Find out where you stand -
and what to do about it
Safety Assistance carries out practical health and safety audits and construction site inspections, giving you a clear picture of your current position and a realistic plan to improve.
What a health and safety audit actually involves
A health and safety audit examines whether your management system and working practices are actually functioning as intended not just whether the paperwork exists. It looks at how risk is managed in practice, whether controls are in place and working, and where the gaps are.
A construction site inspection takes that further by looking at live site conditions: welfare facilities, RAMS compliance, contractor management, plant and equipment, working at height, and CDM documentation. Both types of engagement result in a written report with findings rated by priority and practical recommendations you can act on.
Audits are useful for directors, health and safety managers, operations managers and site managers who want an honest, independent view of where they stand. They can be a one-off health check or part of a longer-term support arrangement.
The law expects employers to manage health and safety effectively and to have suitable arrangements in place. An independent audit is one of the most straightforward ways to understand whether your current arrangements are working and where attention is needed.
What is included in our audit and inspection service
- Pre-audit document review - included as standard before every visit
- On-site audit or remote desktop audit against applicable frameworks
- Construction site physical inspection covering site conditions and controls
- Interviews with managers and workers to understand how things work in practice
- Written report with findings risk-rated and prioritised
- Corrective action recommendations what to do, not just what is wrong
- Debrief with the responsible person to walk through findings and agree next steps
- Follow-up close-out review included as standard to check progress
How the audit process works
1. Discovery call
We start with a free discovery call to understand your business, sites, activities and current health and safety arrangements. This helps us scope the audit correctly and agree the most useful approach.
2. Pre-audit document review
Before visiting, we review your existing documentation policies, risk assessments, procedures, training records and any previous audit reports. This is included as standard and means we arrive prepared rather than starting from scratch on the day.
3. On-site audit or inspection
A qualified consultant visits your premises or site, or carries out a remote desktop audit where appropriate. We audit against the frameworks relevant to your business, which may include HSG65, ISO 45001, ISO 9001 or other applicable standards.
4. Written report
You receive a clear written report setting out findings, rated by risk priority. The report tells you what was found, why it matters and what you should do about it, in plain English.
5. Debrief
We walk through the findings with you, answer questions and agree realistic next steps. There are no surprises if something significant comes up during the audit, we will flag it to you on the day.
6. Follow-up close-out review
A follow-up review is included as standard to check that agreed actions have been addressed and to confirm your position has improved. If you want ongoing support to implement improvements, we can discuss that too.
Construction site audits
Construction sites have specific audit requirements that go beyond a standard management system review. A site inspection looks at the physical conditions on the ground: site setup and access, welfare facilities, RAMS compliance, contractor management, plant and equipment checks, working at height controls, and CDM documentation etc.
Safety Assistance has experience working in the construction sector and can audit against site-specific standards and CDM 2015 requirements. We look at how work is actually being managed on site, how workforce behaviours are affecting safety performance, not just what the paperwork says.
Findings from a construction site audit can be fed directly into Safety Mate, where open actions can be assigned, tracked and evidenced giving site managers and directors visibility of progress without relying on spreadsheets or email chains.
If you manage multiple sites or projects, we can discuss a programme of audits to give you consistent oversight across your operations.
Manage audit actions in Safety Mate®
Once an audit is complete, the real work is following through on the findings. Safety Mate® our health and safety management platform gives you a practical system to do exactly that.
Open actions and corrective measures from the audit report can be logged in Safety Mate®, assigned to the right people, given due dates and tracked through to completion. You can upload evidence, set scheduled review dates and give managers visibility across multiple sites from one place.
This means the audit does not sit in a folder and get forgotten. The findings become live actions that your team can work through, with a clear record of what has been done and what is still outstanding.
Safety Mate® also includes audit and inspection modules, so once your initial consultancy audit is complete, your team can continue carrying out their own internal inspections and managing the results in the same system.
- Audit and inspection modules for ongoing internal use
- Corrective action tracking with assigned owners and due dates
- Evidence upload against individual actions
- Scheduled review dates and automated reminders
- Management visibility across multiple sites
- Full audit trail of completed and outstanding actions
Common questions about health and safety audits
How long does an audit take?
A standard health and safety management audit or construction site audit typically takes a full day on site. The exact duration can vary depending on the size of your organisation, the number of sites involved and the scope agreed at the discovery call stage.
What is the difference between an audit and an inspection?
An audit examines your health and safety management system policies, procedures, records and how they are implemented to assess whether your arrangements are effective. An inspection focuses on physical conditions: the workplace, equipment, site setup and working practices at a point in time. In practice, a construction site engagement often combines both.
Which frameworks do you audit against?
We audit against the frameworks most relevant to your business and the criteria you need to meet. This can include HSG65, ISO 45001, ISO 9001 or other applicable standards. We agree the appropriate framework with you before the audit begins.
Can you carry out a remote or desktop audit?
Yes. Where a remote audit is appropriate for example, for a document review or a lower-risk office environment we can carry this out without a site visit. For construction sites and higher-risk environments, an on-site visit is normally the right approach. We will advise you on what is suitable for your situation.
Can you audit multiple sites?
Yes. If you operate across multiple sites or projects, we can discuss a programme of audits to give you consistent oversight. Safety Mate® can then be used to track actions and compare performance across locations.
Will the report tell us what to do, not just what is wrong?
Yes. Every report includes prioritised corrective action recommendations alongside the findings. We aim to give you a clear, practical picture of what needs to change and why not just a list of non-conformances.
Do we need to have everything in order before you visit?
No. The purpose of an audit is to give you an honest view of where you currently stand, including any gaps. You do not need to prepare a perfect set of documents beforehand. We carry out a pre-audit document review as standard, so we will already have a sense of your starting position before we arrive.
How often should we have a health and safety audit?
The right frequency depends on the nature of your business, the level of risk involved and any requirements set by clients, insurers or accreditation bodies. Many organisations find an annual audit a useful baseline. The law expects employers to have suitable arrangements in place and to review them regularly an independent audit is one way to demonstrate that this is happening.
Industries we work with
Safety Assistance works with businesses across the UK, from a single site to multi-site operations.
Construction
Site audits, CDM compliance checks and contractor management support for construction businesses of all sizes.
Mechanical and Electrical
Audit and inspection support for M&E contractors working across commercial, industrial and infrastructure projects.
Logistics
Health and safety audits covering transport operations, warehousing, vehicle movements and manual handling.
Agriculture
Practical audit support for agricultural businesses managing a wide range of operational and seasonal risks.
Arboriculture
Inspection and audit support for arboricultural contractors working at height and with specialist equipment.
Hospitality and Events
Health and safety audits for venues, event operators and hospitality businesses managing public-facing risk.
Ready to find out where you stand?
Book a no-obligation discovery call to discuss your audit requirements with a qualified consultant – nationwide coverage, practical advice, no jargon.