Legal Compliance Audit
Legal Compliance Audit
A legal compliance audit is an appraisal of an organisation’s operations to determine its compliance with the laws and regulations that apply to it. Businesses are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws contained in numerous acts, bylaws, and standards, and it can be confusing to distinguish the ones that apply to a particular company. In conducting the audit, the auditor will cover the laws by subject area so he can effectively address every potential compliance risk.
Is an Audit legally required?
Department of Employment and Labour (formerly Department of Labour) don’t require Health and Safety Audits and Safety Compliance Audits are not mentioned in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Despite this, most major companies require their suppliers to conduct safety audits as part of their procurement process.
A legal compliance audit helps you determine how effective your safety programs are and is the only real way to establish a level of compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, its regulations and the applicable Standards.
Additional benefits of a legal compliance audit
Department of Employment and Labour (formerly Department of Labour) don’t require Health and Safety Audits and Safety Compliance Audits are not mentioned in the Occupational Health and Safety act. Despite this, most major companies require their suppliers to conduct safety audits as part of their procurement process.
A legal compliance audit helps you determine how effective your safety programs are and is the only real way to establish a level of compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety act, its regulations and the applicable Standards.
The audit process includes:
Evaluation of all business activities against the applicable portions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Municipal Bylaws, SANS codes.
Physical inspection of the premises, plant and machinery.
Evaluation of safety management system to verify the effectiveness in mitigating the company’s risks.
Structured interviews with key staff members.
Formal feedback session.