Safety is a concern for every business. Most business owners do not set out to create dangerous situations. Yet, preventing safety risks is critical. How can you reduce your business insurance claims? One way is to find these risks and create a plan for reducing them. A safety
audit can be a powerful way to accomplish this. Are you using it?
What Are the Goals of a Safety Audit?
The key benefit to a safety audit is identifying risk. Every business has some risk.
- If you are a restaurant, wet floors are a constant battle.
- If you are a machine shop, equipment mistakes can create life-changing injuries.
- If you run an office, risks associated with trips or repetitive injuries are common.
- The primary first step of any audit is to understand what is happening right now. Then, it is to create a plan to minimize those risks.
Many companies hire professional organizations to step in to handle these audits. In large businesses and high-risk scenarios, this is important. For others, a basic in-house plan can help.
What Should You Do During a Safety Audit?
There are several things to consider during a safety audit. Each one provides you with some key insight you do not otherwise have. Here is a closer look at what you can expect:
- Identify all the risks within the business operation. Then, assign levels to those risks. The levels indicate how likely the risk is to happen.
- Look at the current safety procedures in place. Do they address the current risks? And, if they do, do they apply enough protections to minimize the risks?
- Do those safety procedures meet any type of compliance or regulation? If they do not meet OSHA guidelines, for example, they need improvement.
- Does the company have best practices in place for all types of tasks? If not, create them. These are steps to take to properly accomplish tasks.
- Is there consistent follow-up to ensure employees follow those best practices? Do employees meet safety procedures?
A safety audit is a complex process. Yet, it can shed light on what your business can do differently. This can reduce the number of business insurance claims you make. It can minimize product failures. It can also minimize liability risks from customers. And, it can address workers’ compensation risks as well. You need a safety audit to gain insight.
Also Read: Business Insurance for Independent Contractors