Checking that your system actually works — and proving it
A health and safety audit is a structured check that your system is in place and working. The HSWA doesn't mandate audits by name, but you must review your controls and be able to show your system is effective — and audits are how you do that. They're also central to prequalification like SiteWise and Totika.
An audit is a structured, evidence-based check of whether your health and safety system actually exists, is being used, and is working.
Where a hazard inspection looks at the physical workplace at a point in time, an audit looks at the system behind it: are your policies, registers, procedures and records real, current and followed? A good audit compares what your paperwork says with what is happening on the floor — because a system that looks perfect on paper but is ignored in practice is the most dangerous kind.
Three things that sound similar do different jobs.
| Activity | What it checks | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace inspection | The physical workplace and conditions at a point in time. | You (regularly), often with workers or your HSR. |
| Health & safety audit | Whether your whole system is in place, used and effective. | You (self-assessment) or an independent auditor. |
| WorkSafe inspection | Whether you are complying with the law. | A WorkSafe inspector. |
See our guide to WorkSafe inspections and notices for the regulator's side of this.
Self-assessment keeps you honest day to day; an independent audit gives an objective view and outside credibility.
Self-assessment is something you do regularly and at low cost: you work through a checklist and judge your own system. An external or independent audit brings a fresh, objective set of eyes, catches the blind spots you have stopped noticing, and carries weight with clients and assessors — which is why prequalification schemes rely on it. Most businesses benefit from doing both: frequent self-assessment, with periodic independent audits.
A thorough audit works across your whole system, not just the documents.
An audit only adds value when its findings turn into fixes.
Record each gap as a corrective action with an owner and a due date, then close it out and check it stuck. This is the “check and act” half of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle — the loop that turns a static system into one that keeps improving. Over time, your audit history becomes powerful evidence that you take health and safety seriously and act on what you find.
Self-assess, track corrective actions, and stay audit-ready. Book a demo and we'll show you how it works — free 30-day trial included.
The HSWA does not require audits by name, but it does require you to review your controls and be able to show your system is effective. Auditing and self-assessment are the standard way to meet that, and some prequalification schemes and contracts require them.
An inspection looks at the physical workplace and conditions at a point in time. An audit looks at your whole system — whether your policies, records and procedures are in place, used and effective. A WorkSafe inspection is different again: it checks whether you are complying with the law.
Do lighter self-assessments regularly and a more thorough audit periodically — for example annually, and after significant change. The right frequency depends on your size and risk; higher-risk work warrants more frequent checking.
Not always, but an independent audit gives an objective view and carries more weight with clients and assessors. Many businesses combine regular internal self-assessment with periodic external audits, especially when prequalification requires it.
Prequalification schemes such as SiteWise, PreQual and Totika assess your health and safety system, often through an audit or assessment of your documents and evidence. Keeping your system audit-ready is exactly what helps you achieve a strong prequalification result.
