Comparing a Health and Safety Program Review and a Gap Audit

Completing a gap audit is a very effective and proactive approach to safety in the workplace. The whole concept of a gap audit is to identify and correct deficiencies before an accident or injury takes place. Additionally, gap audits ensure that your entire safety program is compliant with the ever-changing and always expanding health and legislation in your jurisdiction and industry.
 
Unfortunately, gap audits are underutilized, usually because employers don’t understand the benefits, or how gap audits differ from regular health and safety program reviews. 

A Gap Audit looks at the health and safety program as a whole and then reviews its various parts

Health and Safety Program Review vs Gap Audits

It is a best practice and an industry standard to review your workplace health and safety program, including policies, procedures, and training records and requirements, at least annually. An annual review ensures that your health and safety program is doing what it aims to do, without having unintended undesirable effects. 

A gap audit is different. It looks at the health and safety program as a whole and then reviews its various parts. The goal of a gap audit is legislative compliance, so while a health and safety program review may indicate policies or programs that aren’t working, a gap audit will identify components that are either missing altogether, weak, or not compliant with legislative standards.

An internal health and safety program review is almost always completed by organization employees, such as health and safety staff, JHSC members, HR, and management. They’ll use data to determine what’s working and what needs revision. 

Gap audits are usually completed by third-party health and safety professionals. They are specially trained in the analysis and review of health and safety programs, and they have extensive knowledge of legislation and standards by industry. It is always beneficial to have a non-bias neutral third-party review organizational health and safety practices. They are not influenced by “the way things have always been done.” Professional consultants have years of experience in what works, and they know exactly what’s required for legislative compliance.  

The Benefits of a Gap Analysis

​The knowledge that you’re compliant
Don’t leave compliance to chance. If part of your program doesn’t meet compliance standards, then the entire program is non-compliant. A gap audit confirms program compliance by identifying and correcting program deficiencies. You can rest assured after a gap audit is complete that your program meets the highest standards for legislative compliance in your jurisdiction and industry.
 
A fresh approach to health and safety
A gap audit consultant brings ideas, solutions, and approaches to your health and safety program that may not have been previously considered. They have years of experience in what works, so they often have a fresh approach to health and safety, which can revitalize your workplace program. 

​Customized solutions
Sometimes health and safety problems are unique to the workplace. In these instances, a gap audit consultant can recommend customized solutions to ensure both compliance and safe work practices.
 
It’s proactive, not reactive
A lot of health and safety is reactive. That is, most processes are put in place after an accident to prevent a reoccurrence. It’s like learning from a mistake, and there is value in that. However, the ultimate goal is to prevent accidents and injuries before they happen. Gap audits aim to do that by identifying deficiencies and then putting policies in procedures in place to prevent accidents and injuries. Having a professional conduct a gap audit is a very proactive approach to safety in the workplace. 

Trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting

If you want to experience the benefits of a gap audit, look no further. MidSouthWest Training and Consulting offers consulting and health and safety program audit services. We can either review an existing program to help you identify gaps, or we can start from scratch and help you build an entirely customized health and safety program. You can trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting to provide you with cost-effective advice and solutions tailored to meet your organization’s unique health and safety needs.
 
To ask questions about your improving your organization’s health and safety program, , contact us online or call 289.309.1143. Visit us 24/7 on the web at midsouthwest.ca.

​Last updated February 17, 2021