Steps to Pass Regulatory Compliance Audit and Inspections

None of us have to fear coming to work and getting hurt. OSHA enforces compliance through inspections to ensure workplace safety (OSHA law, known as Section 5(a)1 “General Duty Clause,” which requires that all employees have a safe and healthful workplace).

Hence you don’t need to tremble when there is an inspection; this of course is equally reliant on the hefty fact that, how complaint and audit ready is your company with the required regulations. According to recent statistics by OSHA, 73% of the companies that get inspected are fined and issued citations.

This article is not for 27% of the OSHA compliant companies.

First look by OSHA Inspector – Determines how good or bad is it going to be today?

In a recent survey and based on my personal digging, it was discovered that most OSHA inspectors realize in initial few minutes, how long their visit will be in a (respective) company. It’s absolutely the company’s will and intent to reduce these inspections by using compliance automation and providing below:

1. Present your thorough safety plans. Regulatory change management software that enables stakeholders to create each plan against a regulation/standard and implementing it cleanly. Click and present it on a PC or print the entire report in seconds.
2. Show your internal publications for workplace safety awareness. How often do you provide/publish this to your workforce? With Policy and Procedures software, enable yourself to distribute these, either in form of hard copies or email newsletters to the entire workforce.
3. How effective is your JHA (Job Hazard Analysis) – Invest in software that allows you to perform risk management for many known and unknown variables.
4. How do you manage incidents? Better to use a system or software for case and incident management that processes silos of compliance enforcement details (year over year, as OSHA inspectors ask for this) and protects you against accusations of non-compliance. OSHA inspectors keenly look for the scenario where a certain individual or individuals did not comply to regulations(safety training) upon repeated efforts by the management and what actions were taken for corrections(case management/capa). As detailed as it can be the information assists inspectors in case of an unfortunate workplace injury incident.
5. How do you manage your assets? On many occasions OSHA fines companies for faulty machinery resulting in human injuries and casualties in some cases. Use an asset management system that allows you to capture details of all machinery on-site, with information as much as up to how often it is serviced and checked internally.
6. What CAPA (corrective and preventive actions) do you have in place? Use software for CAPA, to have effective and efficient contingency plans for any foreseeable workplace injuries and prevention for future incidents.

Companies that invest in automated GRC software and components are serious about safety and leave a good impression on inspectors hence smoothing up the inspections.

 

*The author’s views and opinions are entirely his or her own and may not reflect the views and opinions of 360factors.

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