By Barbara Semeniuk

A few things confuse the heck out of the clients I audit.  They are as follows:  the difference between  Safe Work Practices and Safe Job Procedures, the difference between an Inspection and a Hazard Assessment,  and finally the difference between an inspection and an audit.

First, Safe work practices and Safe Job Procedures are derived from a good, solid hazard assessment particularly the Safe Job Procedure.  The Safe Job Procedure is a step by step beak down of  a job or task with the Health and Safety hazards identified for each step and the control measures for each job step listed in the final column.  Safe Job Procedures are very detailed and the process can uncover uncontrolled Health and Safety hazards.  Safe Work Practices are global or the “big picture”.  They discuss how to perform a task safely, the precautions to take and are not step by step but rather an overview of how to perform the task safely.

Hazard assessments are conducted before performing a job either as part of Job Safety Analyses when all the most risky tasks or critical tasks are examined and the Health and Safety hazards are identified, assesses, prioritized on a worst first basis and controlled.  Inspections monitor the system.  How well is the hazard assessment process working?  Are the employees following the rules, wearing the Personal Protective Equipment, and using the Safe job and Safe work practices and/or procedures?  Inspections determine whether the hazard controls are working and look for uncontrolled hazards and nip them in the bud before they become large, uncontrolled hazards.  Inspections monitor the people, the task, the environment, the materials, and the equipment.

Inspections are not Health and Safety audits.  Audits examine the Health and Safety system by examining the documentation, interviewing a representative sample of employees, and observing the site.  Each of these processes verify or confirm that certain systems are present like inspections, orientations, training, emergency response to name a few.  A standard audit document customized to the Health and Safety hazards of the work processes in that particular industry is used.  Trucking has its own audit, Construction and the Oilfield too..  This is the standard that the work system is compared to.

Inspections look at what is:. the task, environment, people, the materials, and the equipment.  The past is examined only by comparing past inspection reports and looking to see if the items requiring correction were fixed.   Inspections monitor the functioning of the system…are Health and Safety hazards controlled?  Are workers following Health and Safety procedures?  Are the materials safe to work with?  Is the Environment introducing any new hazards?  Is it a safe Environment to work in?  Inspections monitor the functioning of the system, a Health and Safety audit  evaluates the condition of the Health and Safety management  system. 

So there you have it.  When I conduct audits often people perform hazard assessments and not inspections or are confused as to the difference between and inspection and an audit.  As to Safe work Practices and Safe Job Procedures this is a perennial thorn in the side of Company owners….a clear understanding of these areas will assist a Company in meeting and exceeding the standards set by their audit instrument.  As well, it will ensure that all elements work together and none are missed so the Health and Safety system functions well.  Finally, that Health and Safety hazards are controlled and none are missed.

Barbara Semeniuk is President of Purcell Enterprises Ltd.  a Health and Safety consulting firm that specializes in conducting Health and Safety audits in a variety of different industries like trucking, food processing, the oilfield, manufacturing, construction and retail.  She strives to clarify! Clarify! And Clarify!  Her goal is to make her clients self-sufficient in administering their Health and Safety programs…..her website is www.purcellenterprises.ca and her e-mail is firstbesafe@shaw.ca