Audit Procedures
Auditing is different from monitoring and control. Auditing is conducted usually once a year whereas monitoring and control are conducted on an ongoing basis. Auditing is vital to ensure the EMS is performing as expected and is important for continuous improvement of the system.
Auditing is a systematic process that involves evaluating if an EMS is performing as intended by the organization. This requires obtaining and reviewing necessary documents about the performance of the system and comparing the information to the performance criteria set forth by the organization. The auditing process evaluates if the overall environmental goals and objectives are being met by the system or if any problems exist that should be addressed. The auditing process requires identifying:
- who should conduct the audit
- what to audit and when to audit
- how to convey the results, etc.
Audits are usually conducted by experts external to the system to prevent any bias. The outcomes of an audit are documented in the form of a report and shared with the EMS team and the management. The outcomes of the audit lead to corrective actions, if necessary.
Summary The actions implemented through the “Do” step are essentially “check”ed in this step to make sure the system is performing as planned, or if corrective actions should be taken. The activities involved in the “check” step should be integrated as part of the ongoing activities of the EMS. The “check” step requires problem-solving skills for identifying and correcting/preventing problems and numerous procedures monitoring, controlling, recording and auditing the activities.
After reviewing the concepts covered so far, complete the following activities or go to the next topic:
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