PROHSP9             Develop and implement health and safety audits

Overview

This standard covers the skills and knowledge required to develop and implement health and safety audits.

It covers

1.            preparing systems for a health and safety audit;

2.            implementing health and safety audit systems;

3.            evaluating compliance of health and safety management systems of your organisation with operational and technical standards and procedures specified by management;

4.            evaluating compliance with, and relevance of, health and safety performance standards of your organisation;

5.            evaluating compliance of health and safety management systems of your organisation with relevant health and safety statutory requirements; and

6.            recommending changes to improve performance of health and safety management systems of your organisation

 

Outcomes

Performance Criteria

You must be able to:      

1.            define purpose, objective, nature, scope and frequency of health and safety audits for your organisation

2.            define operational and technical standards and procedures and performance standards for health and safety in your organisation

3.            identify health and safety statutory requirements relevant to scope of audits following industry best practice

4.            identify competent auditors (in-house or external) and suitable audit tools following industry best practice

5.            agree audit programmes and reporting procedures with relevant stakeholders following industry best practice

6.            carry out audits in your organisation in accordance with agreed specifications following industry best practice

7.            review and evaluate health and safety documentation of your organisation following industry best practice

8.            carry out physical inspections and behavioural observations in your organisation following industry best practice

9.            modify audit programmes to meet unexpected situations and requirements following industry best practice

10.          keep records of health and safety audits following industry best practice

11.          prepare written health and safety audit reports for your organisation following industry best practice

12.          quantify results of audit reports of your organisation following industry best practice

13.          make recommendations necessary to improve health and safety performance of your organisation, including a realistic implementation timescale following industry best practice

14.          present audit reports to directors and/or senior managers in accordance with organisational procedures

15.          advocate, to the relevant stakeholders, acceptance of recommendations made to improve the health and safety performance of your organisation              

 

Knowledge & Understanding

You need to know and understand:

1.            health and safety management systems

2.            health and safety management operational and technical standards and procedures

3.            health and safety audit questionnaires

4.            health and safety documentation

5.            nature and scope of audits

6.            how an audit system can be reviewed

7.            advantages and disadvantages of in-house and bought-in audits

8.            competency of auditors and companies offering an audit

9.            effective written communication

10.          health and safety statutory requirements

11.          industry best practice

12.          quality management requirements for documentation