Safety Auditing and Site Inspection Training Course

Duration 10 days 19 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Health and Safety Officers, HSE Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-OHS-045

Before you join: Participants should have basic workplace health and safety knowledge and some exposure to risk assessments, incident reporting, permits, procedures or routine inspections.

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

Safety audits and site inspections are central controls for preventing injury, ill health, environmental incidents and costly operational disruption. Yet many inspections identify only visible defects, while audits may become document reviews disconnected from actual work. Safety professionals, supervisors and assurance staff need to distinguish between these activities, gather reliable evidence, test whether controls work, identify root causes and drive corrective actions through to verified closure.

This course develops the practical capability to plan, conduct, report and follow up safety audits and site inspections. Participants work with ISO 45001 requirements, ISO 19011 audit guidance, HSG65 management-system principles and risk assessment methods. They learn how to set audit scope and criteria; prepare inspection checklists; observe work; interview personnel; sample records; assess legal and procedural compliance; classify findings; investigate underlying causes; and prioritise corrective and preventive actions. The course also addresses contractor controls, permit-to-work systems, emergency arrangements, occupational hygiene, incident learning and management reporting.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with realistic cases from construction, manufacturing, energy, logistics, facilities and public-sector operations. Participants analyse evidence packs, conduct structured inspection and audit simulations, write findings, challenge weak corrective actions and prepare assurance reports. From the first week, each participant develops an audit and inspection package for a relevant workplace or operational area. They leave with a completed audit plan, risk-based inspection checklist, findings register, corrective-action tracker and management report suitable for adaptation at work.

The course suits people who already have health and safety responsibilities and need a disciplined method for checking whether workplace controls are present, understood and effective. It is particularly useful where managers require more credible assurance than incident statistics or informal walkarounds can provide.

What you will be able to do

  • Plan risk-based safety audits using ISO 19011 principles and defined audit criteria
  • Conduct structured site inspections using observation, interviewing and evidence-sampling techniques
  • Evaluate operational controls against ISO 45001, legal duties and internal procedures
  • Classify audit findings using clear evidence, risk ratings and nonconformity statements
  • Investigate recurring safety failures using the Five Whys, causal factor charting and barrier analysis
  • Develop corrective and preventive action plans with owners, deadlines and verification methods
  • Report audit and inspection results to managers using defensible evidence and risk priorities
  • Present a complete safety audit report and improvement plan for a defined work area

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Conduct inspections with a repeatable evidence-gathering method rather than informal walkarounds
  • Write findings that clearly distinguish observations, nonconformities and improvement opportunities
  • Question workers and supervisors without relying on assumptions or leading questions
  • Prioritise corrective actions according to risk, control failure and verification needs
  • Build a documented audit portfolio for health and safety assurance responsibilities

For your organisation

  • Earlier identification of unsafe conditions, weak controls and procedural drift
  • More consistent audit findings across sites, departments and contractor activities
  • Clearer corrective-action ownership, deadlines and closure verification
  • Better evidence for management review, regulatory inspection and client assurance
  • Reduced recurrence of known hazards through causal analysis and preventive actions

Course modules

19 modules over 10 days

Participants can distinguish audit, inspection and assurance activities and select the appropriate approach.

  • Safety assurance roles within operational risk management and governance arrangements
  • Differences between audits, inspections, observations, surveys and compliance reviews
  • Three-lines model responsibilities for operations, assurance and independent review
  • Leading and lagging indicators used to target assurance activity
  • Inspection frequency determined by risk, change, incident history and exposure
  • Independence, competence and authority requirements for credible safety auditing

Participants can establish audit criteria from legal, organisational and management-system requirements.

  • Applicable legislation, regulations, codes of practice and licence conditions
  • ISO 45001 clauses relevant to operational control and performance evaluation
  • HSG65 Plan-Do-Check-Act model for health and safety management
  • Internal policies, standards and procedures as audit criteria
  • Compliance obligations register linked to activities, hazards and controls
  • Audit criteria hierarchy where legal duties override local procedures

Participants can use risk assessment information to focus inspection and audit effort.

  • Hazard identification using task, equipment, substance and environment categories
  • Risk matrices assessed for severity, likelihood, exposure and uncertainty
  • Hierarchy of controls tested against actual work conditions
  • Bowtie diagrams linking threats, preventive barriers and recovery controls
  • Residual-risk decisions documented with control owners and review dates
  • Change management triggers requiring revised risk assessments and inspections

Participants can prepare a risk-based audit plan with scope, criteria, resources and timings.

  • Audit objectives defined around compliance, control effectiveness and improvement
  • Scope boundaries covering locations, activities, shifts, contractors and interfaces
  • Annual audit programmes prioritised through risk, performance and change data
  • ISO 19011 audit principles applied to planning and conduct
  • Audit plans allocating opening meetings, fieldwork, interviews and record sampling
  • Team competence matched to technical hazards and audit scope

Participants can design targeted site inspections using relevant hazards, controls and evidence sources.

