Field Compliance Using Safety Audits

MEASURING FIELD COMPLIANCE USING SAFETY AUDITS 

Safety audits are another valuable tool to aid in determining field compliance. Audits can also reveal gaps between field activities and safety programs and plans, but the audit attempts to look at compliance from a different level than an inspection. The audit looks at the big picture as far as safety is concerned. This big picture will look at general compliance in safety-related areas. These areas can vary, but typical areas that are examined include the following  

The effective audit will uncover any weakness or noncompliance in the safety-related areas that are being audited. Audits typically get a score, whereas inspections usually do not. Audits are more of a management tool to determine compliance in a general way. Inspections are a tool used by all levels to determine compliance in a specific area (typically and most often physical safety hazards). Management has been baffled when safety inspections continually reveal no deficiencies, yet accident occurrences seem to be prevalent. The use of a comprehensive audit can help eliminate accident occurrences. 

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MEASURING FIELD COMPLIANCE USING SAFETY AUDITS... 

Sometimes success comes in small steps. Accomplishing field compliance using tools such as an effective inspection and audit program will likely come in small steps. These tools are all part of a developing safety culture. Each step that is made in the development of safety culture is a step in the right direction. 

Noble Canary s OSHA Audit 29 CFR 1910 for iPhone, iPad and Andioid allows safety and health professionals to conduct a full safety audit from their mobile phone or tablet computer, and email a full report while in the field. With this easy-to-use mobile auditing application, users can document general industry workplace compliance, record safety violations with notes and photographs, and fully evaluate health and safety programs. Noble Canaiy LLC, www. nohlecanaty.com. Circle 333... 

There are two commonly used and effective ways to measure field compliance field safety inspections and hands-on field audits. Notice that the terms field and hands-on are used in the previous sentence. These are key words because trying to perform inspections and audits from the office or the ivory tower is just not the same as being there. 

Described as follows are two tools that are used extensively in measuring field compliance the audit and the inspection. I define these two tools as related but different. The main differences between them are in their scope. Many health and safety professionals do not realize or believe that there is a difference between the safety program and the site-specific safety plan. Similarly, many health and safety professionals will not admit to a difference between the safety inspection and safety audit, but there is a difference—and the difference is substantial. Safety inspections, and why these safety inspections are important, is discussed in the following section. After completing the discussion on safety inspections, safety audits are discussed. 

Final audit findings get sent to a committee that reviews the results of the audits. Because this chapter deals with measuring field compliance, we will not go any further with the subject of dealing with audit findings at this time however, I will pick up this discussion of how to proceed with implementing safety audit findings in a chapter to follow. At this point, if the reader has followed the discussion to this point, you should be able to measure field compliance with the use of safety inspections and safety audits. For the remainder of this chapter, I will discuss some key points of how to ensure that your safety audits are as fair and accurate as possible. 

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