Occupational Health and Safety Audit Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends HSE Managers, Internal Auditors and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-HM-109

Before you join: Participants should have working familiarity with workplace hazards, risk assessments, incident reporting and basic HSE responsibilities.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Occupational health and safety audits test whether an HSE management system works where work is actually performed, not merely whether documents exist. Weak audit methods can miss ineffective controls, repeat findings, unreliable contractor arrangements and legal non-compliance. Audit teams need to distinguish a nonconformity from an improvement opportunity, gather credible evidence, test control effectiveness and report findings that management can act on.

This course develops the practical methods used for internal, supplier, contractor and certification-readiness audits. Participants work with ISO 45001 requirements, ISO 19011 audit guidance, risk-based audit planning, sampling, interviewing, observation, document review and corrective action verification. They learn to construct audit criteria, prepare audit plans, conduct opening and closing meetings, record objective evidence, classify findings and assess whether corrective actions address root causes. The course also addresses high-risk work, incident management, occupational hygiene, emergency preparedness, contractor control and legal compliance registers.

Teaching combines concise technical briefings with sector-based audit cases, team review of evidence packs, interview simulations, site-observation scenarios and structured application planning. Participants progressively build an audit file during the course, then complete a capstone audit package containing a programme, plan, checklists, evidence records, findings, report and corrective action follow-up plan. The course suits professionals who must audit operational controls, prepare for external scrutiny or improve the quality of internal HSE assurance.

It is particularly relevant to HSE personnel, internal auditors, operational managers, quality professionals, contractor managers and compliance teams working in industrial, infrastructure, energy, construction, logistics, healthcare, financial-services facilities and public-sector operations.

What you will be able to do

  • Plan a risk-based occupational health and safety audit programme using ISO 19011 principles
  • Interpret ISO 45001 clauses as auditable criteria for operational and management-system controls
  • Prepare audit scopes, plans, checklists and sampling strategies for defined HSE risks
  • Collect objective evidence through document review, interviews, observation and traceability testing
  • Write defensible nonconformities linked to audit criteria, evidence and risk consequences
  • Evaluate corrective action plans using root-cause analysis and effectiveness-verification methods
  • Conduct opening meetings, audit interviews, daily reviews and closing meetings professionally
  • Produce and present a complete occupational health and safety audit report and follow-up plan

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence conducting interviews with managers, supervisors, workers and contractors
  • A repeatable method for converting observations into evidence-based audit findings
  • Practical experience writing nonconformities suitable for management and external review
  • Stronger capability to challenge weak corrective actions before findings recur
  • A completed audit package that can be adapted for workplace use

For your organisation

  • More consistent HSE audits across sites, departments, projects and contractors
  • Earlier detection of ineffective controls before injuries, enforcement action or certification issues
  • Clearer audit reports that assign accountable corrective actions and due dates
  • Better preparation for ISO 45001 surveillance, recertification and customer audits
  • Improved management visibility of recurring control failures and systemic root causes

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can distinguish audits from inspections and position audits within HSE assurance.

  • Audit, inspection and workplace observation purposes compared against assurance objectives
  • First-party, second-party and third-party audit roles and limitations
  • Assurance lines, management review and board-level HSE reporting relationships
  • Audit independence, impartiality, confidentiality and professional scepticism requirements
  • Leading and lagging indicators used to target audit attention
  • Risk consequences of ineffective controls, repeated findings and weak follow-up

Participants can translate ISO 45001 requirements into testable audit criteria.

  • ISO 45001 clause structure and process-based auditing logic
  • Context, interested parties and OH&S management-system scope requirements
  • Leadership, consultation and worker participation evidence sources
  • Planning controls for hazards, risks, opportunities and legal obligations
  • Support requirements covering competence, communication, documented information and resources
  • Performance evaluation, internal audit and management review requirements

Participants can apply ISO 19011 principles throughout an occupational health and safety audit.

  • ISO 19011 audit principles applied to HSE assurance assignments
  • Competence requirements for audit team members and technical experts
  • Audit lifecycle from programme initiation through follow-up activities
  • Risk-based thinking within audit planning, execution and reporting
  • Evidence-based approach and sampling limitations explained to auditees
  • Professional judgement when evidence is incomplete, conflicting or unavailable

Participants can build an annual audit programme aligned to organisational risk priorities.

  • Audit universe mapped across sites, processes, projects and contractors
  • Risk ranking using severity, exposure, control maturity and change
  • Annual programme schedules based on risk, performance and assurance needs
  • Audit frequency adjusted after incidents, changes and repeat findings
  • Resources, auditor competence and technical support planned against scope
  • Programme performance measures for completion, findings and closure quality

Participants can test compliance obligations without substituting for legal advice.

