Why should the organisation have health and safety policy

Health and Safety Policy For Your Organisation | BCF Group

The health and safety policy is the guideline on how the business aims to manage the safety and security of the employees working under them. The health and safety policy should clearly state the details of who carries out each of the work in the business, what is involved and required for the tasks to be completed, when it should be completed efficiently and how it is managed effectively. And most importantly-  how safely the tasks are completed. The policy should comprise of the following points –

  • Give a clear outline of the health and safety goals
  • Mention the responsibility of each of the employees, management and operations indicating the name, designation and role played in the company
  • The policy should also mention any safety issues along with the strategically opted actions used in overcoming the issue.
  • The policy should also mention the latest update on workplace health and safety by frequently reviewing and assessing the data.

Workforce health and safety audit

The workforce health and safety auditing should include the documentation of all the safety policies in place. The audit will be conducted by interviewing the management, head of the departments and employees to check if the health and safety policy is followed in the day-to-day activities appropriately.

The audit is periodically conducted for assessing the organization safety rules and procedures. Safety precautions should be followed for protecting the well-being of the employees and safeguarding the company assets. The audit is done to check if there are any specific safety systems and procedures in place in an organization and to assure the best health and safety of all the people – the staff, clients and customers are equally safe.

Seeking the help of the professional health and safety consultant will assure that the audit safety measures are in place that will positively help in the business growth and development.

Difference between an external auditor and internal auditing

Health and safety audits can be conducted by an external auditor consultant or by a member of the staff in a company. A qualified person can be appointed by the organization to conduct internal auditing for health and safety precautions. 

With adequate training, experience, qualification, and knowledge of auditing, the person qualified to conduct the auditing efficient. Appointment of the internal auditors is allowed under the legal rule. The in-house auditor will have greater control and is a lower-cost management tool to enhance the performance of the business and address any issues efficiently.

An external health and safety audit is conducted by the authoritative health and safety consultant. It is considered as one of the positive opportunities for benchmarking the business with the competitors.

External or internal health and safety auditing will help in the reduction of any mishaps in the workplace.

Auditing increases the productivity of the employees and helps in a better employee-business relationship. The safety audit helps in creating a professional secure culture. Financial benefits include reduced cost of insurance premiums and better business growth by meeting all the legal and regulatory requirements.

Jennifer Winget

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