Environmental auditing is defined as a systematic, objective evaluation of facility activities for a finite review period designed to verify compliance with environmental regulations, internal policies, and accepted practices (UNISA, 2016).
Key steps of Environmental Audits
Despite the variety of audit objectives and types of audits, some elements are common to all audit programmes. Each audit programme involves having a team of individuals conduct a field assessment, gather information, analyze information, make judgments about the facility’s environmental compliance status and report their audit findings. The key steps common to all environmental audits can be grouped into three classes or phases:
• Pre-audit activities or planning phase; …show more content…
The environmental audit process actually begins with a number of activities before the actual onsite audit takes place. These activities include the selection of the facilities to be audited, the schedule of the facilities to be audited, the selection of the audit team and the development of an audit plan. This phase allows the auditor to gather information, and to determine the suitable auditors as per expertise. The audit criteria must be established and to avoid it being inapplicable or bias, the auditee’s opinion can be taken. This criteria must be specific, measurable, reliable, timely and coherent. (ASOSAI, 2009).Such an audit plan will include the objectives and scope of the audit, selection of the priority topics to audit, modifying the audit protocols and allocating audit team resources. They may also include an advance visit to the facility to gather some background information and/or administer questionnaires to staff members at the facility (DEAT, 2004). Pre-audit activities also include the selection of the audit protocol team and the financing for the audit program. At this stage the purpose and scope of the audit should have been agreed …show more content…
Understanding internal management systems and procedures: it is very significant for each and every individual in a workplace to have an in-depth understanding of internal management systems and procedures because the formal and informal actions taken by the staff at the facility to assist regulation and direction of its activities, may seriously impact the environment, the first step that the audit team must take is to develop an adequate understanding of the internal environmental, health and safety management systems of each facility (EPA, 2000). It will usually kick off with an opening meeting with the management team at the facility, followed by a site inspection. Internal controls refer to both management procedures and the equipment or engineered controls that affect the environmental, health and safety performance. The auditor will gather information from multiple sources such as staff discussions, questionnaires, plant tours, and sometimes even verification testing of samples collected by the auditor. The auditor usually records this information in a flow chart, narrative description or combination of two in order to have a written description against which to audit (DEAT,
Key steps of Environmental Audits
Despite the variety of audit objectives and types of audits, some elements are common to all audit programmes. Each audit programme involves having a team of individuals conduct a field assessment, gather information, analyze information, make judgments about the facility’s environmental compliance status and report their audit findings. The key steps common to all environmental audits can be grouped into three classes or phases:
• Pre-audit activities or planning phase; …show more content…
The environmental audit process actually begins with a number of activities before the actual onsite audit takes place. These activities include the selection of the facilities to be audited, the schedule of the facilities to be audited, the selection of the audit team and the development of an audit plan. This phase allows the auditor to gather information, and to determine the suitable auditors as per expertise. The audit criteria must be established and to avoid it being inapplicable or bias, the auditee’s opinion can be taken. This criteria must be specific, measurable, reliable, timely and coherent. (ASOSAI, 2009).Such an audit plan will include the objectives and scope of the audit, selection of the priority topics to audit, modifying the audit protocols and allocating audit team resources. They may also include an advance visit to the facility to gather some background information and/or administer questionnaires to staff members at the facility (DEAT, 2004). Pre-audit activities also include the selection of the audit protocol team and the financing for the audit program. At this stage the purpose and scope of the audit should have been agreed …show more content…
Understanding internal management systems and procedures: it is very significant for each and every individual in a workplace to have an in-depth understanding of internal management systems and procedures because the formal and informal actions taken by the staff at the facility to assist regulation and direction of its activities, may seriously impact the environment, the first step that the audit team must take is to develop an adequate understanding of the internal environmental, health and safety management systems of each facility (EPA, 2000). It will usually kick off with an opening meeting with the management team at the facility, followed by a site inspection. Internal controls refer to both management procedures and the equipment or engineered controls that affect the environmental, health and safety performance. The auditor will gather information from multiple sources such as staff discussions, questionnaires, plant tours, and sometimes even verification testing of samples collected by the auditor. The auditor usually records this information in a flow chart, narrative description or combination of two in order to have a written description against which to audit (DEAT,