Being a health and safety management systems auditor, I like to think of myself and my colleagues as hardworking, ethical professionals, who are passionate about helping organizations achieve their goals, while ensuring they follow guidelines as set forth by the Partnerships in Injury Reduction program and those of Alberta’s Certifying Partners. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Due to the economic uncertainty in Western Canada and beyond, and the fact that safety is the “flavour of the day”, I and my clients are seeing a marked increase in unsavory business practices and behaviours from external and internal health and safety auditors. All Certifying Partners require auditors, once accredited, to sign a Code of Ethics standard which outlines duties and responsibilities. Auditor training courses, for most Certifying Partners, last from 3-5 days and include in-depth reviews of policies and procedures. Therefore, unscrupulous individuals cannot hide behind the “I didn’t know” excuse.
Common codes of conduct infractions include: not conducting enough interviews to meet prescribed standards, not asking all pertinent questions to interviewees (employee interviews require at least 30 minutes to complete), not conducting enough worksite observation tours, not conducting thorough worksite observation tours to prove out documentation and interview findings, and boiler plating of audits.
All of these unprincipled behaviors are used to circumvent the process and to steal work from legitimate auditors. Currently, many companies are in dire financial situations and are scrambling just to keep solvent. In order to reduce cost, these employers are using the cheapest options available to them to attain and maintain their Certificate of Recognition designations. In some instances, organizations are fully aware these auditors are not fulfilling their obligations, but the temptation to reduce expenses is so great they often turn a blind eye.
It is up to the government in charge of your jurisdiction, your Certifying Partner, external auditors, and you, as representatives of your company, to make sure you choose a properly accredited and ethical auditor to conduct your Certificate of Recognition audits. The consequences of not meeting proper standards can be quite severe and range from loss of COR status, regulatory penalties, and in some extreme cases, can lead to serious accidents and even fatalities.
It is my sincerest wish that auditors who participate in underhanded practices be disciplined to the fullest extent possible. These individuals are tarnishing the image of the majority of law-abiding and hardworking health and safety auditors. I encourage fellow auditors, business managers and owners to report any and all deviant behaviour to their Certifying Partner.