SAFE Work Manitoba has made reasonable attempts to confirm the accuracy of information contained in this document. However, this document is intended for general information purposes only. SAFE Work Manitoba shall not assume responsibility or liability for actions taken or not taken as a result of reliance on information in this document alone. Manitoba employers must comply with the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation, as may be amended from time to time.​

1. Training standard topic

Maintenance auditor

2. Purpose

The purpose of the maintenance auditor course is to provide those performing maintenance (internal) audits with the necessary tools, instruction and practical skills required to perform these audits on behalf of an employer. It is designed to increase skills, knowledge and understanding of the processes for maintenance (internal) audits.

The training is intended for people responsible for conducting maintenance (internal) audits.

This training program standard outlines minimum requirements for the development and delivery of maintenance auditor training programs in Manitoba.

This course is one of the four essential courses defined in the SAFE Work Certified standards and procedures that certifying partners are required to offer to employers.

To be authorized as a certifying partner for SAFE Work Certified, industry-based safety programs and/or associations (IBSPs) must meet the requirements of this training standard. 

The format and structure of the training may vary and be customized by certifying partners to address the specific needs of their industry. Certifying partners need to effectively demonstrate the requirements outlined in the SAFE Work Certified standards and procedures and the SAFE Work Certified Audit Framework, and achieve the learning outcomes outlined in the standard.   

​3. Design

The training program must meet the following criteria:

• Comply with adult learning principles:
  1. Ensure learners know why they need to learn specific content and its relevance to their workplaces.
  2. Relate training to learners’ own experiences when simulating workplace scenarios.
  3. Challenge and engage learners using a variety of activities that include participation, feedback and interaction.
  4. Recognize the limits of attention spans and apply techniques to address the ways that adults learn.
  5. Use activities and tools relevant to the workplace.

• Use appropriate language.
• Provide accurate and current content.
• Include references to legal and technical information.
• Use a variety of technical teaching aids.
• Provide learner materials that follow the principles of instructional writing and good graphic design.
• Be consistent with provincial and federal legal requirements, the SAFE Work Certified standards and procedures, SAFE Work Certified audit framework and COR® standard.

4. Delivery

Regardless of the delivery method, all approved training programs must meet the requirements of this standard along with The Accessibility for Manitobans Act. Also, the delivery method must support the learner’s ability to attain the learning outcomes.

4.1      Face-to-face learning

Recommended maximum ratio of learners to instructor:

• Basic theory module: 24:1
• Practical module:  24:1

Minimum hours for training delivery:

• Basic theory module: 3 hours
• Practical module: 4 hours

The timing for delivery of this training program may be extended for various reasons, such as the amount of available equipment, instructor experience and/or the learning needs of the training participants.​

4.2      Distance learning

Training via a live video link and a plan for interactivity with a qualified instructor should be developed and available.

This type of learning is acceptable for:

• ​Basic theory module
• Practical module

5. Learning outcomes

5.1      Basic theory module

5.1.1      Safety and health certification

Content must include:

• An overview of the certification program and its requirements, audit process and quality assurance process.
• An overview of the certification audit tool and its elements, its intended use and how it functions.

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• Describe the certification program and recognize the foundational principles on which it is built.
• Identify the three safety and health essentials that workplaces are required to demonstrate within their safety and health program for certification: leadership commitment, hazard identification and risk control, and worker participation.
• Describe the steps for achieving and maintaining certification.
• Explain the quality assurance process as it relates to maintenance (internal) audits.
• Discuss the audit tool elements and their intended use.
• Describe how the audit tool functions.

​5.1.2      Auditor responsibilities

Content must include:

• An overview of auditor responsibilities, including: auditor code of ethics and standard of conduct, auditor principles, professional practices, use of approved audit tools and methodologies and maintenance of auditor competence

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• Reference the auditor code of ethics and standards of conduct.
• Describe auditor principles including but not limited to integrity, objectivity and confidentiality.
• Apply professional practices when performing audits.
• Describe the importance of using approved audit tools and methodologies when auditing.
• Identify the requirements of maintaining auditor competence.
  
  

5.1.3      Audit activities

Content must include:

• An overview of the steps involved in performing a maintenance (internal) audit, including but not limited to, planning, administering, document review, observations, interviewing and reporting.
• A description of effective interviewing techniques.
• An overview of the action plan and its requirements.

At the end of this module, learners will be able to:

• Describe the activities involved in planning an audit.
• Discuss the administration of an audit.
• Differentiate among document review, observations and interviewing.
• Explain the requirements of an audit report.
• Apply effective interviewing techniques.
• Explain the importance of the action plan.
• Recognize the requirements of the creation and implementation of the action plan.

