- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- HSE Guidance for care providers
A care home health and safety audit should evidence how arrangements work in practice — not just whether documents exist. The audit is grounded in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Management system
The audit should evidence a clear, board-approved policy, defined responsibilities, and a documented management system covering planning, implementation, monitoring and review.
People at risk
Evidence should cover employees, residents and visitors — including how vulnerability and individual needs are considered in risk arrangements. In a care environment, residents may need more support to stay safe.
Key risk areas
- Manual handling and resident handling
- Slips, trips and falls
- COSHH — cleaning, clinical, medication
- Work equipment and medical devices
- Infection-related H&S boundaries
- Contractor control
- Training and competency
Incident management
Evidence of incident reporting, investigation, RIDDOR considerations and corrective action — with learning fed back into the system.
LRMS approach
We rate findings — conforming, improvement opportunity, action required, high priority — and deliver a prioritised action plan with owners and target dates. We do not make clinical-care claims beyond LRMS competence.
Cited Sources & Official References
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a care home health and safety audit evidence?
A care home audit should evidence the management system, people at risk (employees, residents, visitors), key risk areas (manual handling, COSHH, equipment, contractors), training and competency, and incident management including RIDDOR considerations.
Does a care home audit cover clinical care?
No. A health and safety audit covers H&S arrangements, not clinical care. LRMS does not make clinical-care claims beyond its competence. Infection-related boundaries are considered only where they intersect with H&S duties.
How are care home audit findings rated?
Findings are rated as conforming, improvement opportunity, action required, or high priority — never a simplistic pass/fail. Each finding has an owner and target date to support close-out.
About Louanne Lanahan
Founder & Director · CMIOSH · OSHCR
Chartered Safety Practitioner (CMIOSH), registered on OSHCR, MIFSM, AIFireE, and NFRAR. Founder and Director of Lanahan Risk Management Services Ltd.