An audit and an inspection answer different questions. An inspection looks at conditions: is the guard on, is the extinguisher in date, is the walkway clear. An audit looks at the system that is supposed to produce those conditions: how risks are assessed, who is competent, how changes are managed, what happens when something goes wrong, and whether any of it is actually happening.
What the auditor examines
The policy and who signs it. The risk assessments, and whether they match the work as it is now done. Competence records against the roles that need them. The arrangements for consultation, for contractor control, for permits, for emergency response. The accident and near miss record, and what changed as a result. Statutory examination records for equipment. And the evidence that senior management reviews any of it.
What separates a useful audit from an expensive one
Whether the auditor left the office. A document audit tells you your paperwork is consistent. Walking the floor and comparing what people actually do with what the assessment says is where the real findings are, and the gap between the two is the finding that matters most, because it tells you whether the system is believed.
Management systems, and whether you need a certified one
A safety management system is the arrangement itself: policy, planning, implementation, measurement, review. ISO 45001 is a certifiable standard for one. Certification is a commercial decision rather than a legal requirement, and plenty of well-run businesses have an effective system with no certificate. What the law asks for is arrangements that work, evidenced under regulation 5 of the Management Regulations.
Culture, and why it is more than a word
The measurable parts of safety culture are ordinary: whether near misses are reported without consequence, whether supervisors stop work under programme pressure, whether people can name the risks in their own job, and whether actions raised at the last audit got done. An audit that scores culture with a questionnaire and never asks those four questions has measured how people answer questionnaires.
What moves the fee
The number of sites, the number of activities, whether interviews with staff and contractors are included, and whether the deliverable is a findings report or an implementation plan with prioritised actions. Ask what the report will contain before agreeing a fee, because a list of observations with no priorities transfers the whole judgement back to you.
Questions people ask about health and safety audit
What is the difference between a safety audit and an inspection?
An inspection checks physical conditions at a point in time. An audit examines whether the management system that produces those conditions is designed properly and is actually operating.
Is a health and safety audit a legal requirement?
Not by name. Regulation 5 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires arrangements for monitoring and review, and an audit is the usual way of meeting that.
How often should a health and safety audit be done?
Commonly annually, with more frequent inspections in between. The right interval depends on the risk and on how fast the business changes.
Do I need ISO 45001?
Only if you want it or a customer requires it. The law asks for effective arrangements, not for a certified system.