However, if you have an established terminal objective to validate that employee behavioral changes have occurred, then you must be ready to train those doing your periodic safety & health audits.
Remember the “B” word --- BUDGET. Your safety & health budget can be significantly justified when you can show positive reinforcement of your organization’s safety & health policies through measurable employee behavioral changes.
How do you accomplish this major feat?
1) Train all employees who are taking part in the facility inspection process. Training must include more than
“Housekeeping” observations.
2) Develop checklists and assure that your employees know what the desired outcome of each item
checked off is. Remember to have someone look over the training records as well as other facility needs
(i.e. fire extinguishers, first aid room, etc.)
3) Plan and conduct a safety inspection. Be part of the initial inspection by reviewing findings as the teams
return to a meeting place. Have all members of teams hear the reports of all team members.
4) Complete inspection reports. Have a generic inspection report format. Step outside of the box and have
your inspection teams take photos of deficient items found on their Safety & Health audit.
5) Develop recommendations and follow-up. Part of your inspection report must have assignment for
correction action to an individual as well as a targeted completion date.
6) Manage an effective inspection program. Hold the individual responsible for completing the corrective
action accountable. The audit is not completed until the corrective action has been satisfied.
7) Complete pre-inspection tasks. The first priority must be the allocation of employee time to do the safety
& health audit. Do not tear down your company’s safety & health credibility because you cannot schedule
the time to get a safety & health audit completed on time.
8) Determine what to inspect and where to gather information. Develop a matrix system of completing safety
& health audits. Have your employees step out of their work area and into another section of the facility
from time-to-time.
9) Record observations. Your records are your most important asset that you can have should an OSHA
inspection occur in your facility.
10) Handle employee reactions to the inspection process. When your employees are really an integral part of
the safety & health audit process, their buy-in will be automatic.
11) Analyze data and set priorities. Remember the part about scheduling time for the safety & health audit
process? Your time to do the reports and establish priorities is just as important.
Do not let the Safety & Health Audit process loose it’s effectiveness due to lack of necessary time!!!
John Hershey has instructed dozens of courses for business and industry and degree students in OSHA safety and safety administration. Mr. Hershey has twenty-five years experience in safety and health administration and training at PPL and is an active member of the American Society of Safety Engineers. An OSHA-certified safety instructor, Mr. Hershey also provides safety audits, assessments, and documentation assistance to industry.