EHS Audit: A Comprehensive Approach to Workplace Safety Compliance

EHS audits play a critical role in protecting employees, minimizing risks, and meeting regulatory standards. In other words, they’re the key to ensuring compliance and safety in the workplace.

That said, understanding EHS audits isn’t just recommended—it’s absolutely required for any company that wants to create a safer work environment.

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about environmental health and safety audits, including their importance, the audit process, common challenges, and actionable strategies for improvement.

What Is an EHS Audit?

An EHS audit is an evaluation of a company’s workplace policies, procedures, and operations to ensure compliance with environmental, health, and safety standards. In addition to helping companies identify and resolve compliance issues, OSHA explains that EHS audits can help reduce liability, find efficiencies that save time and money, improve workplace safety and health stats, and increase employees’ awareness of environmental regulations—making it a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes.

Why Is an EHS Audit Important?

Companies have various incentives for performing an EHS audit, including:

Identifying and Addressing Risks Early

Workplace audits help companies identify risks early, allowing them to implement corrective measures before anyone gets hurt. For instance, an EHS compliance audit may detect faulty equipment, poor ventilation, or improper chemical storage, making it an important part of an effective workplace injury prevention program.

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance

EHS audits prepare companies for inspections, help them maintain up-to-date compliance records, and ultimately, provide peace of mind to management. As a result, they help companies avoid fines, legal action, and operational shutdowns, thereby promoting a safer work environment while enhancing compliance.

Optimizing Operational Efficiency

An unexpected benefit of the EHS audit procedure is its role in identifying inefficiencies in workplace practices and resource utilization. For instance, after an EHS audit, a company may see the value in improving resource management, adopting more efficient equipment, or improving employee training. Addressing these inefficiencies helps them streamline operations, reduce waste, and improve overall productivity.

Boosting Reputation and Employee Morale

Regular EHS audits demonstrate a company’s commitment to safety and environmental responsibility. This strengthens an organization’s reputation with stakeholders, helps employees feel more valued, and leads to increased engagement, loyalty, and long-term growth.

How to Prepare for an EHS Audit?

Now that we understand the importance of EHS audits, let’s take a look at the 5 steps companies can take to set the stage for a successful audit.

1. Define the Audit’s Scope and Objectives

The first step in preparing for an EHS audit is to define the specific area and focus of the audit. For instance, is the audit going to cover safety protocols, environmental compliance, or the entire organization?

During this step, you must also ensure that the audit supports local, national, and international EHS regulations and standards, consider whether it aligns with your company’s unique goals, and establish the audit period. This ensures that the EHS audit procedure stays targeted and effective.

2. Gather Essential Documentation

Ensure all necessary records and compliance certificates, incident logs, training documentation, and equipment maintenance schedules are organized and accessible. For instance, if the audit evaluates emergency preparedness, have records like evacuation drill logs, fire extinguisher inspection reports, and updated emergency response plans readily available for review. 

As a bonus, documentation helps you track proficiencies and deficiencies while demonstrating to auditors that you’re actively addressing safety issues and unsafe working conditions. 

3. Train Employees on Audit Roles

An important part of preparing for a workplace audit is ensuring all your employees are aware of their responsibilities during the process, which may involve demonstrating compliance with safety protocols, answering questions, addressing workplace complacency, and troubleshooting procedures. 

That said, it’s important that you provide workers with targeted training sessions beforehand to ensure they’re up to date with new policies and can put their best foot forward during the audit.

4. Conduct a Pre-Audit Review

Practice makes perfect, and there’s no better way to identify gaps and room for improvement than by performing an internal self-assessment. During this review, you can use checklists or mock audits to simulate the process and ensure identified issues are addressed proactively. This helps prevent non-compliance findings during the formal audit.

5. Seek Expert Support if Needed

Companies can also consider hiring external EHS consultants for specialized expertise or to conduct mock audits. For example, an external consultant specializing in hazardous waste management can simulate the audit process, identify weak points, and provide solutions to meet compliance standards effectively. In addition to preparing for an EHS audit, these consultants will help enhance overall safety awareness within your company.

The EHS Audit Procedure and Key Components

What should companies expect from a comprehensive EHS audit program?

There are 4 key steps to this process, which include:

1. Initiating the Audit

When the time comes to initiate the EHS audit, your team should be prepared with the proper documentation, training, and a clear understanding of the audit’s scope, therefore ensuring that all necessary steps are followed. During the EHS audit, it’s important to maintain a collaborative environment to facilitate a smooth inspection. 

2. Onsite Inspection

During the inspection, auditors will evaluate facilities, processes, and equipment for compliance. During this step, they may also interview employees, review documentation, and use technology and data analytics tools to enhance the process.

