What WHS Auditors Actually Look For

Work Health and Safety (WHS) audits can feel intimidating. Whether you’re preparing for a regulator visit, a client prequalification, or certification against ISO 45001, many businesses aren’t entirely sure what auditors are really assessing.

The good news? WHS auditors aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for evidence of a functioning safety management system that is practical, understood, and consistently applied.

Here’s what WHS auditors actually focus on.

Legal Compliance with WHS Legislation

First and foremost, auditors assess compliance with the relevant state or territory WHS legislation, such as:

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011
• SafeWork NSW requirements
• WorkSafe Victoria guidance

They want to see that your organisation understands its primary duty of care, officer due diligence obligations, and worker responsibilities.

Typical evidence requested:

• WHS policy signed by senior management
• Documented responsibilities
• Legislative compliance register
• Evidence of periodic legal reviews

Risk Management Processes

WHS law is risk-based. Auditors expect to see a structured process for:

• Hazard identification
• Risk assessment
• Implementation of controls
• Review of control effectiveness

They’ll check whether your process aligns with the hierarchy of control (elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE).

Common areas reviewed:

• High-risk construction work
• Plant and equipment
• Manual handling
• Hazardous chemicals
• Psychosocial hazards (increasingly important)

They’re not just checking paperwork — they’ll verify that controls exist in practice.

Consultation and Worker Participation

Under WHS laws, consultation is mandatory. Auditors will examine:

• Health and Safety Representative (HSR) arrangements
• Safety committee meeting minutes
• Toolbox talks
• Worker feedback mechanisms

They may interview workers directly. If employees can’t explain safety procedures or feel disconnected from the system, that’s a red flag.

Training and Competency

Auditors look for proof that workers are competent to perform their tasks safely.

Evidence may include:

• Induction records
• High-risk work licences
• Verification of Competency (VOC) records
• Supervisor training
• Contractor onboarding systems

They’ll also check whether refresher training is scheduled and tracked.

Incident Reporting and Investigation

A strong WHS system treats incidents as learning opportunities.

Auditors review:

• Incident reports
• Investigation findings
• Root cause analysis
• Corrective actions
• Evidence that actions were closed out

They may ask:

“Show me an incident from the last 12 months and what changed because of it.”

Documentation vs. Reality

One of the biggest misconceptions is that WHS audits are purely document checks.

They aren’t.

Auditors conduct:

• Site inspections
• Worker interviews
• Observation of work practices

If your procedures say one thing but work is done differently, that gap will be identified. Consistency between Policy, Procedure and Practice is critical.

Contractor and Supplier Management

If you engage contractors, auditors will examine:

• Prequalification processes
• SWMS (Safe Work Method Statements)
• Contractor induction
• Monitoring and supervision
• Performance reviews

Principal contractors and businesses conducting high-risk work receive particular scrutiny.

Emergency Preparedness

Auditors assess whether you are prepared for reasonably foreseeable emergencies.

They’ll review:

• Emergency plans
• Evacuation diagrams
• Fire warden training
• Drill records
• First aid arrangements

And they’ll often ask workers what they would do in an emergency.

Continuous Improvement

A mature WHS system shows evidence of ongoing improvement.

Auditors look for:

• Internal audits
• Management review meetings
• KPI tracking (e.g. TRIFR, LTIFR)
• Corrective and preventive action systems

Certification audits (such as ISO 45001) place strong emphasis on leadership commitment and system improvement over time.

Officer Due Diligence

Under WHS law, company officers must exercise due diligence. Auditors may review whether directors and executives:

• Receive WHS performance reports
• Allocate adequate resources
• Understand critical risks
• Verify the implementation of controls

Board-level visibility of safety is increasingly expected.

What Auditors Are Not Looking For

• A perfect safety record
• Zero incidents
• Overly complex documentation
• A 500-page safety manual no one reads

They want to see a system that is:

• Practical
• Proportionate to your business size and risk
• Understood by workers
• Actively maintained

Final Thoughts

WHS audits are about evidence, consistency, and effectiveness.

If your safety system:

• Identifies real risks
• Implements appropriate controls
• Involves workers
• Learns from incidents
• Demonstrates leadership commitment

…you’re already aligned with what auditors actually look for.

The key is not preparing for the audit the week before — it’s building a safety system that works every day.

Sherm Software is that safety system, book a demo today and see for yourself.

For a deeper explanation of how these expectations come together, see our guide to Audit Readiness for WHS, ISO and Principal Contractor Audits.