construction-audit

Construction WHS Audit Skill

Purpose

Conduct thorough, structured construction WHS audits using the Federal Safety Commissioner's Audit Criteria as the benchmark for what "good" looks like in construction safety management. This skill operates in two modes:

FSC Accreditation Mode — For audits of FSC-accredited builders on Commonwealth-funded projects. Findings are classified using the FSC Corrective Action Report (CAR) framework (Major Non-Conformance / Minor Non-Conformance / OFI). Recommendations include Action Plan guidance per OFSC requirements.

General Construction Mode — For audits of any construction company or project, using FSC criteria as recognised best-practice benchmarks. Findings use the standard Safetysure rating system (NC / OFI / OBS / C). The FSC criteria are referenced as the standard but findings are framed as recommendations rather than formal CARs.

Both modes draw on the same criteria framework and hazard benchmarks. The difference is in how findings are classified and how recommendations are framed.

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Critical Rules

1. Determine audit mode at the start. Ask the user whether this is an FSC accreditation audit or a general construction audit. This determines the classification framework and recommendation framing for the entire review.

2. Load reference files before assessing any criterion. Read the relevant reference files from this skill's references/ directory before making findings. The reference files are the source of truth for criteria requirements and "will not satisfy" exclusions.

3. Use the safetysure-whs-legislation plugin for legislative verification. This skill does not bundle its own legislation skills. When you need to verify a legislative provision, read the relevant files from the safetysure-whs-legislation plugin (available as safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-act-checker-qld, safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-regulation-checker-qld, etc.). Identify the correct jurisdiction for the project being audited.

4. "Will not satisfy" is as important as "possible evidence." The FSC criteria explicitly state what will NOT meet each criterion. These exclusions are the most common sources of non-conformance. When evidence is presented that matches a "will not satisfy" example, it is a finding — do not give benefit of the doubt.

5. Documented process AND implementation. Every FSC criterion requires both: (a) a written process in the WHSMS, and (b) evidence that the process is being followed on site. One without the other is a non-conformance. The only exception is where relevant work has not yet been undertaken on site.

6. Project-specific, not generic. Generic company documents that have not been adapted to the specific project are a recurring non-conformance theme. Always check whether evidence is project-specific.

7. Conservative, factual language. Describe what the criterion requires and what the evidence does or does not demonstrate. Avoid subjective terms.

8. Australian English spelling throughout.

9. Flag and ask when uncertain. If you encounter an unfamiliar aspect of construction WHS management that you cannot confidently assess using the reference files and web search — stop and ask the auditor before recording a finding.

10. Use web search for current guidance. When assessing criteria that reference codes of practice or Australian Standards, use web search to verify currency and applicability. Search for OFSC guidance, SafeWork Australia publications, and state regulator guidance as needed.

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Reference Files

All reference files are in this skill's references/ directory:

• fsc-criteria-framework.md — The complete FSC audit criteria structure covering WHS Criteria (WH3, WH12–WH15, WH17), Focus Point Criteria (FP1–FP6), and Hazard Criteria (H1–H19). Contains criteria requirements and "will not satisfy" exclusions for each sub-criterion.

• fsc-hazard-benchmarks.md — Detailed hazard-specific checklists for each of the 19 hazard categories (H1–H19). Used when assessing whether a builder's safe systems of work adequately address each hazard type.

• car-classification.md — The FSC Corrective Action Report classification framework (Major/Minor/OFI), Action Plan requirements, dispute process, and mapping to the Safetysure rating system.

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Workflow

Phase 1 — Audit Setup

Determine:

1. Audit mode — FSC Accreditation or General Construction?
2. Jurisdiction — Which state/territory? (determines which legislation plugin skill to reference)
3. Company details — Company name, ABN, accreditation status (if FSC mode)
4. Project details — Project name, site address, scope of works, project phase (design, construction, commissioning)
5. Audit scope — Full WHSMS audit, or targeted audit of specific criteria? If targeted: which WHS, Focus Point, and/or Hazard criteria are in scope?
6. Hazard profile — What hazard categories (H1–H19) are relevant to the project scope? Load the corresponding sections from fsc-hazard-benchmarks.md.

If the user has provided audit notes, transcript, or documents, collect these as input for Phase 3.

Phase 2 — Load References

Based on the audit scope and hazard profile:

1. Read references/fsc-criteria-framework.md — always load this for any audit
2. Read references/car-classification.md — always load for FSC mode; optional for general mode
3. Read the relevant sections of references/fsc-hazard-benchmarks.md for applicable hazard categories
4. Load the relevant legislation skill for the jurisdiction:
   • Queensland: safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-act-checker-qld and safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-regulation-checker-qld
   • NSW: safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-act-checker-nsw and safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-regulation-checker-nsw
   • Tasmania: safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-act-checker-tas and safetysure-whs-legislation:whs-regulation-checker-tas
   • Other jurisdictions: note that legislation skills are not yet available; use web search for the relevant WHS Act and Regulation

Phase 3 — Assess Criteria

Work through each criterion in scope systematically.

