Internal environmental auditing (Step 9)

This chapter emphasizes that Clause 4.5.4 of the standard requires an organization to have an auditing program and auditing procedures to determine that its Environmental Management System (EMS) is working as planned and to ensure that there will be feedback of the results. The internal auditing process is an extremely powerful tool for maintaining and improving an organization's performance. The audit program, selection and training of auditors, and reporting of the findings of the audit are important. To ensure that the audit program comprehensively reviews the whole EMS, it is essential to draw up a schedule that groups the procedures under the relevant clause of the standard and then to compile a program that includes all the clauses. A standard that gives guidelines for auditing is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 19011: 2002 guidelines for quality and/or EMS auditing. When it comes to auditing environmental activities, it is important that the auditors understand the processes and the implications of the processes that they are auditing while still being managerially independent of the process itself. The real purpose of auditing is served when there is a dialogue between the auditor and the people being audited about what is going on rather than a sterile question-and-answer session.