External Audits & Auditors
An auditor is a health and safety professional qualified to assess a company's health and safety program. They are trained to conduct qualifying certification audits.
When arranging for an audit, an employer should ask about the auditor’s qualifications and experience, and establish a cost estimate for the entire process including the written report and recommendations. An employer may request references from the auditor and check with previous clients regarding cost and outcome. Some considerations should include:
- Ensure they have a health and safety management system in place.
- Select an auditor with appropriate experience and qualifications for their industry and operations.
- Arrange with the auditor for the audit to be completed.
Click here to review the list of certified BASE external auditors
Quoted audit costs will vary according to company size and the complexity of the operations. Auditors will typically quote a daily rate based on:
- The number of employees to be interviewed
- The number of documents to be reviewed
- The scope of operations to be included in the overall audit process.
A company should obtain multiple quotes and carefully compare the overall value in addition to costs. Soft staff costs will be associated with hosting the auditor throughout the process and providing the appropriate people for interviews. When an employer contracts a consultant to assist in developing and implementing their company health and safety system, that consultant cannot conduct the audit.
Note: Where an employer has operations covered by more than one WorkSafeBC account number or classification unit, it is important to clearly identify which operations are included in the audit and which WorkSafeBC account number and classification unit(s) will be linked to the certification. Joint audits of more than one WorkSafeBC account require WorkSafeBC approval.
COR Eligible Auditors
Companies may train an internal auditor or hire a certified BCFSC external auditor.
An internal auditor is a permanent employee or owner of the company that completes training and submits audits.
For COR eligible audits, the auditor must:
- Complete the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) auditor training appropriate for the size of company they will audit
- Submit their first successful audit within three years of the training date
- Take refresher training every three years
- Submit at least two audits every three years.
If an auditor does not meet ALL of the above requirements on time, they are no longer eligible to conduct COR audits. In order to regain eligibility, the auditor must retrain.