At least annually, all companies should have a third party safety audit. These audits are important to ensure compliance with all OSHA standards and to help guarantee conformity with the specific requirements of any additional certifications the company has received. Third party safety audits are also a great way for a new company to establish a safety program or for companies going through changes to ensure their safety program remains compliant. And the costs of these audits are negligible when compared to the costs associated with an OSHA audit or on the job injuries because proper policies are not in place.

A good third party audit will help you ensure compliance with all aspects of safety regulations. Auditors who only focus on certain areas of your business may be great for specific projects, but are not going to help you ensure companywide compliance, and should not be used for annual auditing purposes. Instead, it is important to find an auditing firm that will conduct a true “wall to wall” inspection of the entire facility. The auditing team should be able to review your current plan and compare it with your facility to see what is missing, and where you are noncompliant. An audit team should also review all accident investigations to ensure there are no undocumented hazards.

For more information on annual third party safety audits and how they can help your business stay compliant, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the benefits of annual third party safety audits, please leave a comment.