An Environmental Audit Primer

This one-day course provides participants with the knowledge and skills to conduct internal environmental audits. Practical, proven techniques for planning, conducting, and reporting on internal environmental audits will be introduced. Role-plays and case studies based on actual audits will be used to reinforce the concepts and provide participants with practice in applying the principles to situations typically encountered during internal auditing.

What Will Students Learn?

• Explain the different types of audits and the levels of auditing available.
• Know the qualifications of auditors and the preparation that they need to conduct an audit.
• Understand the basics steps in an audit and how auditors gather information and evidence.
• Develop open-ended questions which will help in audit interviews.
• Understand the essential aspects of an audit checklist.
• Develop an audit checklist based on EMS procedures.
• Prepare for an audit.
• Use an Internal Audit Noncompliance and Corrective Action Report to record non-conformances.
• Understand the corrective action process and its importance in closing out non-conformances.
• Gain experience in conducting audit closing meeting.

What Topics are Covered?

• Auditing
• Internal Audit
• The Audit
• Audit Checklist
• Conducting an Audit
• Noncompliance and Corrective Action
• Audit Closing

What Students Learn

This one-day workshop will help teach participants:
o Explain the different types of audits and the levels of auditing available.
o Know the qualifications of auditors and the preparation that they need to conduct an audit.
o Understand the basics steps in an audit and how auditors gather information and evidence.
o Develop open-ended questions which will help in audit interviews.
o Understand the essential aspects of an audit checklist.
o Develop an audit checklist based on EMS procedures.
o Prepare for an audit.
o Use an Internal Audit Noncompliance and Corrective Action Report to record non-conformances.
o Understand the corrective action process and its importance in closing out non-conformances.
o Gain experience in conducting audit closing meeting.

Course Overview
You will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Students will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

Auditing
This session will discuss the different types of audits and will allow your students to examine the levels of auditing available.

Internal Audit
This session exposes learners to the qualifications of auditors and the preparation they need.

The Audit
This session teaches the basic steps in an audit and how auditors gather information and evidence. Students will develop open-ended questions which help in audit interviews.

Audit Checklist
Here, learners are shown the essential aspects of a checklist and will develop an audit checklist based on EMS procedures.

Conducting an Audit
This session focuses on a case study that students use to develop an audit checklist to prepare for an audit.

Noncompliance and Corrective Action
In this session, students will use an Internal Audit Noncompliance and Corrective Action Report to record noncompliances from a mock audit. They will follow up with a brainstorm session for possible corrective actions.

Audit Closing
This session builds upon the prior one as students will use the noncompliances recorded and role play an audit closing meeting.

Workshop Wrap-Up
At the end of the course, students will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.