Primary management systems auditing

This subject, until recently, has not been given sufficient attention by safety professionals. Design and engineering provisions do not appear typically in outlines of safety management systems. Nor would the subject ordinarily be included in safety audits. Yet design and engineering decisions are primary in determining risk levels, and those decisions are most often made without input from safety professionals. 

One approach is a generic audit protocol for any management system element. It could apply to an environmental management system, a process safety management system, a quality management system, or an integrated business management system element. This approach looks at three primary areas ... 

The ISO 9001 standard was originally based on BS 5750. A primary objective of this standard is to ensure the commitment of management to quality with respect to the business as well as to customer needs. The Quality Systems Management standard recognizes that employees require measurable objectives. In addition to a detailed record system that shows the origin of raw materials and how the products were processed, it includes auditing (both internal and external, in the form of certification) at defined intervals to check and ensure conformity and effectiveness. 

Safety audits must also properly measure management commitment, primary evidence of which is a results-oriented accountability system. If such an accountability system does not exist, management commitment is questionable. 

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