Safety audits and EHS audits
A safety audit is a systematic, private review of your workplace against applicable OSHA standards and your own written programs — finding hazards while they are still fixable instead of citable. Meridian EHS Partners delivers scored findings ranked by risk, each with a regulatory citation and a costed fix.
What is included in a safety audit?
Three layers, matched to what you need. A mock OSHA inspection (1–2 days) walks your site exactly the way a compliance officer would — opening conference to closing conference — and is the fastest reality check available. A program audit reviews your written programs, training records, and logs against the standards behind them; this is where paper compliance and floor reality get reconciled. A full EHS audit (2–5 days) adds environmental scope: permits, waste handling, stormwater, chemical reporting.
What does a safety audit report look like?
Not 200 pages of boilerplate. Every finding gets: the specific regulatory citation, a photo, a risk rank (A — stop-work exposure, through D — administrative), a recommended fix, and a realistic cost band. The report opens with a one-page scorecard your leadership will actually read, and closes with a 12-month corrective action plan with suggested owners. Findings are reviewed live in a closeout meeting, not emailed and abandoned.
How often should safety audits be done?
Annually for a full audit, supplemented by quarterly internal inspections your team runs (we build the checklists and train the inspectors). High-hazard operations, sites with recent incidents, and companies facing customer safety prequalification (ISNetworld, Avetta, Veriforce) usually run semi-annual cycles until scores stabilize.
Related services and proof
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a safety audit and the free gap assessment?
The gap assessment is a 45-minute, 20-point screen that tells you where the problems probably are. The audit is the multi-day, standard-by-standard examination that documents exactly what they are, with citations and costed fixes. Most clients do the assessment first.
Can audit findings be used against us?
Audit reports are your private property; we never share them with agencies. OSHA can request documents during an inspection, so we structure reports around corrective action — and can run sensitive audits under attorney-client privilege through your counsel. An honest audit with documented follow-up is a strong good-faith showing, not a liability.
Do you audit against customer prequalification requirements?
Yes — we regularly audit and remediate for ISNetworld, Avetta, and Veriforce scoring, and for OEM supplier EHS requirements. Passing customer audits is often the fastest revenue argument for fixing safety.
What is an EHS audit versus a safety audit?
A safety audit covers OSHA scope. An EHS audit adds the environmental layer: air permit terms, stormwater (SWPPP), hazardous waste generator compliance, SPCC, and EPCRA reporting. If you have a manufacturing floor and a floor drain, you probably want the EHS version at least once.