OSH Audit Checklist for Kenyan Workplaces
OSH Audit Checklist for Kenyan Workplaces
Occupational safety and health audits help organizations evaluate workplace conditions, identify gaps and develop practical corrective actions.
An effective OSH audit does more than check whether policies and records are available. It examines whether safety and health arrangements are working in practice and whether employees, supervisors and management understand their responsibilities.
Under Section 11 of Kenya’s Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007, the occupier of a workplace is required to arrange a thorough safety and health audit at least once every twelve months. The audit is conducted by a safety and health adviser, who prepares a report for the occupier and submits a copy to the Director.
The Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services also explains that OSH audits are conducted by approved Safety and Health Advisers and that reports are prepared in accordance with the applicable code of practice.
This OSH audit checklist for Kenyan workplaces provides practical guidance for employers, occupiers, facility managers, HR teams and safety professionals preparing for an audit.
What Is an OSH Audit?
An occupational safety and health audit is a structured assessment of how an organization manages workplace safety and health.
The auditor reviews documents, observes workplace activities, inspects facilities and consults employees and management. The purpose is to identify positive practices, determine areas requiring improvement and recommend appropriate corrective action.
An OSH audit is different from a routine workplace inspection.
A workplace inspection may focus on immediate physical conditions, such as blocked exits, damaged equipment or poor housekeeping. An OSH audit takes a broader view by examining the organization’s entire safety and health management system.
This includes:
Safety policies and responsibilities
Hazard identification and risk assessment
Employee participation
Training and supervision
Emergency preparedness
Machinery and electrical safety
Occupational health arrangements
Incident reporting and investigation
Corrective-action management
Compliance with applicable requirements
The audit should help the organization understand not only what is wrong, but also why the problem exists and how it can be corrected.
Why Kenyan Workplaces Should Prepare Proactively
Preparing for an OSH audit should not involve creating documents at the last minute or temporarily correcting visible conditions.
Proper preparation allows an organization to evaluate its workplace honestly and resolve issues before they lead to injury, ill health, operational disruption or regulatory action.
Proactive preparation can help an organization:
Identify hazards before they cause harm
Confirm whether current controls remain effective
Strengthen workplace documentation
Clarify safety responsibilities
Close outstanding corrective actions
Improve employee participation
Protect equipment and business operations
Build a stronger workplace safety culture
Preparation should reflect actual workplace conditions. Records, policies and procedures must correspond with what employees do every day.
1. Confirm Workplace Details and Responsibilities
Begin by confirming that essential workplace information is current and readily available.
Check the following:
Workplace name and physical location
Nature of activities conducted
Number of employees and work shifts
Workplace registration information
Management and supervisory structure
Person responsible for occupational safety and health
Safety and health committee details, where applicable
Approved advisers, examiners or service providers used by the organization
Emergency contacts
Contractor and visitor arrangements
Responsibilities should be clearly assigned. Employees need to know who reports hazards, who investigates incidents and who follows up corrective actions.
2. Review the Safety and Health Policy
Review the organization’s occupational safety and health policy to determine whether it is current and relevant to workplace activities.
Confirm that the policy:
Reflects the organization’s actual operations
Communicates management’s commitment to safety and health
Defines responsibilities at different levels
Has been communicated to employees
Is displayed or otherwise accessible
Is reviewed following significant organizational or operational changes
Is supported by practical procedures and resources
A policy is useful only when its commitments are reflected in workplace decisions, supervision and everyday behaviour.
3. Examine Previous Audit and Inspection Reports
Locate previous OSH audit reports, workplace inspection records and related assessment reports.
Check whether:
Previous findings were communicated to responsible persons
Recommendations were entered into a corrective-action register
Responsibilities and completion dates were assigned
Corrective actions were completed
Evidence of completion is available
Outstanding actions have been escalated
Completed actions were reviewed to confirm effectiveness
Repeated findings can indicate that corrective actions are not being properly managed or that the root causes have not been addressed.
