Safety audits may be conducted on a voluntary or required basis by knowledgeable, experienced professionals who will assist in reducing personnel risk and insure compliance with applicable standards and regulations. Audits are used to assess a company’s safety management systems, determine the use of corporate policies and procedures in regards to compliance, as well as to identify what regulations apply to a given area or facility.
There are four key benefits to conducting third party safety audits:
- Knowledge and Validation – Third party audit companies have the benefit of having conducted audits in multiple environments and are able to share best practices that can strengthen individual programs, industry-wide knowledge held by third party provider can serve to validate existing programs and provide recommendations for growth or change when deemed necessary
- Objectivity - Third party auditors are able to come in and provide a completely neutral assessment and review of a company’s systems and processes without the natural familiarity that occurs over time with regular staff and day-to-day routines
- Result Accuracy – Due to objective positioning the results of a third party audit provide a more accurate review of what is occurring within multiple environments of a company in regards to safety practices
- Lower Business Impact – Audits conducted internally can be taxing on time and labor resources and take away from overall business function, however a third party auditor is able to enter a location for the sole purpose of conducting an audit and conduct the audit and interviews in a timely and efficient manner without interrupting the efficiency of the company
Using a third party to conduct audits allows for fresh eyes and a different approach to research, review and analysis of company safety programs. A well prepared and well executed safety audit can make a substantial difference in the prevention of accidents and injuries. Thoroughly completed audits with proper follow are viewed favorably by regulatory agencies and can strengthen a company’s accident prevention plan.
