COSS Safety Audits and Inspections 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of safety audit evaluates whether safety management systems conform to established standards such as ISO 45001?
- Compliance audit
- System audit (Correct answer)
- Process audit
- Product audit
Correct answer: System audit
A system audit assesses whether the safety management system is properly designed and implemented in accordance with a standard or specification.
Question 2: During a safety inspection, an inspector finds a fire extinguisher that was last serviced 18 months ago. What is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Tag the extinguisher out-of-service and arrange servicing (Correct answer)
- Note it as a low-priority finding and include in the next annual report
- Replace the extinguisher immediately without documentation
- Continue the inspection and address it in the corrective action plan
Correct answer: Tag the extinguisher out-of-service and arrange servicing
Fire extinguishers must be removed from service when overdue for maintenance; tagging out-of-service ensures workers do not rely on potentially non-functional equipment.
Question 3: What does 'audit scope' primarily define in the context of safety auditing?
- The qualifications required for the lead auditor
- The boundaries and extent of the audit including locations, activities, and time period (Correct answer)
- The corrective action timeline after audit findings
- The frequency at which audits must be conducted
Correct answer: The boundaries and extent of the audit including locations, activities, and time period
Audit scope defines what is included in the audit — which sites, processes, time periods, and organizational units will be examined.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes a 'finding' in a safety audit report?
- Any observation made during a facility walkthrough
- A statement of fact verified by objective evidence that indicates conformance or nonconformance (Correct answer)
- A recommendation for improving safety culture
- An estimate of potential financial losses from hazards
Correct answer: A statement of fact verified by objective evidence that indicates conformance or nonconformance
An audit finding is an evidence-based conclusion about whether requirements are being met or not, distinguishing it from general observations or opinions.
Question 5: A safety audit team uses a stratified random sampling approach when selecting records to review. What is the primary advantage of this method?
- It allows auditors to focus solely on high-risk areas
- It ensures proportional representation across different departments or risk categories (Correct answer)
- It reduces the total number of records that need to be examined
- It eliminates auditor bias by selecting records alphabetically
Correct answer: It ensures proportional representation across different departments or risk categories
Stratified random sampling divides the population into subgroups and samples from each, ensuring all categories are represented proportionally rather than overrepresenting dominant groups.
Question 6: What is the purpose of an audit 'opening meeting' with facility management?
- To announce audit findings and corrective actions
- To confirm audit objectives, scope, methods, and schedule with auditees (Correct answer)
- To brief government regulators on inspection priorities
- To collect employee safety complaints before the walkthrough
Correct answer: To confirm audit objectives, scope, methods, and schedule with auditees
The opening meeting establishes mutual understanding of why the audit is occurring, what will be examined, and how the process will proceed, setting a cooperative tone.
Question 7: Under OSHA's General Industry standards, how often must employers conduct formal inspections of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) used in emergency response?
- Daily before each use and monthly (Correct answer)
- Weekly only
- Annually during the scheduled audit cycle
- Only after each actual emergency use
Correct answer: Daily before each use and monthly
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 requires SCBA to be inspected before each use and at least monthly to ensure operability and safety.
COSS Safety Audits and Inspections 2
Which type of safety audit evaluates whether safety management systems conform to established standards such as ISO 45001?