OHS Compliance Audit and Safety Program Gap Assessment
OHS compliance audit and safety program gap assessment services help employers understand whether their written program, records and day-to-day practices meet current operational and regulatory expectations. Calgary Safety Consultants reviews the system you already have, identifies practical gaps and provides a prioritized path forward.
This is a consulting assessment, not an enforcement inspection. The purpose is to give owners, managers and safety leaders a clear picture of what is working, what needs attention and which improvements should be completed first.
Support is available for employers across Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. The scope can cover the full health and safety program or focus on a specific concern, client requirement, COR or SECOR readiness issue, OHS order response or operational change.
When to Request an OHS Compliance Audit
Request an OHS compliance audit when a program no longer clearly matches the work, when a significant change has occurred or when an employer needs an independent view before a formal review.
- Before COR or SECOR certification, maintenance or recertification activity.
- After growth, restructuring, acquisition or expansion into another province.
- When new equipment, processes, substances or locations change the risk profile.
- Following an OHS order, serious incident, client finding or repeat deficiency.
- When policies, forms and training records have developed inconsistently.
- Before responding to a major client or contractor-prequalification requirement.
The resulting work plan separates urgent compliance items from longer-term program improvements so the employer can act in a realistic order.
What Is an OHS Compliance Audit and Safety Program Gap Assessment?
An OHS compliance audit is a structured review of policies, responsibilities, hazard controls, training evidence, inspections, incident processes and other records against the requirements and risks that apply to the employer. A safety program gap assessment turns those findings into a practical improvement plan.
The review considers both documentation and implementation. A policy may be well written but unsupported by current forms or training records. A procedure may exist but no longer match the equipment, work locations or supervisory structure. The assessment connects those differences so corrective work is focused and defensible.
- Do current policies match actual operations?
- Can the employer demonstrate implementation with useful records?
- Are responsibilities and corrective-action ownership clear?
- Have changes, incidents and recurring findings been incorporated?
Why an OHS Compliance Audit Matters
A compliance audit and a gap assessment answer related but different questions. The audit examines evidence against defined criteria. The gap assessment explains what is missing, outdated, inconsistent or insufficient for the employer’s present operations.
Policy development remains available as a follow-up service. New or revised documents are recommended only where the assessment identifies a real need, keeping the project focused on useful improvements rather than paperwork for its own sake.
What the Audit and Gap Assessment Reviews
The scope is agreed before the work begins. It can be broad enough to assess a complete safety management system or narrow enough to examine a specific program element, location or client concern.
Calgary Safety Consultants reviews applicable obligations, the employer’s written system and available implementation evidence. Interviews or discussions with responsible personnel may be included where they help explain how the program operates.
- Leadership responsibilities, worker participation and program accountability.
- Hazard assessment, control selection and task-specific procedures.
- Training, orientation, competency and record-keeping practices.
- Workplace inspections, preventive maintenance and corrective-action follow-up.
- Incident reporting, investigation and lessons-learned processes.
- Emergency planning, first aid and communication arrangements.
- Contractor management, client requirements and multi-location consistency.
- COR or SECOR readiness, where included in the agreed scope.
- A prioritized gap report with responsibilities, recommended actions and suggested timeframes.
Calgary Safety Consultants helps employers assess, update and improve health and safety programs through defined-scope consulting projects. Contact us to discuss an OHS compliance audit and safety program gap assessment for your organization.
Related Safety Services and Training
An assessment often identifies a focused next step. Explore customized safety manuals, safe work procedures and JHAs, inspection and compliance training, or all workplace safety consulting services.
Start with a defined question. A useful review may examine the full program, COR or SECOR readiness, an OHS order, a client requirement, a new location or a specific operational risk.
Independent review supports better decisions. Findings are prioritized by practical significance so owners and managers can address urgent issues first and plan program improvements responsibly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an OHS compliance audit?
An OHS compliance audit is a structured review of an employer’s health and safety program, records and implementation evidence against defined legal, certification, client or internal criteria. It identifies what is working, what is incomplete and where documents or practices no longer match the organization’s actual operations.
What is included in a safety program gap assessment?
The scope may include leadership responsibilities, hazard assessment, training records, inspections, incident processes, emergency planning, contractor management, procedures, corrective actions and other program elements relevant to the employer. The final deliverable identifies gaps, priorities and practical next steps.
Is this the same as a COR or SECOR audit?
No. Calgary Safety Consultants can assess readiness and identify gaps before COR or SECOR activity, but a consulting review is not automatically a certifying audit. The proposal will clearly distinguish the consulting scope from any external certification or regulator process.
Can you assess only one part of our safety program?
Yes. The project can focus on one location, a selected policy area, a client requirement, an OHS order response or another defined concern. A focused assessment is often appropriate when the employer already understands the broader program and needs independent review of a specific risk.
Will we receive a written report?
Yes. Deliverables are confirmed in the proposal and normally include a written summary of findings, prioritized actions and recommendations. The report is designed to help the employer assign responsibility, set realistic dates and confirm which items require immediate attention.
Can you update policies and procedures after the assessment?
Yes. Policy, procedure, form and safety-manual updates can be included in the initial scope or proposed as a follow-up project. Recommendations are tied to identified gaps so documents remain relevant to the employer’s work, hazards, responsibilities and available controls.
How often should an employer review its safety program?
The program should be reviewed on a planned schedule and whenever important changes occur, including new equipment, work locations, processes, legislation, clients or organizational responsibilities. Incidents, audit findings and recurring inspection deficiencies are also strong triggers for an earlier review.
Book a Safety Program Gap Assessment
Tell us what has changed, which requirements are driving the review and whether you need a full OHS compliance audit or a focused safety program gap assessment. We will confirm a practical scope, expected evidence, deliverables and next steps.