Consultants: Conducting Assessments
Before the Assessment
Before the assessment starts, the consultant may request some information, including:
- The size of your company and number of employees
- The nature of your business
- Any safety problems you are already aware of
- If you have previously had any government inspections.
The more information you can provide the better prepared the consultant will be.
Assessment
The primary purpose of an assessment is to assist you to comply with WH&S legislation by identifying areas of non-conformance. Second to this is finding opportunities for improvement within your current safety management system which may improve your workplace efficiency and workflow.
The first thing the consultant will assess the relevant safety documentation and your safety management material. The focus of this part of the assessment will be on documents which are required by law such as:
- Competency and training records
- Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) registers
- Incident reports
- Risk assessments.
The consultant will then conduct a walk-through inspection of your workplace to identify hazards and current safety conditions. An inspection checklist may be used and will include these items among others:
- Housekeeping (cleanliness, no trip hazards)
- General work environment (e.g. ventilation, lighting, heat, noise)
- Electrical safety (equipment has been tested and tagged)
- Standard Operating Procedures available for plant
- Machinery guarding
- Fire protection is in place
- Emergency preparedness and response
Ideally, you or a company representative will accompany the consultant during this inspection. At this stage the consultant may also ask to interview some of your employees. This is solely to gather more information and is in no way an exercise in finding fault with any individual.
After the Assessment
The consultant should provide you with a detailed report with recommendations for further actions. Actions will be prioritised according to urgency. Breaches of legal requirements must be dealt with as soon as possible.
The consultant will sit down with you and give suggestions as to how to best approach the assessment findings and recommendations. A more comprehensive management system may also be recommended to better manage safety at your workplace.
In some cases the consultant may suggest further investigation by other specialists such as a occupational hygienist, occupational therapist or dangerous goods expert.