3. Interpreting the Findings

Auditors will then analyze the data to identify compliance gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities. During this step, they’ll compare findings to regulatory standards, industry benchmarks, and company policies.

4. Reporting and Recommendations

Auditors will then take this information and create a comprehensive report, outlining the audit summary, detailed findings, and prioritized recommendations for corrective actions. Companies should then use this report to address hazards promptly, ensuring they improve compliance and reduce common workplace injuries.

All things considered, EHS audits are a foundation for ongoing safety improvements. Thanks to their role in helping companies refine processes and enhance long-term compliance, these audits should be an integral part of company-wide safety programs.

Common Challenges in Conducting EHS Audits

To better prepare your company for your next environmental health and safety audit, we’ve outlined common challenges that companies face—and solutions to help you overcome them.

Incomplete Documentation and Record-Keeping

Missing or outdated documentation is one of the biggest obstacles to a successful EHS audit. Without proper documentation, companies cannot provide evidence of compliance with regulations and internal policies, which can lead to inaccurate assessments and potential penalties.

Solution: In today’s technology-driven world, digitizing documentation is easier than ever. When companies use digital tools to maintain important records and conduct regular reviews, they can ensure documentation is readily accessible, therefore streamlining the entire EHS audit procedure.

Limited Employee Awareness and Involvement

Another big challenge companies face is ensuring that all employees are well-trained in safety procedures and understand their role in maintaining compliance. Without proper training, the EHS audit may identify compliance issues that reflect poorly on the organization.

Solution: Conducting regular training sessions ensures all employees are aware of company-wide policies, industry-specific regulations, and safety procedures, therefore increasing workplace safety and ensuring compliance.

Unpreparedness for Surprise Audits

No one likes a surprise audit. And though not ideal, companies are still responsible for being ready for them. However, unannounced regulatory audits are a big challenge for many businesses, with issues with compliance, disruptions in operations, and fines all being large concerns.

Solution: Companies can use checklists to ensure critical areas are routinely monitored and addressed. By following the above tips—which include having digital documentation and well-trained staff—companies can be even more prepared for surprise audits.

Resource Constraints

Making company-wide changes, updating processes and technology, and hiring an external EHS consultant all require resources—resources that not all companies have access to. As a result, limited financial and staffing resources can affect a company’s ability to conduct thorough audits or implement corrective actions, which is particularly challenging for smaller organizations.

Solution: To maximize limited resources, companies can prioritize high-risk compliance areas, such as fall protection, hazardous material handling, and equipment safety inspections.

Resistance to Change

To ensure compliance, companies must take the findings from the EHS audit report and implement corrective actions. However, resistance from employees or management can delay necessary improvements, therefore contributing to compliance issues.

Solution: Companies can foster a positive perspective on audits by communicating their benefits from the start. Involving your team in planning and decision-making can also help increase their acceptance and commitment to changes.

Enhancing EHS Audit Success Through Proactive Practices

As you prepare for your next EHS audit, you may be wondering: What can I do to ensure proper documentation and compliance?

In addition to implementing the above tips, companies can leverage JobSiteCare’s expertise in workplace injury management to ensure a smooth audit. 

Here’s how our team can assist you:

Comprehensive Workplace Injury Management

JobSiteCare’s physician-led telehealth solutions ensure immediate response to workplace injuries. One of the benefits of leveraging telemedicine in workplace safety management is that it streamlines injury reporting and provides thorough documentation, both of which are critical for meeting compliance requirements during audits.

Industrial Medical Staffing and Onsite Services

JobSiteCare’s on-site injury management solutions integrate into workplace operations to provide direct care and health screenings. In addition to providing care to injured workers, our team’s presence helps foster a proactive safety culture, ensuring that employees are informed and compliant with safety protocols.

Medical Director On-Demand (MDOD) Services

With JobSiteCare’s MDOD service, your company can access experienced corporate doctors who provide guidance on health-related safety, workplace injury management, and compliance matters. Our team will also help you develop effective health and safety policies aligned with regulatory standards, which are crucial for EHS audits.

End-to-End Case Management

JobSiteCare provides end-to-end case management, guaranteeing your workers receive critical first aid and proper care from injury through recovery. In addition, our structured approach ensures that all aspects of medical care and follow-ups are recorded accurately. As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, this is a key element of successful EHS audits.

Conclusion

EHS audits are essential for ensuring workplace safety, regulatory compliance, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Strategies like gathering essential documentation, training employees, and conducting pre-audit reviews are key to overcoming challenges and achieving audit success.

For additional workplace safety solutions, we invite you to explore JobSiteCare’s Industrial Medical Services. From occupational health telemedicine to end-to-end case management, our team will help you manage workplace accidents and stay compliant with industry-specific regulations.

If you’re interested in tailored solutions that address your organization’s unique needs, contact us today.

FAQS About EHS Audits