4.3 Health and safety auditing

Written by Imran Qureshi (NEBOSH)

NEBOSH IGC · Health and safety management · 15 questions

Name: ____________________ Date: ____________

An audit differs from an inspection because an audit examines:
- A Only individual workers
- B The management system as a whole
- C Only physical conditions
- D Only machinery
An advantage of an external audit is:
- A Objectivity
- B Easy scheduling
- C Lowest cost
- D Detailed knowledge of the organisation
Which is one of the audit stages?
- A Disciplinary action
- B Pre-audit preparation
- C Delay
- D Delegation
An audit is described in ISO 45001 as a process that is:
- A Only for new equipment
- B Carried out only by the manager of the area
- C Systematic, independent and documented
- D Informal and verbal
Which of these best describes an inspection?
- A A policy review
- B An investigation of a death
- C A review of the management system as a whole
- D A look at physical conditions, narrower than an audit
A benefit of an internal audit is that it:
- A Is cheap and uses people who know the organisation
- B Is always fully independent
- C Never finds problems
- D Requires no time
A limitation of an internal audit is that it:
- A Costs more than an external audit always
- B Cannot be documented
- C May lack independence
- D Is not allowed by ISO 45001
A limitation of an external audit is that:
- A It brings no fresh ideas
- B It costs more and the auditors know the organisation less well
- C It is not objective
- D It is not allowed
Which of these is a type of audit?
- A A weather audit
- B A system audit
- C A hotel audit
- D A sports audit
The first stage of an audit is to:
- A Notify the audit and set a timetable
- B Write the report
- C Issue the fines
- D Close the meeting
Which is the last stage of the audit process listed in the syllabus?
- A Notifying the audit
- B Preparing the team
- C Gathering information
- D Completing an audit report
Audits give an organisation:
- A Immunity from prosecution
- B Automatic certification
- C No further work
- D Assurance and organisational learning
Why is an audit team required to be competent?
- A To make the audit shorter
- B To hide faults
- C To avoid a report
- D To judge fairly how far criteria are met
The difference between an audit and an inspection is that an audit:
- A Is never documented
- B Is always done by a worker
- C Examines the management system as a whole
- D Looks at a single guard
A supplier's customer visits to check the supplier's health and safety system against a standard. This is an example of:
- A An external audit
- B A risk assessment
- C An inspection of a single machine
- D Reactive monitoring

Answer key

1. B, 2. A, 3. B, 4. C, 5. D, 6. A, 7. C, 8. B, 9. B, 10. A, 11. D, 12. D, 13. D, 14. C, 15. A

Audits look at the system.
External auditors are independent.
Stages: notification, preparation, gathering, analysis and report.
Audit evidence is judged against audit criteria.
Do not confuse an audit (system) with an inspection (conditions).
Internal audits can be done often.
Auditors may be too close to the system.
External auditors are less familiar but more independent.
Types include product or service, process and system audits.
Notification and timetable come first, then preparation.
The stages end with the report.
They show where the system is failing and give assurance.
Competence supports credible findings.
An inspection looks at physical conditions.
An audit by an outside party is external.