Completing regular WHS Audits is good governance for all organisations, regardless of size, industry or location. These Audits give you assurance and confidence that your safety management system is meeting compliance requirements, that your practices & processes are fit for purpose and that your policies & procedures have been implemented as intended.
In the past 10 years we have completed over 40 WHS audits in a variety of organisations, and there are three common mistakes we often observe:
- More Policies More Protection – some organisations have large and extensive safety documents, believing that the more “paper”, the greater the organisation is protected. This is not true. Sometimes these policies & procedures are just “shelf-ware” and are not “in use” in the organisation. Or they are just too long, complicated and confusing to be able to be implemented successfully. Shorter or fewer safety documents will not make you “less compliant”. You are better off having simple policies and procedures that all staff can understand and follow.
- Making Assumptions – assumptions are often made about how well a policy or procedure has been adopted in the workplace. There are also assumptions made that just because a particular incident has never occurred in the workplace in the past, that it won’t ever occur in the future. Never assume anything. You should observe what is happening in your workplace and examine the data you are receiving. Test & verify what is going on – don’t make assumptions.
- WHS Audits “one and done” – often WHS Audits are completed infrequently with large gaps in between. WHS Audits should be completed in a systematic manner as part of your continuous improvement program. Good governance would also dictate that, following the Audit, the Audit Report with Findings and Recommendations, be provided to the Leadership Team, the Board and any relevant Committees such as Risk or Audit Committees. This practice will also support the organisation’s Officers to demonstrate they are meeting their WHS Due Diligence requirements prescribed under the WHS Act.
WHS Audits not only assist with meeting regulatory compliance, they can proactively support your safety culture and ensure both the physical and psychological safety of your workers and others.
Want to know if you are overdue for an Audit?
Download our Red Flags to Indicate you need a WHS Audit:
https://the-mindful-risk-group.kit.com/cd976393d7
Want Further Information?
If you would like to discuss your WHS Audit program or need some WHS support to complete your audit, reach out so we can have a chat. Have a great day,
Bron
Mob. 0498 631 462