4. Review Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments
Risk assessments should reflect current workplace activities, equipment, materials and processes.
Review risk assessments relating to:
Machinery and equipment
Electrical installations
Manual handling
Working at height
Slips, trips and falls
Fire and emergency risks
Hazardous substances
Noise, dust, fumes and other workplace contaminants
Ergonomic risks
Vehicle and pedestrian movement
Contractor activities
Office-based work
Psychosocial and organizational risks, where relevant
Risk assessments should be reviewed when new equipment is installed, processes change, workplace layouts are modified, incidents occur or employees report new concerns.
DOSHS notes that workplace risk assessments may be conducted at the inception of a workplace and following major changes that may alter workplace risk levels.
5. Inspect Workplace Conditions
The physical inspection helps determine whether workplace conditions support the organization’s documented procedures.
Areas to examine include:
Housekeeping and access
Floors and walkways are clear
Materials are stored safely
Gangways and emergency routes remain unobstructed
Spillages are controlled promptly
Waste is collected and disposed of appropriately
Work areas have adequate space
Machinery and equipment
Guards and safety devices are available and functional
Operators are trained and authorized
Maintenance records are available
Emergency-stop controls are accessible
Machines are isolated before maintenance, cleaning or adjustment
Defective equipment is removed from use or clearly identified
Electrical safety
Electrical panels are closed, accessible and properly secured
Cables, plugs and sockets are in good condition
Temporary connections are controlled
Electrical installations are inspected and maintained
Access to electrical installations is restricted to authorized persons
Equipment is protected from unsuitable environmental conditions
Workplace welfare
Drinking water is available
Sanitary facilities are adequate and maintained
Washing facilities are provided where required
Ventilation and lighting are suitable
Employees have appropriate changing or storage facilities where necessary
Workstations are arranged to reduce ergonomic strain
6. Check Fire and Emergency Preparedness
Review whether the organization is prepared to prevent and respond to foreseeable emergencies.
Check:
Emergency procedures are documented and communicated
Emergency exits are clearly identified
Escape routes remain clear
Firefighting equipment is available and accessible
Fire equipment has been inspected and serviced
Alarm and detection systems are functional where provided
Emergency roles have been assigned
Fire marshals and first aiders are trained
Emergency drills are conducted and recorded
Assembly points are identified
Employees know how to report an emergency
Emergency contact information is displayed
Emergency equipment should never be blocked by stored materials, furniture or parked vehicles.
7. Review First Aid Arrangements
First aid arrangements should match the number of employees, workplace activities and hazards present.
Review:
First aid boxes and their locations
Contents, quantities and expiry dates
Appointment and training of first aiders
Display of first aider names and contacts
Procedures for obtaining medical assistance
Records of treatment provided
Arrangements for transporting injured employees
Findings from applicable first aid assessments or audits
First aid materials should be inspected regularly and replenished after use.
8. Examine Training, Communication and Employee Participation
Employees should understand the hazards associated with their work and the controls they are expected to follow.
Review records relating to:
Workplace induction
Job-specific safety training
Machinery-operation training
Emergency preparedness
Use and care of personal protective equipment
Toolbox talks
Contractor induction
Refresher training
Safety and health committee activities
Employee consultation
During the audit, employees may be asked whether they understand emergency procedures, reporting arrangements and safe working practices.
Their responses should be consistent with the organization’s documented procedures.
9. Review Incident Reporting and Investigation
Check whether workplace injuries, occupational illnesses, dangerous occurrences and near misses are appropriately recorded and investigated.
Review:
Incident and accident records
Near-miss reports
Investigation reports
Witness statements where applicable
Root-cause findings
Corrective actions
Evidence of communication and learning
Statutory notifications where required
General register entries
Investigations should focus on underlying causes rather than assigning blame. The objective is to prevent recurrence.
