According to the HSE, organisations should have ‘formal procedures for auditing and reporting health and safety performance’ and this should be ‘perceived as a positive management and boardroom tool.
A health and safety audit can be seen as a proactive management tool, used for reviewing and evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the organisation’s health and safety management system, in particular by:
• Confirming that the management system has conformed and been effectively implemented
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses within that system’s elements and ensuring statutory compliance
• Providing feedback to the organisation’s employees and senior management team
• Helping with the creation of action plans for improvement based upon audit findings
• Helping ensure that resources committed to health and safety are value for money and effectively control risks.
Health and safety systems can be subject to examination by external stakeholders, including independent audit organisations, customers or enforcing authorities.
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