  • Legal register structure linking obligations to operational control measures
  • Applicable legislation, permits, licences and client requirements identified
  • Compliance evaluation methods using documentary, interview and observation evidence
  • Regulatory inspection findings analysed for recurring compliance weaknesses
  • Jurisdictional limits and escalation routes for legal interpretation issues
  • Records retention tested against statutory, contractual and management-system requirements

Participants can prepare a clear audit plan for a defined HSE process or site.

  • Scope boundaries defined by locations, processes, shifts and contractors
  • Audit objectives aligned with risks, criteria and stakeholder concerns
  • Audit criteria selected from standards, procedures, laws and contracts
  • Process maps used to identify control points and evidence trails
  • Audit plans allocating time for documents, interviews, observation and review
  • Opening meeting agendas confirming logistics, access and communication protocols

Participants can trace HSE requirements from documented arrangements to operating evidence.

  • Document review sequence from policy through procedures to records
  • Version control, approval and accessibility of controlled HSE documents
  • Traceability testing between risk assessments, permits and field controls
  • Training records sampled against competence matrices and assigned tasks
  • Maintenance, inspection and calibration records tested for control effectiveness
  • Evidence logs recording source, date, location and criterion reference

Participants can conduct structured interviews that obtain reliable and relevant audit evidence.

  • Open, probing and confirmation questions matched to audit objectives
  • Interview sequence from role context to specific control evidence
  • Worker consultation tested through examples, records and escalation routes
  • Neutral questioning techniques that avoid coaching, accusation and assumptions
  • Contradictory accounts reconciled through additional evidence and traceability checks
  • Interview notes distinguished between statements, observations and auditor conclusions

Participants can observe work safely and select samples that support defensible conclusions.

  • Observation protocols for hazardous areas, work activities and changing conditions
  • Sampling methods based on risk, population size and control variability
  • Safe observation boundaries, permits, escorts and site induction requirements
  • Task observations compared with procedures, risk assessments and training records
  • Behavioural observations separated from systemic control and supervision evidence
  • Photographs, sketches and field notes managed under confidentiality rules

Participants can classify audit findings and write clear nonconformity statements.

  • Conformity, nonconformity, observation and improvement opportunity distinctions
  • Finding statements structured around criterion, evidence and nonconformity
  • Major and minor nonconformity grading using defined organisational rules
  • Risk significance considered without overstating unsupported harm consequences
  • Evidence triangulation before raising findings against management-system requirements
  • Clear language separating factual evidence from auditor interpretation

Participants can test whether hazard controls are identified, implemented and monitored effectively.

  • Hazard identification methods tested against work activities and change
  • Hierarchy of controls assessed from elimination through personal protective equipment
  • Risk assessments sampled for task specificity, currency and worker involvement
  • Control verification compares planned measures with conditions observed onsite
  • Permit-to-work controls audited for isolation, authorisation and handback
  • Management of change records tested for new or altered risks

Participants can audit incident processes for reporting, investigation, learning and prevention.

  • Incident classification, notification and escalation requirements tested against records
  • Investigation methods examined for immediate, underlying and root causes
  • Five Whys and causal factor analysis reviewed for evidential quality
  • Corrective actions checked against findings, owners, deadlines and verification
  • Lessons learned communications traced to affected teams and contractors
  • Repeat incidents analysed for failed learning, supervision or control design

Participants can assess contractor safety governance from prequalification through close-out.

  • Contractor prequalification criteria tested for competence, performance and insurance
  • Scope-of-work risk interfaces identified between client and contractor responsibilities
  • Induction, supervision and permit arrangements sampled during active work
  • Subcontractor controls traced through approval, competence and communication records
  • Contractor performance meetings examined for trends, actions and accountability
  • Demobilisation reviews capture incidents, lessons and outstanding corrective actions

Participants can audit occupational health controls using exposure and health-surveillance evidence.

  • Exposure assessment records reviewed for noise, dust, chemicals and ergonomics
  • Occupational hygiene monitoring plans tested against risk assessment priorities
  • Control measures assessed using substitution, engineering and administrative controls
  • Health surveillance arrangements checked for eligibility, confidentiality and follow-up
  • Safety data sheets reviewed for accessibility, currency and control requirements
  • Ergonomic assessments sampled against workstation, manual handling and task risks

Participants can evaluate emergency readiness through plans, drills and post-event reviews.

  • Emergency scenarios selected from credible hazards and consequence assessments
  • Response plans tested for roles, communications, evacuation and accountability
  • Drill records reviewed for participation, observations and corrective actions
  • Emergency equipment inspections sampled for availability, maintenance and access
  • Interface arrangements assessed with emergency services, landlords and neighbouring sites
  • Post-drill reviews tested for lessons, ownership and closure verification

Participants can identify environmental control interfaces relevant to integrated HSE audits.

