Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
IntroductIon
Workplace.audits.are.inspections.that.are.conducted.to.evaluate.certain.aspects.of.
the.work.environment.regarding.occupational.safety.and.health..The.use.of.safety.
and.health.audits.has.been.shown.to.have.a.positive.effect.on.a.company's.loss.con-
trol.initiative..In.fact,.companies.that.perform.safety.and.health.audits.have.fewer.
accidents/incidents.than.companies.that.do.not.perform.such.audits.
Safety.and.health.audits.(inspections),.which.are.often.conducted.in.workplaces,.
serve.a.number.of.evaluative.purposes..Audits.or.inspections.can.be.performed.to
.
1.. Check.compliance.with.company.rules.and.regulations.
.
2.. Check.compliance.with.OSHA.rules
.
3.. Determine.the.safety.and.health.condition.of.the.workplace
.
4.. Determine.the.safe.condition.of.equipment.and.machinery
.
5.. Evaluate.supervisor's.safety.and.health.performance
.
6.. Evaluate.worker's.safety.and.health.performance
.
7.. Evaluate.progress.regarding.safety.and.health.issues.and.problems
.
8.. Determine.the.effectiveness.of.new.processes.or.procedural.changes
the need For An AudIt
First,.determine.what.needs.to.be.audited..You.might.want.to.audit.speciic.occupa-
tions.(e.g.,.machinist),.tasks.(e.g.,.welding),.topic.(e.g.,.electrical),.team.(e.g.,.rescue),.
operator. (e.g.,. crane. operator),. part. of. the. worksite. (e.g.,. loading/unloading),. com-
pliance. with. an. OSHA. regulation. (e.g.,. Hazard. Communication. Standard),. or. the.
complete.worksite..You.may.want.to.perform.an.audit.if.any.of.the.previous.items.
or. activities. have. unique. identiiable. hazards,. new. tasks. involved,. increased. risk.
potential,.changes.in.job.procedures,.areas.with.unique.operations,.or.areas.where.
.comparisons.can.be.made.regarding.safety.and.health.factors.
In.the.process.of.performing.audits,.you.may.discover.hazards.that.are.in.a.new.
process,.hazards.once.the.process.has.been.instituted,.a.need.to.modify.or.change.pro-
cesses.or.procedures,.or.situational.hazards.that.may.not.exist.at.all.times..These.audits.
may.verify.that.job.procedures.are.being.followed,.and.identify.work.practices.that.are.
both.positive.and.negative..They.may.also.detect.exposure.factors—both.chemical.
and.physical—and.determine.monitoring.and.maintenance.methods.and.needs.
Sometimes,.audits.are.driven.by.the.frequency.of.injury;.the.potential.for.injury;.
the. severity. of. injuries;. new. or. altered. equipment,. processes,. and. operations;. and.
excessive.waste.or.damaged.equipment..These.audits.may.be.continuous,.ongoing,.
planned,.periodic,.intermittent,.or.dependent.upon.speciic.needs..Audits.may.often.
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