Review and improve your environmental management system (EMS)
Selecting an environmental auditor
Guide
It is important that the information gathered during an environmental audit flags up where improvements to your environmental management system (EMS) are necessary. Therefore, any environmental auditors should:
- be appropriately trained
- have experience of auditing
- be impartial - ie not be directly responsible for the area being audited
How to select an internal environmental auditor
When selecting an employee to carry out an environmental audit, you need to find someone who has:
- sufficient knowledge of environmental legislation and issues in that area
- knowledge of the relevant EMS standards
- understanding of the best environmental practices relating to that area
You may need more than one internal auditor to allow cover for holidays and sickness.
Auditors must be satisfied that work is carried out in accordance with the applicable procedure and that the supporting evidence is genuine. So - as well as someone who has strong interpersonal skills - you should look for someone who is:
- patient
- thorough
- analytical
- a good communicator