• What law applies
• About occupational health and safety auditing
• Compliance auditing
• Hazard specific audits
• Management system audit
• Audit standards
• Accredited self-insurance auditors

• Workplace incidents and inspections
• Risk management

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Management system audit

An occupational health and safety management systems audit has a wider scope, and although addressing hazards and risk controls, it also looks at organisational structures, planning activities, responsibilities, implemented procedures, review cycles and measurement and evaluation issues.

A basic occupational health and safety management system has some of the following characteristics:

• Existence of a health and safety policy that is communicated to staff
• Management commitment
• Allocation of responsibilities and accountability for health and safety matters
• Controls for suppliers, sub-contractors and purchasing
• Health and safety consultation
• Hazard identification, evaluation and control
• Provision of information and training of staff
• Incident recording, investigation, analysis and review
• Measuring and evaluating workplace health and safety performance.

Many organisations undertake these audits on an annual basis as the amount of resources and time required to conduct a management systems audit can be substantial. These audits can be undertaken by appropriately trained internal staff or by an external third party.