What Do Safety Auditors Actually Look for in a Warehouse?

Whether it's an unannounced HSE inspector at reception or a scheduled BSI auditor reviewing your ISO 45001 certification, the question is the same: what exactly are they looking for?

We understand the pressure. You've got operations to run, targets to hit, and a team relying on you to keep things moving. The last thing you need is an audit uncovering issues you didn't know existed.

In this article, we'll walk you through exactly what both regulatory inspectors and certification auditors examine, so you can identify gaps before they become problems, fines, or failed certifications.

Contents:

1. What's the Difference Between HSE Inspections and Certification Audits?
2. What Do HSE Inspectors Look for During Unannounced Visits?
3. What Do ISO 45001 Auditors Examine?
4. What Documentation Will Both Types of Auditor Request?
5. What Are the Most Common Failures?
6. How Can You Prepare for Your Next Audit?

What's the Difference Between HSE Inspections and Certification Audits?

Before diving into the detail, it's worth understanding the distinction between these two types of audit. They serve different purposes and carry different consequences.

HSE Inspections are enforcement-focused. Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive can arrive unannounced, typically triggered by an incident, complaint, or sector-wide campaign. Their job is to verify compliance with UK law. Material breaches result in Fee for Intervention (FFI) charges, improvement notices, or prosecution.

ISO 45001 Certification Audits are system-focused. Conducted by accredited bodies like BSI, LRQA, or the British Safety Council, these planned audits assess whether your Occupational Health and Safety Management System meets international standards. The goal is certification or continued accreditation, not enforcement.

Both matter. HSE inspections protect you legally. ISO 45001 certification demonstrates to clients, insurers, and stakeholders that you're managing safety systematically. Many warehouse operations face both.

What Do HSE Inspectors Look for During Unannounced Visits?

HSE inspectors don't visit at random. Visits are typically triggered by a reported incident, worker complaint, sector campaign, or intelligence suggesting non-compliance.

Under the Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations 2012, any material breach identified during an inspection attracts Fee for Intervention charges. As of April 2025, that's £183 per hour for every hour the inspector spends investigating, documenting, and following up.

The average FFI invoice sits around £700, but complex investigations can quickly reach five figures. And that's before any formal prosecution.

Inspectors follow a structured approach aligned with HSG136: Workplace Transport Safety, examining three pillars: safe site, safe vehicle, and safe driver.

Pedestrian and Vehicle Segregation

This is often the first thing an inspector assesses. Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, traffic routes must be organised so pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely.

Inspectors look for:

• Physical separation between FLT routes and walkways
• Clearly marked pedestrian crossings
• Barriers or guard rails at building entrances, blind corners, and intersections
• Evidence that the 1-metre rule from PAS 13:2017 is being applied

If your site relies solely on painted lines and "make eye contact" rules, expect questions.

Racking and Storage Systems

HSG76: Warehousing and Storage requires racking to be inspected regularly. Inspectors will ask to see evidence of:

• Annual inspections by a SEMA-approved inspector
• Regular internal checks by a trained Person Responsible for Racking Safety (PRRS)
• Load notices displayed clearly on each bay
• Damage reporting and repair records

Bowed beams, corroded uprights, and missing safety clips are immediate red flags. The same applies to safety barriers – corrosion often starts invisibly and compromises protection long before it's noticed.

Traffic Management

Beyond segregation, inspectors assess the overall flow of your site: one-way systems, speed limits, visibility at junctions, and arrangements for visiting drivers unfamiliar with your layout.

What Do ISO 45001 Auditors Examine?

ISO 45001 certification audits take a different approach. Rather than checking specific physical controls, auditors assess whether your management system effectively identifies hazards, manages risks, and drives continuous improvement.

Audits are conducted against the seven clauses of the ISO 45001:2018 standard. Here's what auditors examine in a warehouse context:

Clause 4: Context of the Organisation

Auditors want to see that you understand your operating environment. For a warehouse, this means:

• Have you identified internal and external factors affecting OH&S performance?
• Do you understand stakeholder expectations (workers, contractors, regulators, insurers)?
• Is the scope of your management system clearly defined?

Clause 5: Leadership and Worker Participation

This is where top management accountability comes under scrutiny:

• Can leaders demonstrate active commitment to OH&S, not just delegation?
• Is there a documented OH&S policy that's communicated and understood?
• Are workers consulted on safety decisions, or just informed after the fact?

Clause 6: Planning

Auditors examine how you identify and address risks:

• Is there a systematic process for hazard identification and risk assessment?
• Are legal requirements identified and tracked?
• Do you have measurable OH&S objectives with plans to achieve them?

Clause 7: Support

This covers the resources and competencies needed to run your system:

• Are adequate resources allocated to OH&S?
• Is there documented evidence of competence and training?
• How do you communicate safety information internally and externally?

Clause 8: Operation

Here's where the physical controls come into play:

• Are operational controls documented and implemented?
• How do you manage contractors and outsourced processes?
• Is there a process for managing change that considers OH&S impacts?

Clause 9: Performance Evaluation

Auditors want evidence that you're monitoring and measuring:

• What OH&S metrics do you track?
• Are internal audits conducted regularly?
• Does management review the system's effectiveness?

Clause 10: Improvement

Finally, auditors assess your approach to getting better:

• How do you handle incidents and non-conformities?
• Is there evidence of corrective actions being implemented?
• Can you demonstrate continual improvement over time?

What Documentation Will Both Types of Auditor Request?

Whether facing an HSE inspector or ISO 45001 auditor, expect requests for evidence. The overlap is significant:

If your documentation is incomplete, out of date, or scattered across multiple systems, that's a problem regardless of which auditor is asking.

What Are the Most Common Failures?

Based on HSE prosecution data and our own site assessments, these issues appear repeatedly across both audit types:

Inadequate pedestrian segregation – Painted lines without physical barriers rarely satisfy HSE inspectors. ISO auditors will question whether your risk assessment identified this gap. 

Damaged or corroded barriers – Steel barriers that have been struck lose their protective capacity. Both auditor types will question your inspection and maintenance regime.

Missing or outdated risk assessments – A generic assessment from five years ago won't reflect current operations. ISO auditors specifically look for evidence that assessments are reviewed and updated. 

No evidence of worker consultation – ISO 45001 places heavy emphasis on participation. If workers aren't involved in safety decisions, expect non-conformities. 

Reactive rather than proactive management – ISO auditors look for leading indicators and improvement initiatives, not just incident response. 

How Can You Prepare for Your Next Audit?

For HSE Readiness:

Walk your site with fresh eyes and ask:

• Where do pedestrians and FLTs share space?
• Are barriers in good condition, or showing damage and corrosion?
• Can you produce documentation within five minutes of being asked?
• Do visiting drivers know where to go and what routes to avoid?

For ISO 45001 Certification:

Review your management system against the standard's requirements:

• Is top management visibly committed and involved?
• Are hazards systematically identified and risks controlled?
• Do you have evidence of worker consultation?
• Can you demonstrate continual improvement?

For Both:

If you find gaps, address them now. If you're unsure what an auditor would flag, consider bringing in a specialist to conduct an independent review.

At Clarity, our site assessments follow the same framework both HSE inspectors and certification auditors use. We map your traffic flows, assess your barriers against PAS 13 standards, review your documentation, and identify compliance gaps before they become costly problems.

Book a free site assessment and see your facility through an auditor's eyes.