EHS Audits:-
Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) audit is a standard, objective tool to determine the regulatory compliance in the workplace. An audit usually involves a survey of the workplace to:
· Spot what regulation apply to the facility
· Determine whether workers are adhering to environmental and workplace safety requirements or other corporate policies and procedures regarding compliance.
· Determine methods used and systems policies currently in place to ensure compliance.
· Determine whether workers are adhering to environmental and workplace safety requirements or other corporate policies and procedures regarding compliance.
· Determine methods used and systems policies currently in place to ensure compliance.
Audits would be voluntary or required. In voluntary audit, usually EHS managers alone conduct an audit and decisions will be taken on their own which would be advantageous for the process. They can either evaluate compliance status, or identify any suspected problems.
A mandatory audit will be the part of settlement or an enforcement action between a governmental agency and a facility. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regularly include audit requirement in the settlement agreements with facilities that have violated regulations.
Audits may also be mandatory if they are required by a regulation. For example, under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, EPA has the authority to require auditing by regulation. Some OSHA regulations, such as those governing lockout/tagout and process safety management, also have self-audit requirements.
An audit is a great way to get your hands around the situation and make the appropriate adjustments before they become a problem.
EHS Inspection:-
STEP 1: PREPARE
· Establish an inspection team of two or three people from the department or from other departments.
· Review the floor plans and decide the specific area to be inspected.
· Review the previous inspection reports for outstanding items. Inspection reports done by other inspectors, such as the workers members of the JHSC, should also be reviewed.
· Review any incident/injury reports and the preventative action taken.
· Review the inventory of equipment and hazardous materials.
· Review any safety-related complaints.
· Prepare a customized checklist using the examples included. Checklists are not permanent lists or the only items to consider. Checklists should be reviewed and revised as necessary, for example, as new equipment is purchased, new procedures are instituted, or when injuries reveal previously unsuspected hazards.
· Estimate the amount of time needed.
· Plan the route and areas to be covered based on the above information.
· Notify relevant faculty and staff of the inspection.
· Review the floor plans and decide the specific area to be inspected.
· Review the previous inspection reports for outstanding items. Inspection reports done by other inspectors, such as the workers members of the JHSC, should also be reviewed.
· Review any incident/injury reports and the preventative action taken.
· Review the inventory of equipment and hazardous materials.
· Review any safety-related complaints.
· Prepare a customized checklist using the examples included. Checklists are not permanent lists or the only items to consider. Checklists should be reviewed and revised as necessary, for example, as new equipment is purchased, new procedures are instituted, or when injuries reveal previously unsuspected hazards.
· Estimate the amount of time needed.
· Plan the route and areas to be covered based on the above information.
· Notify relevant faculty and staff of the inspection.
STEP 2: INSPECT
· A successful inspection is a fact-finding exercise, not a fault-finding exercise.
· Use the checklist as a guide to provide the structure for the inspection. Add additional items as necessary.
· Look for what is right, as well as for what is wrong and comment on good practices, as well as bad practices.
· Talk to people, ask about concerns but avoid long discussions.
· Look outside the usual eye level – look up, look down, look into closed rooms, look into cupboards, look behind, look around.
· Point out immediate dangers for correction on the spot, note other items on the report.
· Record all questionable items.
· Use the checklist as a guide to provide the structure for the inspection. Add additional items as necessary.
· Look for what is right, as well as for what is wrong and comment on good practices, as well as bad practices.
· Talk to people, ask about concerns but avoid long discussions.
· Look outside the usual eye level – look up, look down, look into closed rooms, look into cupboards, look behind, look around.
· Point out immediate dangers for correction on the spot, note other items on the report.
· Record all questionable items.
STEP 3: REVIEW AND FOLLOW-UP
In order for the inspection to be a valid activity, information obtained through inspections must be reviewed and decisions taken as soon as possible as to the action required. In some cases immediate action can be taken, in other cases action will be recommended to the next level of supervision, and in other cases review may be required prior to any action being taken. It is important to correct the underlying cause of the problem.
Review of inspection reports over a period of time will assist the department to identify needs and establish priorities, improve safe work practices, identify areas that require more in-depth analysis and highlight the need for training.
A timely response to the person(s) doing the inspection is important to validate the activity. If no action is planned on recommendations, reasons should be given.
Always look for hazards that threaten the environment, health or safety of your workers, then find the most efficient way to prioritize and control them.
For more guidance track http://bit.ly/EHSAudit_Inspection
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