10. Check Personal Protective Equipment
Where hazards cannot be adequately controlled through elimination, substitution, engineering or administrative measures, suitable personal protective equipment may be required.
Confirm that:
PPE requirements are based on identified hazards
Appropriate PPE is issued
Employees receive instruction on its use
PPE is worn correctly
Replacement arrangements are available
PPE is cleaned, inspected and stored appropriately
Damaged or expired equipment is replaced
Supervisors monitor proper use
Providing PPE does not remove the need to control hazards at their source whenever reasonably practicable.
11. Review Contractor and Visitor Safety
Contractors can introduce additional hazards, especially during construction, installation, maintenance and repair activities.
Review:
Contractor selection and competency checks
Induction records
Risk assessments and method statements
Permit-to-work arrangements
Supervision and coordination
Emergency communication
PPE requirements
Incident-reporting procedures
Control of restricted areas
Completion and handover procedures
Visitors should also receive relevant safety information and remain under appropriate supervision.
Managing Audit Findings and Corrective Actions
The audit report is the beginning of the improvement process—not the end.
After receiving the report, management should:
Review and understand every finding.
Prioritize actions according to the level of risk.
Assign a responsible person to each action.
Set realistic completion dates.
Provide the necessary resources.
Record evidence of completed actions.
Verify whether the controls are effective.
Report progress to management and the safety and health committee.
Escalate overdue or high-risk actions.
Where an activity presents imminent and serious danger, the organization should take immediate steps to protect employees and other persons who may be exposed.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Organizations preparing for an OSH audit should avoid:
Treating the audit as a paperwork exercise
Creating documents that do not reflect actual operations
Hiding incidents or unsafe conditions
Leaving previous recommendations unresolved
Ignoring employee concerns
Using outdated risk assessments
Focusing only on visible physical hazards
Failing to assign responsibility for corrective actions
Assuming that providing PPE controls every hazard
Waiting until the audit date to begin preparing
An honest audit provides more value than an artificially perfect presentation of the workplace.
How Safetec Solutions Limited Can Support Your Organization
Safetec Solutions Limited supports organizations seeking to strengthen occupational safety and health arrangements through practical workplace assessments, audits and professional guidance.
Our approach focuses on understanding actual workplace conditions, identifying significant gaps and helping organizations establish realistic corrective actions.
Professional support can help your organization:
Prepare for an occupational safety and health audit
Identify workplace hazards
Review existing safety controls
Strengthen documentation and responsibilities
Prioritize corrective actions
Improve employee participation
Support continual safety and health improvement
To discuss your workplace requirements, visit www.safetec.co.ke.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should an OSH audit be conducted in Kenya?
Section 11 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 requires the occupier of a workplace to arrange a thorough safety and health audit at least once every twelve months.
Who should conduct an OSH audit?
The audit should be conducted by a safety and health adviser. DOSHS identifies OSH auditors as approved Safety and Health Advisers.
Is an OSH audit the same as a workplace inspection?
No. An inspection commonly focuses on specific workplace conditions, while an OSH audit evaluates the broader safety and health management system, including documentation, responsibilities, practices and corrective-action processes.
What documents are normally reviewed?
Documents may include the safety and health policy, risk assessments, training records, incident reports, inspection records, emergency procedures, maintenance records, committee records and previous audit reports. The exact documents depend on the workplace and its activities.
What happens after the audit?
Management should review the findings, prioritize corrective actions, assign responsibility, provide resources and monitor completion. High-risk findings require prompt attention.
Can an organization prepare for an audit internally?
Yes. Internal preparation helps identify obvious gaps and organize records. However, the statutory audit must be conducted in accordance with the applicable legal requirements by the appropriate safety and health adviser.
Take the Next Step
Do not wait for an incident before reviewing workplace risks.
A properly conducted OSH audit can help your organization understand its current safety position, strengthen controls and develop a practical improvement plan.
Contact Safetec Solutions Limited for professional OSH audit and workplace safety support.
Visit www.safetec.co.ke.