What the Five Star Process Safety Management Audit evaluates?
The British Safety Council's Five Star PSM Audit assesses the key components required to manage process safety risks effectively — evaluating both the strength of your systems and how they perform in practice.
Leadership and process safety culture
Evaluates how leadership sets expectations, assigns accountability, and positions process safety as a core organisational priority.
Hazard identification and risk assessment
Assesses the effectiveness of processes used to identify major hazards, evaluate risk, and maintain up-to-date risk registers.
Process design and asset integrity
Reviews the design, maintenance, and reliability of critical assets to ensure safe performance under defined operating conditions.
Operational control and procedures
Examines how operating procedures are defined, communicated, and consistently followed across sites and teams.
Management of change (MoC)
Evaluates how changes to processes, equipment, or operations are assessed, approved, and implemented without introducing new risk.
Competence and workforce capability
Assesses whether personnel have the skills, training, and understanding required to manage process safety risks effectively.
Incident reporting and learning
Reviews how incidents and near misses are reported, investigated, and translated into meaningful improvement actions.
Performance monitoring and assurance
Evaluates how process safety performance is measured, how leading and lagging indicators are monitored, and how ongoing assurance is maintained.
This structured approach provides a comprehensive view of both system design and operational performance, helping organisations identify gaps, prioritise action, and strengthen process safety performance over time.
Why process safety performance needs independent evaluation?
Many organisations have established process safety management systems. However, without independent evaluation, it can be difficult to understand how effectively those systems perform under real operating conditions.
Moving beyond compliance
Compliance with documented standards does not always reflect operational reality. The audit helps identify gaps between defined processes and how they are implemented in practice.
Reducing exposure to major incident risk
Process safety failures can have significant operational, financial, and reputational consequences. A structured, independent audit helps identify vulnerabilities before they escalate.
Strengthening decision-making
Clear, evidence-based insights enable leadership teams to prioritise investment, allocate resources effectively, and focus attention on areas of highest risk.
Demonstrating accountability and assurance
Independent validation of process safety performance supports internal governance, regulatory expectations, and stakeholder confidence.
Establishing a pathway to best practice
The audit provides a structured framework for continuous improvement, helping organisations progress towards recognised standards of excellence in process safety management.
What you receive from the Five Star PSM Audit?
The Five Star Process Safety Management Audit delivers clear, structured outputs that enable organisations to understand current performance, identify gaps, and take informed action.
Detailed audit report
A comprehensive report outlining findings across all assessed elements of process safety management, highlighting strengths, gaps, and areas requiring attention.
Performance scoring and benchmarking
A structured scoring framework that enables organisations to understand their current level of process safety performance and benchmark progress over time.
Prioritised recommendations
Clear, actionable recommendations designed to address identified gaps and support targeted improvements in process safety management.
Independent assessment and validation
An objective, external evaluation that provides assurance to leadership, stakeholders, and regulators on the effectiveness of process safety systems.
Pathway to Five Star recognition
Organisations meeting the required standards may achieve Five Star grading, demonstrating commitment to process safety excellence and continuous improvement.
These outputs enable organisations to move from insight to action, strengthening process safety performance in a structured and measurable way.
Why organisations choose British Safety Council for PSM audits?
Organisations require more than a checklist-based review. The Five Star Process Safety Management Audit delivers a rigorous, independent evaluation of process safety performance, supported by recognised expertise and a structured framework for improvement.
Independent and objective evaluation
As an external audit body, British Safety Council provides an unbiased assessment of process safety performance, offering clarity beyond internal reviews.
Developed with regulatory insight
The audit framework has been shaped by experienced process safety professionals, including former regulators, ensuring alignment with real-world expectations and failure scenarios.
Focus on performance, not documentation
The audit evaluates how systems perform in practice, helping organisations identify gaps between defined processes and operational reality.
Structured Five Star framework
The established Five Star methodology provides a consistent and transparent approach to assessing performance and tracking improvement over time.
Recognised pathway to excellence
Achieving Five Star status demonstrates a commitment to high standards in process safety management and supports progression towards further recognition, including the Sword of Honour and Globe of Honour.
Is this audit right for your organisation?
The Five Star Process Safety Management Audit is designed for organisations operating in high-hazard industries, where process safety risks must be actively managed, controlled, and continuously improved.
High-hazard industries
Suitable for organisations operating in sectors such as oil and gas, chemicals, energy, and manufacturing, where process safety risks are significant.
Multi-site and complex operations
Applicable to organisations managing multiple facilities or complex processes, where consistency, governance, and oversight of process safety systems are critical.
Organisations seeking independent validation
Ideal for organisations with established process safety systems that require an objective assessment of how effectively those systems perform in practice.
Leadership and decision-makers
Relevant for safety leaders, plant and operations heads, and senior management responsible for process safety performance and risk management.
Organisations progressing towards recognised standards
Suitable for organisations aiming to achieve Five Star grading and progress towards higher levels of recognition within the British Safety Council framework.