Legal: Independent health and safety audits
To succeed, companies must juggle some seemingly conflicting aspirations such as maximising profits; maintaining and enhancing reputation; and complying with legislation. Professional, independent audits and advice can help strike the right balance to achieve ultimate success - simultaneously maximising and protecting your profits.
A skilled, independent point of view will bring to the table an objective view of your business and be able to offer sound advice and support gleaned from years of experience in dealing with all kinds of operations, regulations and governmental bodies.
Furthermore, they can liaise with authorities on your behalf to help secure the desired outcome. For example, I advise and cajole wherever necessary to keep things running at peak efficiency, and support is available via our 24-hour helpline too.
Feeling the benefit
The key benefit of an independent health and safety audit is a professional independent view.
You know that the inspector is working for the overall good of your business, highlighting and advising where improvements can be made and devising an action plan to help put you and keep you on the path to best practice - and pass that all important environmental health officer's (EHO) inspection.
So what should you expect from such an auditor? A kind of 'Super EHO' or dare I say 'Super HERO' who has your business interests at heart, goes well beyond what an EHO inspector does, providing the necessary advice and coaching to adhere to current regulations and/or best practise. They are certainly not just trying to catch people out. A meticulous check of paperwork (think food safety records, cellar health and safety, fire control, health and safety policies and inductions, risk assessments and the like) is an essential part of the inspection - but is not the whole story. Systems for covering the required paperwork can be put in place wherever necessary.
Through observations the auditor will ascertain things like hazards, whether or not members of staff are fully aware of all the systems in place, ongoing training and how it should be implemented. They will also discuss any problems and offer completely confidential solutions.
Objective examination
A good inspector is able to look at a business objectively and appreciate many entirely different perspectives including those of customers, staff, management and EHOs - and always mindful that they are there to help resolve problems, not create them.
It is not uncommon for each visit to have a particular key focus dictated by management and/or circumstance/ the auditor's discretion. A good independent inspection can ensure that a company is not only compliant with what is required by law and/or recommended by other agencies but that it is also compliant with the company's own internal standards and specific requirements.
A good auditor always reports back to the company's nominated managers and executives at the end of his visit to give a summary of findings, which is followed later, by a comprehensive in-depth report of findings.
