ISO14 -- Setting the Standard in Environmental Management

Once your organization has established its EMS, verifying the implementation of the system will be critical. To identify and resolve EMS deficiencies you must actively seek them out.

In a smaller organization, periodic audits can be particularly valuable. Managers are often so close to the work performed that they may not see problems or bad habits that have developed. Periodic EMS audits will help determine whether all of the requirements of the EMS are being carried out in the specified manner.

For your EMS audit program to be effective, you should:

Develop audit procedures and protocols

Determine an appropriate audit frequency

Select and train your auditors

Maintain audit records

Results of your EMS audits should be linked to the corrective and preventive action process, as described earlier.

EMS audits are critical to EMS effectiveness. Through systematic identification and reporting of EMS deficiencies to management, EMS audits provide a great opportunity to:

Maintain management focus on the environment

Improve the EMS and its performance

Ensure the system's cost-effectiveness

Step: 16 of 17