Planning

Planning is essential to the success of the auditing process. During planning, auditors should select a sufficient number of processes to give a high degree of confidence that the audit reflects a high degree of compliance with the Cal/OSHA process safety management standard. Each employer must establish a format for the audit during the planning phase that includes the following information:

• The staffing, scheduling, and verification methods that will be used for the audit
• A procedure or checklist that details the requirements of each section of the standard
• The names of the audit team members

The checklist, if properly designed, could serve as the verification sheet that provides the auditor with the necessary information to expedite the review of the program, and ensure that all requirements of the Cal/OSHA process safety management standard are met. This verification sheet format could also identify those elements that will require an evaluation or a response to correct deficiencies. Additionally, this sheet could be used for developing the follow-up and documentation requirements.

To learn more about Process Safety Management visit our Cal/OSHA Process Safety Management Online Training web page.