  • Integrated HSE scopes distinguish occupational safety from environmental obligations
  • Waste, spill and emissions controls reviewed at operational interfaces
  • Chemical storage arrangements tested against safety and environmental requirements
  • Emergency plans examined for firewater, containment and pollution prevention
  • Environmental incidents linked to shared reporting and corrective action processes
  • ISO 14001 interfaces considered when audit criteria include integrated systems

Participants can produce audit reports that support timely management decisions and action.

  • Report structure connects objectives, scope, criteria, methods and conclusions
  • Executive summaries communicate significant risks without obscuring supporting evidence
  • Findings prioritised by risk, systemic reach and control failure
  • Positive practices documented when evidence demonstrates effective, transferable controls
  • Closing meetings present factual findings and resolve evidence misunderstandings
  • Management responses recorded without weakening auditor independence or conclusions

Participants can evaluate whether corrective actions eliminate causes and prevent recurrence.

  • Correction, corrective action and preventive action distinctions applied to findings
  • Root-cause methods selected according to incident and control complexity
  • Action plans assessed for cause linkage, ownership, resources and dates
  • Effectiveness verification uses follow-up sampling, observation and performance data
  • Overdue actions escalated through defined governance and management-review routes
  • Closure decisions documented with evidence sufficient for external scrutiny

Participants can prepare teams and records for external HSE audit and inspection activity.

  • Certification audit stages, surveillance visits and recertification cycles explained
  • External auditor requests coordinated through evidence owners and audit coordinators
  • Readiness reviews identify missing records, unresolved findings and access constraints
  • Regulator interactions managed through factual responses and controlled documentation
  • Escalation protocols applied when serious imminent-risk issues are identified
  • Post-audit response plans assign owners, milestones and executive oversight

Participants can build, review and present a complete risk-based occupational health and safety audit package.

  • Audit programme rationale linked to risk profile, incidents and assurance priorities
  • Scope, objectives, criteria and sampling plan defined for assigned scenario
  • Evidence records assembled from documents, interviews, observations and traceability tests
  • Nonconformities drafted with criterion references, evidence and risk significance
  • Corrective actions evaluated for root cause, ownership and effectiveness measures
  • Final report and closing presentation delivered to a simulated management team

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Risk-based HSE audit programme template
  2. ISO 45001 clause-to-evidence checklist
  3. Audit plan and sampling worksheet
  4. Interview and observation evidence log
  5. Nonconformity and corrective action register
  6. Complete occupational health and safety audit report

Who should attend

  • HSE Managers — need reliable assurance of site controls and management-system performance
  • Internal Auditors — need occupational health and safety criteria, evidence and reporting methods
  • HSE Advisors — need to conduct planned inspections and formal system audits
  • Operations Managers — need to prepare teams for audits and close control gaps
  • Quality and Compliance Managers — need to integrate HSE audits into assurance programmes
  • Contractor Managers — need to assess contractor safety arrangements and worksite compliance

Skills and tools covered

ISO 45001 auditingRisk-based audit planningEvidence collectionNonconformity writingCorrective action verificationAudit report preparation

Tools and standards

ISO 45001:2018, ISO 19011:2018, Hierarchy of Controls, Five Whys

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short technical briefings followed by applied audit work. Participants review realistic procedures, permits, incident records, inspection logs and contractor documents; test evidence against audit criteria; and practise interview, observation, opening-meeting and closing-meeting techniques. Group cases cover different risk profiles, including construction, manufacturing, logistics and facilities operations. Trainers provide feedback on audit plans, evidence records, finding statements and corrective action reviews. Individual application planning links the completed audit package to each participant's workplace.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have working familiarity with workplace hazards, risk assessments, incident reporting and basic HSE responsibilities. Experience in an operational, facilities, construction, manufacturing, energy, logistics, healthcare or similar environment is useful. Participants should be able to read internal procedures and discuss work activities with supervisors and workers. Prior internal-auditor training, ISO 45001 certification and technical qualifications in occupational hygiene are not required. The course explains the audit standards and methods used, but it is not an introductory course on hazard identification or risk assessment.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need practical familiarity with workplace hazards, risk assessments and routine HSE responsibilities. Previous auditing experience or ISO 45001 training is helpful but not required.

Bring a laptop or tablet for working on templates and a non-confidential example of an HSE procedure, risk assessment or audit report if available. Course materials and case documents are provided.

It is designed for HSE managers, advisors, internal auditors, operations managers, quality professionals and contractor managers. It is most useful for people who must assess controls rather than simply conduct routine safety inspections.

ISO 45001 implementation training focuses on building or maintaining a management system. This course focuses on independently testing whether requirements and controls are working, using audit planning, evidence gathering, findings and follow-up methods.

Participants leave with a completed audit package and reusable templates for planning, evidence recording, reporting and corrective action verification. These can be adapted to a site, department, contractor or high-risk work process.

Each day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours, for approximately 65 contact hours overall. The first half builds core audit methods and working papers; the second half applies them to specialist HSE controls, reporting and the capstone audit.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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