In carrying out a safety audit as an external auditor, what tools can be used to uncover purposely hidden risks by the audited company?

There are two potential routes to auditing your organisation. The first method is to train an employee to become your internal safety auditor or alternatively an external auditor could be appointed to conduct this safety audit. Here are our pros and cons of both routes:

 Internal auditor 

External auditor

• Organisations can view the auditor as a  ‘management instrument’ in developing performance standards and working procedures into place

• Your trained auditor will have greater understanding of how your organisation operates

• Internal auditors are given more freedom to help with suggestions and will highlight  what sort of action is necessary

• The audit can be carried out in segments, which also allows it to be flexible and minimise disruption within your organisation

•  More cost effective in the longer run

• Auditors tend to be Chartered Members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH) and OSCHR registered

• Benchmark your organisation against other organisations outside or within your sector

• Can assess your organisation against OHSAS1 and ISO1

• Experience of conducting health and safety audits within various industries

• Unbiased and expert recommendations, detailed report

• Your organisation can receive anauditing award at the same time as the audit is conducted, which will demonstrate the findings from your safety audit

• Little or no experience in conducting health and safety audits – we recommend that auditors have the NEBOSH Diploma or the NEBOSH certificate

• Internal audit reports are not accepted by either shareholders or tax authorities

• Audit may be biased and therefore organisations cannot depend on such reports

• If the audit is not conducted by a professional auditor, there could be a higher chance of errors not being detected  

• Priority may not be given to conducting the audit

•  Conflicts may arise

• Your organisation needs to allocate staff time and management to the external auditor

• An external auditor does not fully understand how your organisation operates

• An external auditor normally is given a lack of freedom within the organisation that they are visiting

• Can be expensive and time-consuming, however many training and consultancy providers are flexible with their approach to conducting their safety auditing

Whichever route to auditing you decide to implement, the main duty of any health and safety auditor is to look at your organisation’s safety management systems and assess them in line with the chosen criteria. You can then determine compliance with:

• Current legislative requirements
• Good safety management practice, in line with the HSE’s Guidance for Best Practice
• BS4: Guide to achieving effective occupational health and safety performance