Safety Audit Services for Industrial Workplaces

Why Industrial Safety Audits Matter for Aging Equipment

Manufacturers in Ontario are increasingly concerned about the compliance of older, existing plant equipment. There is a very good reason for this. Older, existing equipment represents a greater business risk to their management and shareholders and personal risk to equipment users. Often, this equipment was built years ago when there was less awareness (and less enforcement and legislation) of safety compliance requirements.

Health & Safety Audit Concerns: Legal and Financial Ramifications

With legislation like Bill C-45 in Canada and Sarbanes Oxley in the U.S., Safety Compliance and regular safety audits are now on the Mission Statement of most Fortune 500 companies. Safety Compliance is now used as an evaluation criteria by investment banks when they perform prospective due diligence for large debt financing or when creating analyst reports/recommendations for the investment community. CEOs, the Board of Directors and the investment community are concerned about health & safety audit requirements and associated corporate governance issues for many reasons. They want to avoid the liability, business disruption, fines, legal fees and moral, goodwill and labor relations issues that are an inevitable result of serious safety mishaps. These things hurt shareholders, the business and the careers of those involved.

In addition to this, it has become evident that safety and efficiency are 2 sides of the same coin. If you practice safety and integrate it into lean manufacturing principles, your plant efficiency will be increased. This is the kind of sustainable competitive advantage that manufacturers are seeking. In our ultra-competitive manufacturing environment it is deemed by many to be necessary for survival. This is why choosing a trusted safety audit company is a strategic move.

So how does SAFE provide business risk and liability reduction and increased efficiently?

Simply, we apply years of experience and unique expertise in a stepwise and open process.

Step-by-Step Process for Conducting Equipment Safety Audits

Phase 1 – Health & Safety Audit and Risk Assessment

The process starts with an industrial safety audit of the equipment or facility. All safety systems are examined against the Current Applicable Safety Standards. Compliance issues are identified from the audit, classified and recommendations made. This process begins with a detailed Hazard Analysis or Risk Assessment of the facility.

Recommendations are then made as to how to best safeguard the equipment/facility. These plant safety audits ensure nothing is overlooked when it comes to employee safety and legal compliance.

Phase 2 – Technical Design Based on Industrial Safety Audit Findings

From the knowledge gathered in Phase 1, SAFE will create a proposal for the design of the required safety system.

Phase 2 begins with the development of the Technical Requirements. This document is a detailed description of exactly how the safety systems will appear and function. The Technical Requirements are developed by working very closely with your plant personnel. The details are critical in ensuring that the safety solution is operationally efficient,user friendly and compliant to the current applicable safety standards. The Technical Requirements are signed off by our customer and serve as the basis for the Design Drawings.

SAFE has a group of engineering specialists who can create the Safety Systems Design Drawings.  The drawings will clearly show the interconnection of the new safety systems with the existing systems. The Technical Requirements and Design Drawings come complete with a safety system components bill of materials list.

SAFE can also look after all permitting requirements such as Building Permit, Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) Approvals, TSSA and Ministry of Environment Approvals

Phase 3 – Tendering & Implementation After Plant Safety Audit

The Design Drawings complete with a Bill of Materials List is now used as part of a Tender Package for bidding. Since there are complete drawings and specs, there is no need for the contractor to interpret the requirements of the Codes and Standards. Contractors like it as well.

All Contractors bid on the exactly the same conditions. Since there is no uncertainty prices are usually reduced.

Frequently Asked Questions