​5.2      Practical module

​The practical module must include:

• Completion of a mock audit, using the applicable audit tool.

At the end of this module learners will be able to:

• Conduct an audit by applying the different auditing techniques such as document review, observations and interviews.
• Use the audit tool when performing an audit.
• Prepare an audit report.

6. Resource material

The auditing for certification (maintenance auditor) training standard has material requirements for both learners and instructors.

The date and version number should be indicated on all resource materials, which include:

• Terms and definitions.
• Job aids, evaluation tools and templates.
• Copies of the applicable provincial or federal safety legislation.
• Manufacturers’ instructions for equipment.
• Participant and instructor manuals with copies of activities.
• Instructor manual and lesson plan.
• Audit tool.
• Action plan template.

​Learner materials include:

• ​Learning objectives, agenda, training content and evaluation/testing.

​Instructor materials include:

• Instructional methods, learning activities and lesson plan timing.
• Detailed instructor manual and lesson plans, including all learning activities and audio-visual resources.

7. Learner evaluation

The training program must include a plan for learner evaluation that meets the requirements below. There must be a variety of evaluation methods available to the instructor and/or evaluator that suit the learning outcomes.

7.1      Evaluation methods

The training program will include a variety of evaluation methods to ensure key concepts have been understood by the learner, including:

• Open discussion.
• Group discussion.
• Questions and answers.
• Written and/or oral test, where applicable.

Evaluation methods must be clearly outlined in the evaluation plan, and the results must be documented by the evaluator.

7.2      Evaluation of demonstration learning outcomes

• Learning outcomes requiring demonstration must be performed satisfactorily in order to successfully complete the practical module.
• For learners with language, literacy or accommodation needs, alternative evaluation methods may be used. These evaluation methods must be clearly outlined in the evaluation plan, and the corresponding results must be documented by the evaluator.

7. Validation/refresher requirements

Completion of the basic theory module and practical module in accordance with the criteria set out in this standard and the training provider standard is required to confirm a maintenance auditor training program has been successfully completed.

Refresher training may also be recommended following an audit and/or as part of an audit action plan. The certifying partner may recommend refresher training based on an employer’s specific situation/needs.

​Glossary

General terms

Asynchronous instruction (ASTD)

A general term used to describe forms of education, instruction and learning that do not occur in the same place or at the same time. It uses resources that facilitate information sharing outside the constraints of time and place among a network of people.

Blended learning
Describes the practice of using several training delivery mediums in a single training program, and typically refers to the combination of classroom instruction and eLearning.

Distance learning

An educational situation in which the instructor and students are separated by time, location or both. Education or training courses are delivered to remote locations via synchronous or ASTD.

eLearning (Electronic learning)

A term covering a wide set of applications and processes that includes web-based learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration.

Face-to-face training

Usually refers to traditional classroom training in which an instructor teaches a course to a room of training participants. The term is used synonymously with on-site training, classroom training and instructor-led training (slightly modified from ASTD definition).

Minimum hours for training delivery

The timing for instruction of a training program, which excludes breaks and lunch:

• 3.5 hours of instruction is equal to a half-day of delivery.
• 7 hours of instruction is equal to a full-day of delivery.

Module

A unit of instruction that can be measured, evaluated for change, assembled to form complete courses or bypassed as a whole, and that is usually intended to teach one or a group of skills or areas of knowledge (slightly modified from ASTD definition).

Evaluator

A person who evaluates learners.

Instructor

A person who delivers training programs.

Qualification

A skill, quality or attribute that makes somebody suitable for a job, activity or task.

Maintenance auditor terms

Action plan

A document that addresses weaknesses identified during the audit process and describes actions to be taken to address these weaknesses, expected outcomes and timelines.

Audit

An evaluation of an organization’s safety and health management system against an approved set of criteria.

Maintenance (internal) audit

An audit intended to confirm maintenance and continuous improvement in safety and health management systems. This includes verification of progress made on the action plan generated in the previous year’s audit. Maintenance (internal) audits are conducted in the intervening years between re-certification cycles (every three years).

Maintenance (internal) auditor

Individual(s) from within a company trained to conduct self-audits to demonstrate that certification standards are maintained between certification audits.

​Acknowledgements statement

The maintenance auditor working group has developed a maintenance auditor training program standard that outlines the minimum requirements for program objectives, training requirements and learning outcomes that are designed to educate Manitoba workers on working in compliance.

Please note that while reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the criteria of the training program standard is met, responsibility resides with employers to ensure compliance with training requirements under the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation. In determining what rights or obligations a party may have under the province’s legislation, reference should always be made to the official version of the WSH Act and WSH Regulation.​