How to Perform OHSAS 18001 Internal Audits

Like the majority of other ISO standards, OHSAS 18001 has a section that describes how organizations should conduct internal audits. Internal audits must adhere to the OHSAS System's planned measures, and the audit results must be made public. Your internal audit program should be established and planned based on the findings of past audits and risk assessments.The internal audit should be addressed with more caution than, for example, the corresponding provisions in ISO 9001 (Quality Management) or ISO 14001, even if it is reasonable and standard, as are other sections in OHSAS 18001. (Environmental Management). This is due to the possibility that a poor OHSAS 18001 audit could threaten your employees' welfare.

Internal Audits: How and When

• When: Internal audits should be conducted on a regular basis or whenever it is seen necessary or advantageous for your OHSAS 18001 system.
• Who: The internal auditor must be neutral and objective, according to the requirement. The choice of the auditor is crucial. The auditor needs to have prior experience, and ideally formal training. The OHSAS Policy, goals, and performance of the organization must also be known to the auditor.
• How: For purposes of "input" to the process, the internal auditor should have access to all pertinent data. The auditor will also want stakeholder input, desired OHSAS objectives, information and findings from risk assessments, and performance outputs from OHSAS.

Why would be a logical question to ask at this point. Internal audits should be considered important forces in the cycle of continuous improvement, in addition to being a requirement of the OHSAS 18001 standard. Additionally, it is vitally necessary as a preventive strategy for occupational health and safety.

Usage of Internal Audit Output

According to the OHSAS 18001 standard, management must have access to the findings of all internal audits. This makes it possible for the top management team to decide what steps, depending on the findings of the internal audit, need to be done. However, since they have had firsthand knowledge and contacts with the procedures and processes throughout the audit, it is also helpful if the auditor gives recommendations based on the audit itself. This will increase the likelihood of ongoing development and output, which may help to avert problems and accidents. Since internal audits play a role in the improvement cycle, it is obvious that the process, including findings, outcomes, and actions, must be documented.Ensure that internal audits are consistently accurate, truthful, and thorough. Make that the suggested actions are carried out, are efficient, and are maintained by using the "plan, do, check, act" technique. Once you've done this, you can be certain that the internal audit's findings are indeed useful. If you like to gain more skills in this topic, you can check our OHSAS training course