EHSQ 10 Steps to Prepare for an Audit

 📌EHSQ 10 Steps to Prepare for an Audit

ISO 45001👇

ISO 45001 is the day

A must-have reference for any company involved in occupational health and safety (SST). It provides a structured and internationally recognized framework to prevent accidents, reduce occupational risks and ensure employee health.

Get certified to ISO 45001 or maintain compliance with rigorous auditing regulations. These audits allow the effectiveness of your SST management system to be assessed and tracks for improvement.

In this article, we will remind you of the importance of ISO 45001 and its obligations, then provide a detailed checklist to prepare for an ISO 45001 audit. Whether you are in the process of certification or preparing for an audit, this guide will help you anticipate key audit points and maximize your chances of success.

📌 What are your responsibilities when it comes to ISO 45001 certification? 👇

By implementing this standard, an organization is committed to identifying, assessing and managing risks related to employee safety and health.

 ISO 45001 certification is not required by law (as is 9001 for quality and 14001 for environment), but it allows:

To have a recognized and accepted management system

Differentiate yourself in a highly competitive market

Enroll in the process of continuous improvement (with the PDCA method: plan - do - check - do)

PDCA approach: plan - do - check - do or in French: plan - implement - check - compare

If you are certified to ISO 45001 and want to maintain your certification, ISO 45001 requires you to conduct periodic internal audits of your entire occupational health and safety management system (SMSST). Keep in mind that you do not have to do this audit in one go. Multiple internal audits are often more efficient, but they are divided into years or even years (maximum 3 years according to international certification rules). Improving the performance of your SST management system largely depends on the effectiveness of your internal audits.

 📌ISO 45001 Audit Preparation Checklist👇

The ISO 45001 audit is a crucial time to assess the effectiveness of your company’s occupational health and safety management system (SST). To ensure the success of the audit, it is important to prepare well in advance.

1️⃣ To help you prepare rigorously for each step, review the SST policy and objectives.

Review the SST policy:

Ensure that the occupational health and safety policy complies with ISO 45001 requirements. It must be documented, communicated to all levels of the organization, and understood by employees.

SST Goals: Ensure that the SST goals are defined, measurable, and aligned with the identified safety risks and commitments.

2️⃣ Evaluate and update the risk analysis.

Risk assessment: Update the risk analysis to ensure it is current and complies with ISO 45001 requirements. All risks related to operations, working conditions, and equipment must be assessed.

Risk Control Measures: Ensure that preventive and control measures are in place for each identified risk, and that these measures are regularly evaluated.

3️⃣. Ensure compliance with legislation.

 Legal and Regulatory Requirements Identification: Update the list of applicable laws, regulations, and other SST requirements.

Evidence of Compliance: Prepare and organize documentation demonstrating compliance with legal requirements (audit reports, certificates of compliance).

4️⃣. SST Documentation Revision and Update

Document Update: Review all procedures, policies, records, and work instructions related to SST to ensure they are current and comply with ISO 45001.

Versioning and Archiving: Ensure that a document management system is in place, with version control and easy access for audiences.

5️⃣. Staff training and awareness

SST Training: Ensure that all staff receive adequate health and safety training. Ensure evidence of training (certification, follow-up) is available.

Risk awareness: Ensure that staff understand the risks specific to their position and what they need to do to manage them. Organise awareness sessions if necessary to reinforce key messages.

6️⃣. Review operational controls and emergency preparedness

Equipment audits and procedures: Confirm that all operational controls are in place (equipment audits, use of PPE, handling of hazardous substances).

Emergency preparedness: Review emergency procedures (evacuation drills, incident simulations). Ensure that these procedures have been tested and that the team knows how to respond in an emergency.

7️⃣ Organise internal audits

Plan and conduct internal audits: Ensure that internal audits are conducted to assess compliance with the SST management system with ISO 45001. These audits must cover all key processes and functions.

Corrective action: Ensure that any non-compliance with the internal audit is corrected and documented. Follow up to ensure effective implementation.

8️⃣ Conduct a Management Review

Prepare Management Review: Conduct a review of the performance of the SST management system. This review should include an analysis of key performance indicators (incident rates, incidents, etc.), assess corrective actions, and set future goals.

Assess opportunities for improvement: Ensure that management discusses opportunities to improve the SST system and makes decisions about actions.

. 9️⃣ Prepare the team for the audit

Brief and Brief Teams: Prepare the team by explaining how the audit is progressing, the audit objectives, and providing an opportunity for the auditor to ask questions.

Manage the White Audit: Conduct, if necessary, a model internal audit to enable the team to familiarize themselves with the process and respond effectively to the auditor.

Coordinate audit logistics

Prepare the audit agenda: Collaborate with the auditor, prepare the audit plan, detailing the audit plan, visiting hours, and key coordinators.

Organize access to documents and locations: Ensure that all necessary documents and information are easily accessible on the audit day, and that the auditor has access to the location, equipment, and necessary documents.

When following this timeline checklist, You will be assured that every step of your ISO 45001 audit preparation is covered, preparing you for improved audit success and continued compliance.