Safety audits are essential to avoid mishaps at sites

Occupational safety regulatory compliance is a necessity that must be addressed and integrated into routine business practice. This is especially true for businesses with high-risk operations.

Over 4 million fatal injuries occur every year worldwide. According to statistics, nearly 400,000 people died in India in 2015 due to unintended accidents. Experts concur that the manufacturing sector significantly increases injury morbidity and mortality. In India, industrial accidents result in an average annual death toll of roughly 48000 people. Workplace accidents are India’s second leading cause of injury after highway accidents.

High-risk operation safety audit: A high-risk operations safety audit is an in-depth audit of situations that could potentially cause severe injuries and harm to people and property and assists organisations in focusing on these activities. The audit looks at high-risk activities such as working at height, confined space entry, lifting operations, ground excavation, electrical safety, fire safety management, contractor safety, and specific areas like molten metal. Also, leadership commitment and accountability, risk assessment and management, and permits to work are reviewed in detail. The audit process involves greater interaction with staff, site rounds, and documentation review.

“The audit is a quantified, customised approach that benchmarks an organisation’s current level of safety performance concerning high-risk activities against global best practices. A suitable and customised approach is created in an audit report form that meets the organisation’s requirements,” says Hemant Sethi, Country Head of, British Safety Council, India.

The findings from the audit will give the organisation visibility of where they stand in high-risk activities, identifying opportunities for improvement. This is followed by a consultancy that will help strengthen the areas requiring attention through recommendations, knowledge sharing, and training.