  • Pre-inspection review of risk assessments, incidents and previous findings
  • Inspection checklists structured by work areas, tasks and critical controls
  • Dynamic risk assessment before entering active work areas
  • PPE requirements, access restrictions and site induction arrangements
  • Route planning covers high-risk work, remote areas and shift interfaces
  • Photographic evidence standards protecting confidentiality, dignity and data security

Participants can gather objective evidence through systematic observation and record sampling.

  • Observation techniques separate facts, interpretations and assumptions during inspections
  • Work-as-imagined compared with work-as-done through task observation
  • Sampling methods for permits, training records, inspections and maintenance
  • Triangulation confirms findings through people, documents and physical conditions
  • Field notes record location, time, activity, control and evidence source
  • Evidence chains support conclusions without relying on isolated examples

Participants can conduct respectful interviews that test control understanding and actual practice.

  • Open questions elicit task knowledge, hazards and control decisions
  • Probing questions test consistency between procedures and actual work
  • Interview sequencing moves from routine tasks toward sensitive safety concerns
  • Active listening captures uncertainty, workarounds and escalation barriers
  • Avoiding leading questions, blame language and premature conclusions
  • Interview notes distinguish direct statements from auditor interpretation

Participants can inspect workplace conditions using hazard-based and task-based inspection methods.

  • Housekeeping inspections assess access, storage, waste and emergency egress
  • Machine guarding checks examine fixed guards, interlocks and isolation points
  • Work-at-height inspections review access, edge protection and rescue arrangements
  • Electrical safety checks cover isolation, temporary supplies and equipment condition
  • Manual handling observations identify load characteristics, posture and handling frequency
  • Vehicle-pedestrian segregation assessed through routes, visibility and traffic controls

Participants can verify whether critical controls are present, functional and understood.

  • Critical control management identifies barriers preventing fatal and serious events
  • Performance standards define required condition, function and verification frequency
  • Field verification tests control availability, suitability and user understanding
  • Barrier degradation indicators reveal weakening controls before incident escalation
  • Control owners assigned accountability for maintenance, testing and corrective action
  • Escalation thresholds trigger immediate intervention when critical controls fail

Participants can audit permit-to-work systems and associated high-risk operational controls.

  • Permit-to-work audits trace authorisation, precautions, handover and closure records
  • Isolation verification checks lockout-tagout, zero-energy confirmation and reinstatement controls
  • Confined-space entry reviews atmospheric testing, attendants and rescue readiness
  • Hot-work controls examine fire prevention, monitoring and post-work checks
  • Lifting operations assess plans, competent persons and exclusion zones
  • Simultaneous operations reviewed for conflicting tasks and communication controls

Participants can assess contractor and visitor controls across mobilisation, work and demobilisation.

  • Contractor prequalification evaluates competence, incident history and safety arrangements
  • Mobilisation checks confirm inductions, documentation, supervision and welfare provisions
  • Interface risk assessments address shared areas, schedules and control responsibilities
  • Supervisor monitoring records contractor performance, deviations and interventions
  • Visitor management verifies induction, escorting, access and emergency information
  • Contract closeout captures lessons, unresolved actions and performance evidence

Participants can inspect occupational health, welfare and exposure-control arrangements.

  • Occupational hygiene assessments identify noise, dust, chemicals and biological exposures
  • Exposure controls reviewed using substitution, enclosure, ventilation and protective equipment
  • Safety data sheets checked against storage, labelling and handling arrangements
  • Health surveillance programmes matched to exposure risks and legal requirements
  • Welfare inspections assess sanitation, drinking water, rest areas and first aid
  • Ergonomic assessments examine workstation setup, repetition and display-screen work

Participants can assess emergency arrangements and use incident data to target assurance work.

  • Emergency plans tested for alarms, evacuation, communications and accountability
  • Fire safety inspections review detection, extinguishers, escape routes and drills
  • Spill response checks examine containment equipment, training and notification procedures
  • Incident trends analysed by event type, location, task and causal factors
  • Near-miss reports screened for recurring control failures and weak signals
  • Lessons learned translated into inspection criteria and audit priorities

Participants can write precise findings and assign proportionate risk-based priorities.

  • Finding statements link criterion, evidence, consequence and required action
  • Nonconformities classified as major, minor or observation using defined rules
  • Risk ratings consider credible consequence, exposure and control reliability
  • Immediate danger criteria require stop-work, escalation and documented notification
  • Positive findings recognise effective controls without diluting significant concerns
  • Evidence wording avoids opinion, vague language and unsupported legal conclusions

Participants can investigate control failures and develop corrective actions that address causes.

