Workplace Safety Audit In Kolkata

CIL provides workplace safety audit services in Kolkata,  India. CIL is an ISO 17020 accredited inspection agency.

WHS Audits  

Workplace health and safety (WHS) audits are often dreaded, striking fear into managers and employees alike. But remember, audits aren’t trying to catch us out or expose our failings, their purpose is, ultimately, to help protect our workers. The health and safety requirements of every business change over time (as do best practices), and audits allow workplace compliance to be checked, and, if necessary, brought back in line. By ensuring WHS compliance, we can make sure the right procedures and processes are in place to protect the health and safety of our employees and contractors. 

 What is a WHS Audit? 

At its most basic, a WHS audit is the process of assessing a workplace and identifying any hazards that may put employees at risk. The audit can either be an informal walk around or a formal planned inspection, however, in both cases, it is a documented process and demonstrates why safety is important in the workplace. The idea is to review the systems of safe work that are in place and ascertain whether they meet compliance and legislative requirements. 

There are three principal types of audits that businesses can undertake: 

Compliance audit - ensuring that the workplace is free from recognized hazards and complies with WHS standards. 

Program audit - to verify that the necessary programs are in place to dictate safety rules and regulations and reduce the number of safety incidents. 

Management systems audit - to evaluate the effectiveness of management’s commitment to safety programs and their integration into safety culture. 

What Does a WHS Audit Involve? 

WHS audits involve three essential techniques: reviewing documentation, interviewing employees and observing the workplace. Audits can be internal or external, either conducted by a member of staff or independent consultants. To perform an internal audit, a member of staff needs to have the right training and qualifications, but it does give the company greater control over the process and the cost. An external audit, on the other hand, is the gold standard that allows organizations to benchmark themselves against others. 

Some businesses will be subject to external WHS audits to comply with regulations. Criteria can seem pretty strict, but as long as businesses practice effective record keeping, they’ll have the documentation in place to provide the evidence needed.  

What Are the Benefits of WHS Audits? 

As we’ve touched on, the ultimate aim of WHS audits isn’t to catch you out so much as to ensure that you can rectify any problems and maintain a safe workplace. There are many benefits of WHS audits for workplace safety, concluding with the opportunity to: 

Highlight potential issues - by identifying potential WHS problems, you have the chance to make changes before an incident occurs 

Improve employee awareness - audits can help employees to better understand why safety is important in the workplace 

Improve company reputation - employing good health and safety policies and procedures makes a positive impression on clients and suppliers. 

Ensure ongoing compliance - if a company isn’t compliant, it risks serious penalties as well as the health and safety of its workers. 

Contact CDG for Workplace Health and Safety Audit