What if my business failed a safety audit?

A safety audit does not always go the way you plan. Whether you were caught by surprise or the auditor came on a challenging day, there are times when a safety audit can create a substantial obstacle.

The most important part of a safety audit is learning how to improve your business practices, so you do not have the same problem in the future. You may also need to do some retraining with your employees to understand what methods will change.

Here’s what you should know about moving forward after a failed safety audit.

When can employees resume working?

Your ability to get employees back on the floor and working will depend a lot on the nature of the violation and the hazard that it poses. It will also depend on what type of employees you have and the jobs they are trained to do.

You should talk to the person who performed your audit to determine what you need to do to have help from your employees. In some cases, you can have employees in the building before your customers since you can instruct your employees on any safety concerns.

What comes next?

Before the auditor leaves, you need to create a plan for getting your business open again. In addition to addressing the concerns that were on the audit, you may also benefit from asking the auditor questions, such as:

• Was there anything that passed today but should be better in the future?
• Do you have a program for voluntary audits so I can stay ahead of concerns?
• How could the issues on the audit be prevented?
• What do others in my industry struggle with on audits?

Typically, the more engaged in the process you are, the more likely the auditor will be willing to work with you. You may also want to start your own internal safety inspection process so you can feel more prepared.