Audits - Effective Risk Management Tools

Integrating Audits into Safety Culture

Developing a safety culture at a production site is impossible without a well-established feedback and control system. During the webinar, speakers Irina Tsvetkova and Roman Verbin analyze in detail a practical case of using audits as a key risk management tool. The approach is based on the WISE (Work and Safety Environment) concept, where conscious management leadership is at the center, and contractors are highlighted as a separate, critical element of the system.

Multi-level Inspection Architecture

To ensure comprehensive control, a three-level audit system has been implemented at the enterprise. Each format solves specific tasks and involves different categories of employees:

• Behavioral audits. Aimed at dialogue with the employee and assessing their actions in the workplace. They are divided into spontaneous observations, targeted inspections according to the risk register (assessing the correctness of developed standards), and thematic audits (contractor control, compliance with LOTO procedures, checking milk tanker drivers).
• Technical audits. Focused on the condition of equipment, tools, personal protective equipment, and safety systems (e.g., limit switches). This allows identifying potential sources of micro-injuries and technical failures.
• Comprehensive WISE audits. Assessment of the entire safety management system against basic culture standards, conducted by internal company experts to determine vectors for further development.

Digitalization and Data Analytics

The speakers show by example how abandoning paper media increases the efficiency of risk management. All inspection results are recorded in a specialized IT system, which allows promptly assigning corrective actions and tracking their completion deadlines. Integration with analytical tools (Power BI) makes it possible to generate transparent reporting for steering committees. The use of the SIM meeting format with color-coded KPIs (green, yellow, red) helps management focus only on problem areas requiring immediate intervention.

Lessons from Real Incidents: The Cost of Reduced Control

The special value of the presentation lies in the open analysis of negative experience. The presentation details a period when, due to external constraints and resource reallocation, the coverage of production processes by behavioral audits decreased. The weakening of proactive control (in particular, over hazardous work by contractors) led to the injury of a contractor's employee while moving equipment. This case clearly demonstrates the direct relationship between the fulfillment of the leading indicators plan (audits) and the level of occupational injuries.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to allocate resources if an enterprise has 94 internal auditors for 322 employees?
• By what criteria are topics selected for focused behavioral observations?
• How to integrate contractors into the corporate risk assessment system?
• How does the digitalization of checklists help identify systemic violations of LOTO rules?
• How to properly prepare a new auditor and avoid a formal approach to inspections?