensure that the above are taking place, and should recommend areas in which safety procedures and processes can be improved.

Workplace Safety Audit: A Culture of Safety Awareness

A workplace safety audit will reveal the culture of safety awareness in your organization or work site.

Specifically, it will uncover gaps and areas for improvement, showing where workplace safety needs to be bolstered.

Workplace safety audits will also reveal an organization’s strengths in terms of safety awareness. A superior workplace safety culture includes attention to safety awareness.

Workplace safety audits should ensure safety awareness is ingrained in the workplace safety culture, and should recommend areas in which safety awareness can be improved.

Workplace Safety Audit: Being Committed to Safety Training

Finally – but certainly not the least – a workplace safety audit will reveal the gaps in safety training as well as show where safety training has helped.

When executing the workplace safety audit, it’s good to highlight the areas in which safety training is showing its effectiveness; this is something you’ll not only want to continue but offer more of as well.

A lack of proper safety training will also reveal itself in the course of a workplace safety audit. When these results are communicated to management, is the responsibility of management to implement new and better means of safety training as recommended in the workplace safety audit.

How ACT Can Help with Workplace Safety Audits, Safety Policy & Process and Safety Training

At Advanced Consulting & Training, a leader in Ontario workplace safety training and consulting, we can help you plan, prepare, execute and present your workplace safety audit.

We’re also well-equipped and experienced to be your competent partner in implementing enhanced safety policy, safety processes & procedures, and boosting your workplace’s safety awareness. We also offer superior workplace safety training, both at our facilities as well as at your work site or location of choice.

Contact us today to find out more about workplace safety audits and the complete package of workplace safety training and consulting.