An independent set of eyes on your site
A structured inspection of your site against the legislation that actually applies to it, with a photographic report inside 48 hours and an action list your foreman can work from on Monday morning.
A site safety audit is an independent check on whether what is written in your safety statement is what is happening on the ground. Most companies we visit are not negligent. They have the paperwork. What they do not have is anyone whose job it is to walk the site with fresh eyes and say plainly what has drifted since the last time somebody looked.
We audit against the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and, on construction projects, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013. The report is written in plain English, ranked by risk, and short enough that people actually read it.
When companies call us in
Before a client or HSA visit
A main contractor has given you notice of an audit, or you would rather find the problems yourself than have an inspector find them. We go in first and tell you what they will see.
After something went wrong
A near miss, an accident, or a finding you did not expect. We look at the whole site rather than just the thing that happened, because the same gap is usually somewhere else too.
On a regular cycle
Monthly or quarterly inspections across live projects, so nothing runs for a full programme without a fresh set of eyes on it. This is the arrangement most of our retained clients settle into.
When you have taken on something new
A different type of work, a new site, a first project with PSCS duties, or a workforce that has grown faster than the systems around it.
What the audit covers
- Before the visit. We read your safety statement, risk assessments and any method statements for the work in progress, so the visit is spent checking reality rather than reading paperwork on site.
- Access, egress and the site set-up. Perimeter and public interface, traffic management, pedestrian routes, deliveries, storage, housekeeping and welfare facilities.
- Work at height. Scaffolding and handover records, edge protection, ladders and podiums, MEWPs, fragile surfaces and anything being lifted over people.
- Excavations, plant and lifting. Support and inspection records, exclusion zones, banksman arrangements, plant condition, statutory inspection certificates and lifting plans.
- People and competence. Safe Pass and CSCS cards, induction records, toolbox talks, PPE in actual use rather than in the store, and whether supervision is where the risk is.
- Documentation. Safety statement currency, risk assessments matched to live activities, RAMS, and the safety file if the project is one that needs one.
- Report and debrief. A verbal debrief with your site manager before we leave, then a photographic report within 48 hours with each finding risk-ranked and given a realistic close-out date.
- Close-out. Optional follow-up visit to verify the actions were done, which is the part that turns a report into an improvement.
What an audit is not: it is not a certificate, and it is not a substitute for your own statutory duties. Under section 20 of the 2005 Act the written safety statement is the employer’s responsibility, and under Regulation 6 of the Construction Regulations it is the client who appoints the PSDP and PSCS. We can prepare all of it and support the duty holders, but the duties stay with the people the law puts them on.
Common questions
How much does a site safety audit cost?
It depends on the size of the site and how many activities are live, so we quote a fixed price before we go. You will never get an hourly rate that runs away from you or an invoice you have not already agreed.
How long does the visit take?
A typical site takes half a day on site. Larger or multi-phase projects take longer, and we will say so when we quote rather than rushing it.
How quickly do we get the report?
Within 48 hours of the visit, with photographs. Your site manager also gets a verbal debrief before we leave, so the urgent items can be dealt with the same day rather than waiting on a document.
Do you audit anywhere in Ireland?
Yes. Same-week visits are usually available in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Kildare, Laois, Dublin and the midlands, and we travel nationwide for scheduled work.
Will you report us to the HSA?
No. We are your consultants, not an enforcement body. If we see something genuinely dangerous we will tell you immediately and expect it stopped, but the findings are yours.
Is an audit the same as ISO 45001 certification?
No. An audit is an independent inspection and a report. ISO 45001 is a certified management system, assessed by an accredited certification body. Many clients start with audits and move on to certification when a tender makes it necessary.
Also from Shamrock Safety: ISO 45001 · Safe-T-Cert · ISO 9001
Talk to us about it
Tell us the size of your company and what your clients are asking for, and we will come back within one working day with a fixed price and a realistic timeline.
Prefer to talk? Call 086 102 1944, or email info@shamrockehs.com.
Thanks — enquiry received
We will be in touch by email within one working day.