Oversight of Internal Compliance Audits: Effective & Necessary

There are so many compliance requirements out there today for industrial operations, they are truly mind boggling. One of the most efficient methods to assess your compliance status is through internal compliance inspections. These audits and inspection tools are a formal, documented process that can identify noncompliance and hazards, while methodically assessing Safety, Healthy, & Environmental (SHE) programs. Identifying areas of concern and documenting actions to achieve compliance are critical to any successful SHE program. 

Navigating internal inspections can be daunting if the auditors/inspectors are not well versed in the regulatory requirements, the liabilities of noncompliance, and/or the facility processes.  Here are a few tips to ensure internal inspections at your facility are effective:

1. Ensure the inspector is adequately trained in the facility processes and applicable regulatory requirements. Knowledge of regulatory requirements can improve the inspector’s ability to recognize hazards in the workplace.
2. Use a checklist as a guide to remind inspectors of all topics and points in the scope of the inspection. These checklists are not all inclusive, so space for additional notes will allow inspectors to record any additional hazards. 
3. Inspections should occur at a time when most of the equipment will be operating and when most workers will be in the area. However, inspections should not interfere with the production process. Avoid heavy workflow periods unless the point of the inspection is to observe whether these periods generate more hazards than normal workflow. 
4. Once the inspection is complete, ensure that the issues and correlated solutions are communicated to the entire chain of responsibility.  Ensure they understand what changes need to be made and the reason for any changes. Implementation follow up will always provide more confidence that resolutions have occurred.  Always be aware of potential hazards that pose threats to your workplace and find the most effective way to improve conditions.

Do you need help with your inspection program? Visit our “Contact” page here. With five decades of experience, Spencer-SHE has created proven inspection methods that are detailed, site specific and effective. Spencer-SHE is focused on collaborating with our client to ensure success in their continual improvement programs.

The Spencer-SHE Team provides training, program assessments and inspection implementation our Team can assist in conducting and implementing inspections so you will maximize your efforts and the impact of your compliance budget.

Our assessment scope is determined by your specific needs whether it be one or all programs. In order to provide convenient access to our services and products we have designed three delivery formats including: onsite assessments, remote guidance services and software systems that streamline your entire program from the initial development stage, through the records archiving and retention phase. Our software system may be used in conjunction with our onsite or remote services, click here for software capabilities and costs.

To learn more about how Spencer-SHE can help you with internal inspection protocols, click here to visit Our Services page.