TABLE OF CONTENTS Clause 4.5.4 of the Standard requires the organisation to have an auditing programme and auditing procedures to determine that the Environmental Management System (EMS) is working as planned, and to ensure that there shall be feedback of the results to management. Anyone who has experience of a quality management system will be accustomed to this activity.
As stated in Chapter 8, the internal auditing process is an extremely powerful tool for maintaining and improving an organisation's performance. Unfortunately, many people regard it as a chore, because it takes the auditors away from their regular jobs which are already time consuming; the people being audited likewise can resent the interruption to their work. Some people also are not happy about being 'checked up on' by outsiders.
Auditing must be carried out, and it is up to the management to provide the necessary resources and give the process their full support. This can be done as part of the launch process described in Chapter 10.
This chapter is not about how to carry out audits, this is dealt with in the training your auditors will receive, but it discusses some of the organisational aspects of auditing which are included in model Operating Procedure 21. These are:
The audit programme (or schedule).
Selection and training of auditors.
Reporting the findings.
The first question is 'How often should each part of the EMS be audited?' The Standard gives guidance to the extent of saying 'periodic' audits and that the...