For each criterion:

1. Read the criterion requirements from fsc-criteria-framework.md — note the Scope, Possible Evidence, and Notes ("will not satisfy")

2. Review the evidence — what has the company/project provided? What was observed on site? What did the transcript or notes reveal?

3. Apply the rating:

   FSC Accreditation Mode:

   Rating	When to apply
   Major CAR	No documented process, OR WHSMS fails criteria substantially, OR no evidence of implementation, OR substantial implementation failure
   Minor CAR	WHSMS fails criteria in a minor way, OR minor implementation failure
   OFI	Criteria met and implemented, but improvement opportunity identified
   Conformance	Criteria met and implemented
   N/A	Criterion not applicable to this company's scope
   Not Assessed	Could not be assessed due to limitations

   General Construction Mode:

   Rating	When to apply
   NC	Legislative or criteria obligation clearly not met
   OFI	Obligation partially met or best-practice gap
   OBS	Observation noted; not a non-conformance
   C	Conformance; obligation met
   N/A	Criterion not applicable
   NA	Not assessed due to limitations

4. Write the observation — factual description of what was found

5. Write the recommendation (for findings only) — practical, specific, legislatively grounded

For hazard criteria (H1–H19):

Use fsc-hazard-benchmarks.md as the detailed checklist for each applicable hazard category. Run through each benchmark item and assess whether the company's safe systems of work address it.

Phase 4 — Classify and Summarise Findings

FSC Accreditation Mode:

Group findings by:

1. Major CARs — requiring immediate corrective action
2. Minor CARs — requiring corrective action
3. OFIs — suggested improvements
4. Summary statistics: Major CARs / Minor CARs / OFIs / Conformances / N/A / NA

Note: In FSC mode, include guidance on Action Plan requirements per the CAR classification reference (30-day submission, specified responsibility, target dates).

General Construction Mode:

Group findings by:

1. NC — Non-conformances requiring corrective action
2. OFI — Opportunities for improvement
3. OBS — Observations
4. Summary statistics: NC / OFI / OBS / C / N/A / NA

Frame FSC criteria references as "per the FSC benchmark for construction safety management" rather than as formal accreditation requirements.

Phase 5 — Produce Output

Structure the output as follows:

1. Audit details — Company, project, site, audit date, scope, mode
2. Methodology — What was reviewed, who was consulted, limitations
3. Criteria coverage — Which WHS, FP, and H criteria were assessed
4. Findings by classification — Highest severity first
5. For each finding:
   • Criterion reference (e.g. WH12.3, FP4.3, H1.7)
   • Classification (Major CAR / Minor CAR / OFI / NC / OBS)
   • Observation — what was found
   • Recommendation — what needs to be done
   • Legislative/criteria basis
6. Findings summary table — counts by classification
7. Next steps — Action Plan guidance (FSC mode) or corrective action recommendations (general mode)

Tone: Professional but practical. Write for the construction company's safety management team, not for lawyers. Specific is better than general — name the criterion, name the evidence gap, name the expected document or process.

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Integration with Other Safetysure Tools

This skill is designed to work alongside other Safetysure plugins:

• safetysure-whs-legislation — Provides verified legislative text for Queensland, NSW, and Tasmania. Always reference this plugin for legislative provisions rather than citing from memory.

• safetysure-swms (SWMS review skill) — The SWMS review skill assesses individual SWMS documents. This construction audit skill assesses the company's overall WHSMS and project-level systems. FP4.3 specifically requires that SWMS are reviewed by the PC — the SWMS review skill can be used to conduct that review.

• safetysure-audit-criteria — The general WHS audit criteria plugin handles audits across any industry (warehousing, manufacturing, healthcare, etc.). This construction audit plugin is specialised for construction using FSC criteria as the benchmark.

• safetysure-aus-standards — Provides AS/NZS 3000:2018 and AS/NZS 3012:2019 reference for electrical criteria (H12) assessment.

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Version

• Created: March 2026
• v0.1.0 — Initial release. FSC Audit Criteria (Version 1.5, April 2024) framework with WHS Criteria (WH3, WH12–WH15, WH17), Focus Point Criteria (FP1–FP6), Hazard Criteria (H1–H19), CAR classification framework, and dual-mode operation (FSC Accreditation / General Construction).
• External dependency: safetysure-whs-legislation plugin (Qld, NSW, Tas)
• Next review: when FSC Audit Criteria are updated, or after first field use identifies improvement opportunities