The purpose of an OHS audit is to identify both strengths and weaknesses in the OHS program of a workplace.
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SafetyWallet's Blog and Articles about Health and Safety compliance and other related topics.
OHS Audits Simplified
Any employer must have a safety and health programme as part of its overall management system. This programme must be adequate, covering the following elements:
The health and safety work organisation as well as policy in any company.
The process involved with the planning for prevention of accidents and illnesses.
Line management responsibilities towards OHS, and
Practices, procedures, and resources for developing and implementing, reviewing as well as maintaining the occupational safety and health policies which are implemented.
One of the easiest and most thorough ways to ensure that all of this is in place, is by conducting an OHS Audit, or by making use of SafetyWallet’s subscription, which is an all-encompassing package, of which a thorough OHS compliance audit forms a part.
Why health and safety compliance is important for employers
Health and Safety Compliance refers to the means of conforming to a rule, either a specification, policy, or a standard and/or law. Regulatory compliance, more specifically, describes an organization’s goal in ensuring that they are aware of and take steps to comply with relevant laws, policies, and regulations.
14 Health and Safety Compliance must haves
14 Health and safety compliance must-haves
Importance of Health and Safety Compliance
Simply defined, health and safety compliance means abiding by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. A list of compliance must-haves ensures more employees' safety and their return to their loved ones at the end of each working day, under South African work environment.
Health and Safety compliance serves the purpose of implementing, promoting, and maintaining the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well-being of all employees in the organisation.
It also serves the purpose of preventing adverse health issues, illnesses, injuries, and death which can arise from working conditions and the work environment. There are numerous businesses that rely on internal processes to ensure health and safety compliance.
However, the gold standard is to obtain assistance from health and safety consultants like MAKROSAFE in the meeting, and overcoming, the challenges which are faced to ensure an adequate health and safety management system is in place.
Once employer have taken the necessary steps to ensure that the workplace is both healthy and safety, they also have the duty of further promoting and maintaining these high health and safety standards that have been achieved.
Workplace health and Safety compliance also serves the purpose of equipping employees in the workplace with the necessary skills and abilities to safeguard their own health and safety. Thus, it is imperative for employers to ensure that their employees receive the necessary training.
Health and safety compliance are not optional, it is compulsory by law. It is for this reason that the Department of Labour enforces it through numerous Acts such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Workplace health and safety compliance
The most common definition of health and safety compliance is that it means that one conforms to a rule. This can involve a specification, policy, a standard or a law.
Regulatory compliance describes the goals that businesses aspire to achieve to ensure that they are not only aware of, but take steps to comply with various relevant laws, policies, and regulations.
Health and Safety Audit and Consultancy
Health and Safety Compliance Audits may not be a legal obligation but compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act is. The easiest way to ensure compliance is by having a health and safety audit conducted and backed by a consultancy company that is a partner of SafetyWallet.
Health and Safety Compliance Audit
When it comes to evaluating a business’ health and safety performance, health and safety compliance audits are fundamental. If your health and safety compliance audit consist of inspections, and interrogations, you’ve either had terrible experiences or you can expect the worst feedback and false health and safety report.
7 important steps to an effective safety audit
A SafetyWallet Health and Safety Audit may not be a legal obligation, but it is highly recommended that each company despite their industry, sector, size or nature of business conduct health and safety audits frequently and always keep the 7 steps to have an effective health and safety audit in mind.
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Compliance
Occupational Health and Safety Compliance, also known as OHS Compliance, is a standard involving compliance to all the required legal standards as they are stipulated in the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993.
These standards serve the purpose of safeguarding and protecting employees in the workplace from any hazards, risks, incidents or fatalities, or the possibility thereof. It also indicates how machinery and equipment must be used safely to prevent injury.