Health & Safety Gap Analysis

A gap analysis is the process that companies use to compare their current performance with their desired, expected performance, and is used to determine whether a company is meeting expectations concerning legislative requirements. We look at the importance of conducting a thorough gap analysis and how this can directly benefit your business.

What is a Health & Safety Gap Analysis?

Gap analysis is a comprehensive review process that compares your company's current health and safety strategy with established best practices. The goal is to ensure consistent compliance by identifying areas for improvement, mitigating risks, and raising standards across your business.

A Health and Safety gap analysis is basically a management audit; a systematic and detailed assessment of your current levels of compliance and management. It assesses the existing arrangements in place to identify current strengths and highlight potential improvement opportunities.

What does a Health & Safety Gap Analysis do?

The purpose of the gap analysis is to develop and continuously improve an effective health and safety management system for you, your employees and your workplace. It is a critical evaluation to find the gaps between an organisation’s current safety culture and the standards it wishes to meet, such as baseline statutory compliance.

I already have an H&S Management system in place; do I still need to conduct a gap analysis?

A Health and Safety gap analysis will provide a good starting point for either developing a robust Health and Safety management system, or updating and maintaining the systems already in place.

The information gathered helps set clear objectives for continuous improvement and providing a safer working environment. The gap analysis will clearly show areas of non-compliance and provide a structured plan to correct this, including priorities, timescales and budgetary requirements; for a H&S Manager, this is essential when presenting to senior management. It is also evidence-based, so practical KPIs can be created to monitor and review effectiveness.

How does a Health & Safety gap analysis work?

The key steps in conducting a Health & Safety gap analysis are:

• Step 1 - Define the scope and objectives
• Step 2 - Identify the current state
• Step 3 - Determine the desired future state
• Step 4 - Identify the gaps
• Step 5 - Determine the causes
• Step 6 - Develop an action plan
• Step 7 - Implement and monitor
• Step 8 - Evaluate and review

How does having a gap analysis help with legal compliance?

Compliance gap analysis is a vital process that helps organisations assess their adherence to specific compliance standards and regulations. The gap analysis protects your company by ensuring that full compliance is achieved; failure to do so could result in costly fines and put your employees and business at risk.

What are the risks of not conducting a gap analysis?

A gap analysis will ensure that you fully meet all legislative compliance requirements applicable to your business.  Failure to meet legislative requirements could result in:

• Flawed systems
• Poor business standards and service/product quality
• An increase in accidents resulting in injury to employees
• Lost time
• Employee claims
• Increased insurance premiums
• Enforcement actions from the HSE
• Fines for non-compliance
• Damage to your company reputation

How often should my company conduct a Health & Safety gap analysis?

A gap analysis is typically conducted periodically, such as annually or during strategic planning cycles. KPIs should be reviewed by senior management and actions taken if these results show a decline in effectiveness, such as an increase in accident rates. The frequency of review should be based on the risks to the business, until full compliance is achieved.

What businesses benefit most from a gap analysis?

All industries and businesses benefit from a gap analysis, as legislation is required whether you employ 6 people or 600.

Can a gap analysis help future-proof my business?

It is a useful technique that enables you to identify the gap between your current situation and the future state that you want to be in, along with the tasks that you need to complete to close this gap. This will future-proof your business by reducing the risk of any unexpected issues which could affect business performance and/or delays in production, so protecting both your turnover and reputation.

In addition, a fully compliant company is a strong company in which employees feel valued, confident that their work environment is safe and that their wellbeing is a priority. Contributing to continuous improvement and engaging positively with management can also empower employees, resulting in higher job satisfaction and a lower employee turnover.

Can a gap analysis help with ISO 45001 certification?

It’s a key step towards this, as once gaps are identified you can then work on an action plan to close the gaps and ensure full compliance. The ISO standard details key aspects needed to evidence that full compliance is in place.

How can I get started with a Health & Safety gap analysis for my business?

Call in a professional who is experienced in carrying out a gap analysis and is competent in Health and Safety, with knowledge of the legislative requirements for your business.

An initial gap analysis can be carried out independently and then discussed with you to create a plan with priorities and timescales to achieve compliance, and ultimately ISO 45001 accreditation. The annual audits carried out by the certificate provider will then be a useful tool for you to monitor your compliance standards.

What Health & Safety support services does Stallard Kane offer?

We can carry out a gap analysis for your business and give you a report detailing the specific actions required in an easy-to-understand format. Based on your priorities, your dedicated advisor will support you and your team with implementing the action plan to ensure you become fully compliant.

Does Stallard Kane offer ongoing support after a Health & Safety review?

Absolutely. When you have a contract with Stallard Kane you are allocated a dedicated advisor with knowledge of your specific industry/business. You will also have access to our team of knowledgeable specialists in other areas along with our Compliance and Training departments, providing you with a one-stop solution.

Email healthandsafety@skaltd.co.uk or call 01427 420 402 if you have any questions and #oneoftheteam will be happy to help.