According to OSHA, “Employers derive many benefits from effective safety and health programs that provide for audits, including reduced absenteeism, lower workers’ compensation premiums and payments for medical treatment and disability, and favorable treatment from OSHA. Employers with effective programs have fewer and less serious hazards and thereby face reduced exposure to OSHA citations and penalties as a result.”
Safety audits should be conducted by trained professionals that can be neutral and objective when conducting and reporting on the results of the audit.
Recommendations should be developed for each deficient area found during the audit. Corrective action should be taken to immediately correct hazards and preventative action should be implemented to ensure procedures are in place to prevent future issues. Follow-up reviews should be scheduled to ensure all corrective and preventative actions were implemented and are effective.
At least one comprehensive safety audit should be scheduled every year. Or every department may have their own safety audit completed on a rotating schedule throughout the year, and then a comprehensive company-wide safety audit on high-level procedures can be conducted at the end of the year.