  • Five Whys analysis identifies causal chains beyond individual error
  • Causal factor charting maps events, conditions, decisions and failed barriers
  • Barrier analysis tests absent, ineffective and bypassed control measures
  • Corrective actions distinguish containment, correction, prevention and system improvement
  • Action plans assign owners, resources, due dates and verification evidence
  • Effectiveness reviews confirm implemented actions reduce the identified risk

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

  • Executive summaries present material risks, findings, trends and decisions required
  • Report structures separate scope, criteria, evidence, findings and recommendations
  • Risk heat maps communicate priorities without replacing detailed evidence
  • Management presentations explain control gaps, consequences and action ownership
  • Closing meetings test factual accuracy and clarify corrective-action expectations
  • Confidential reporting protocols protect sensitive findings and personal information

Participants can manage finding closure and measure whether audit actions improve control performance.

  • Corrective-action registers track status, owners, due dates and evidence
  • Closure verification confirms actions address findings rather than paperwork completion
  • Overdue-action escalation follows defined management-accountability routes
  • Recurring findings analysed for systemic failures and ineffective interventions
  • Assurance dashboards combine audit results, inspection data and action status
  • Management review inputs identify trends, resource needs and improvement priorities

Participants can conduct audits ethically, manage difficult interactions and improve their own audit practice.

  • Auditor behaviours demonstrate impartiality, confidentiality, diligence and professional judgement
  • Conflict-of-interest checks protect independence before accepting audit assignments
  • Difficult conversations handled through evidence, curiosity and respectful challenge
  • Resistance to findings addressed without compromising audit conclusions
  • Calibration sessions improve consistency between auditors assessing identical evidence
  • Post-audit reflection identifies method improvements and development priorities

Participants can build, review and present a complete safety audit and site inspection package for a defined work area.

  • Select audit scope, objectives, criteria and risk-based priorities
  • Build an inspection checklist around hazards, controls and evidence sources
  • Assess case evidence using observations, interviews, records and photographs
  • Write findings with criteria, evidence, risk ratings and classifications
  • Develop corrective actions, verification steps and management escalation routes
  • Present an audit report and defend conclusions during structured review

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

What you take back to work

  1. Risk-based safety audit plan template
  2. Hazard-based site inspection checklist
  3. Audit evidence and findings register
  4. Corrective and preventive action tracker
  5. Critical control verification model
  6. Management safety assurance report

Who should attend

  • Health and Safety Officers — need consistent methods for audits, inspections and follow-up
  • HSE Managers — need credible assurance of control effectiveness and legal compliance
  • Operations Managers — need to identify unsafe conditions before incidents occur
  • Site Supervisors — need structured inspection routines for frontline work areas
  • Internal Auditors — need occupational safety criteria and field evidence skills
  • Facilities and Maintenance Managers — need to assess contractor and workplace safety controls

Skills and tools covered

Safety audit planningSite inspection methodsEvidence-based findingsRisk control evaluationCorrective action managementManagement reporting

Tools and standards

ISO 45001, ISO 19011, HSG65 Plan-Do-Check-Act, Bowtie method

How the course runs

Training methodology

The instructor uses short technical briefings followed by case analysis, group review of records, inspection simulations and audit-interview practice. Participants assess photographs, permits, procedures, incident records and monitoring data to form evidence-based conclusions. Facilitated peer review strengthens finding statements, risk ratings and corrective actions. Individual application planning begins during the first week and develops into an audit package for a selected work area. Cases can be adapted for participants from industrial, construction, logistics, facilities, office or public-service settings.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic workplace health and safety knowledge and some exposure to risk assessments, incident reporting, permits, procedures or routine inspections. They should be able to read workplace documents and discuss operational activities with supervisors and workers. Previous auditing experience is helpful but not required. This is not an entry-level introduction to occupational safety law or hazard identification, and it does not require prior ISO 45001 lead auditor training, a technical engineering qualification or formal responsibility for an existing safety management system.

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

You should understand basic workplace safety concepts and have some exposure to risk assessments, procedures, incident reporting or inspections. Previous internal audit experience and ISO 45001 lead auditor training are not required.

Bring a laptop if possible, plus a non-confidential risk assessment, inspection form or procedure from your workplace if you have one. Course materials and cases are provided, and no confidential operational information is required.

It is intended for HSE staff, operational managers, supervisors, internal auditors, facilities managers and contractor-management personnel. It is most useful for people who must inspect work areas or provide assurance to management.

General safety courses focus on hazards, legal duties and basic prevention. This course concentrates on field inspection, audit planning, evidence gathering, findings, corrective actions and reporting; it is not a lead auditor certification course.

Participants develop an audit and inspection package for a chosen work area, process or site. The templates can be adapted for routine inspections, internal audits, contractor reviews and management assurance reporting.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes audit and inspection methods, while the second week applies these methods to findings, corrective actions, reporting, follow-up and the capstone.

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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