Types of WSH Audits

An audit is the organized examination or formal evaluation exercise. It involves the measurements, tests, and gauges applied to certain characteristics in regard to an object or activity

The results of the measurement are usually compared to specified requirements and standards for determining whether the item or activity is in line with these targets

There are numerous types of WSH audits and this may include:

• Management system
• WSH internal audit
• Environment
• Compliance audit 
• Second Party Audit
• Third Party Audit
• Certification Audit
  -SS ISO 45001
  

However in this post, l will only provide brief explanation on the Second party audit, third party audit, compliance audit and certification audit as follows:

Second party audit

Second party audit is an audit of another organization’s workplace safety and health program not under the direct control or within the organizational structure of the auditing organization.

Second party audits are usually performed by the customer upon it’s suppliers ( or potential suppliers) to ascertain whether or not the supplier can meet existing or proposed contractual requirements

Third party audit

Third party audit is an assessment of an organization’s quality system conducted by an independent, outside auditor or team of auditors. When referring to a third party audit as it applies to an international quality standard such as ISO 14000 the term “third party” is synonymous with a WSJ system registrar whose primary responsibility is to assess an organization’s quality system for conformance to that standard and issue a certificate of conformance(  upon completion of successful assessment)

Compliance audit

A comprehensive review of some aspect of the internal operations of a company that requires certification by a regulatory body to verify that it is in compliance with mandatory guidelines

Example would be MOM Safety Management System requirements Compliance audit and NEA Safety Audit for Hazardous Substances

Certification Audit

A certification audit is executed to check the quality management system of a company. An independent certification authority executes this type of audit.

An organizational audit needs may include:

• Compliance with legal and other requirements
• Mandatory requirements
• Customer’s requirements
• WSH Management systems requirements
• The applicable WSH Audit relevant to an organization may include: 
• SS ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• NEA safety audit for hazardous substances
• Compliance audit
  WSH internal audit
• Second Party Audit

• Third Party Audit
• Occupational Health audit
• Surveillance audits ( to management system certification)
• WSH programme audit based on:
  -Health
  -Training
  -Inspection
  -Maintenance
  -Chemical Management
  -Emergency preparedness
  -Personal protective equipment

WSH SMS Regulations 2009 Interpretation

Singapore Workplace Safety & Health  (Safety and Health Management System and Auditing) Regulations 2009 stipulate that every workplace which falls under any of the workplaces category in the Second Schedule is require to implement a safety and health management system for the purpose of ensuring the safety and health of persons at work .

Excerpts taken from the SECOND SCHEDULE

SECOND SCHEDULE

Regulation 8(1)

WORKPLACES TO IMPLEMENT SAFETY AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

1. Any premises which is a worksite.

2. Any premises which is a shipyard.

3. Any factory engaged in the manufacturing of fabricated metal products, machinery or equipment and in which 100 or more persons are employed.

4. Any factory engaged in the processing or manufacturing of petroleum, petroleum products, petrochemicals or petrochemical products.

5. Any premises where the bulk storage of toxic or flammable liquid is carried on by way of trade or for the purpose of gain and which has a storage capacity of 5,000 or more cubic metres for such toxic or flammable liquid.

6. Any factory engaged in the manufacturing of —

(a) fluorine, chlorine, hydrogen fluoride or carbon monoxide; and

(b) synthetic polymers.

7. Any factory engaged in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products or their intermediates.

8. Any factory engaged in the manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

If your organization falls in any of the 

In addition Regulation 9 of the regulation also stipulate the requirement of the duty of the occupier of any workplace specified in the Third Schedule to appoint a workplace safety and health auditor to audit the safety and health management system of the workplace at a frequency as specified in that Schedule.

To learn more about the Workplace Safety and Health (Safety and Health Management System and Auditing) Regulations 2009, check out the Singapore Statues Online