What is audit and inspection
Be it audit, inspection or simply a floor walk, some form of monitoring is required to ensure the systems that are meant to be in place to manage health and safety are in place and are working as intended.
The inspection process checks the controls for critical risks and requirements for compliance are in place and working. This is a regular process undertaken internally with a key output being to identify improvement opportunities. If it is a series of ticks, it is probably time to review the process.
The audit is more through, will include elements of the HSE System (policies and procedures) and assess compliance against applicable standards and regulations. Most importantly, the audit is an external check, thus independent. The audit is a critical part of the organisation’s “officers” undertaking the due diligence the law requires.
Why audit and inspection matters
One word – “assurance”. Without Our team provide audit and inspections to identify improvement opportunities and deliver assurance, helping you maintain a safer and more compliant workplace.
Audit and inspection provides assurance at all levels of the organisation that the business has health and safety under control – compliant, a safe work environment, safe work practices and a strong safety focus.
Winsland audit processes and tools
We customise audits, referencing back to an organisations health and safety plan and procedures, to risk and incident registers and key performance measures. There are standard audit tools built into the Winsland Health and Safety APP.
For larger organisations or those wanting ISO or ACC certification we use recognised standards such as AS/NZS4801 or ISO48001 as the basis of audits.
Case study – Receiver audits
As PCBU assuming responsibility for these sites, the receivers were seeking assurance that health and safety was being well managed as part of their discharge due diligence obligations. These were difficult sites for a multitude of reasons thus it required a pragmatic approach and a
strong focus on the critical risks. The buildings had been left partially completed, few in the workforce spoke English or had learned their trade under NZ regulations, thus there was an elevated level of risk and complexity. Over several months, whilst the building work was completed, Winsland provided health and safety expertise to the receivers so that;
~ Contractors were compliant with NZ health and safety requirements.
~ All projects were completed without a serious health and safety event resulting in serious harm.
~ The receivers were able to discharge their duties with assurance that health and safety was being effectively monitored and critical risks were being managed.