Handbook of Occupational Safety and Health, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 19ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (EHS) AUDITING

ANDREW MCINTYRE

2150 North First Street, Suite 450, San Jose, CA, 95131

HARMONY SCOFIELD

BSI EHS Services and Solutions, 1400 NW Compton Dr., Suite 203, Hillsboro, OR, 97005

and

STEVEN TRAMMELL

BSI EHS Services and Solutions, 110 Wild Basin Rd., Suite 270, Austin, TX, 78746

19.1 INTRODUCTION

Environmental health and safety (EHS) auditing has become an important and regular business practice for companies of all sizes. These audits determine the level of compliance to regulatory requirements, standards, goals, and other business benchmarks including codes of conduct. A well‐conducted EHS audit will result in a prioritized list of nonconformances and opportunities for improvement, which can be used as a roadmap for improving safety and business practices. It conceptually serves many of the same purposes as internal financial auditing.

This chapter will provide a short background and history of EHS auditing, particularly as it is used currently in the United States, and then lead into a practical walkthrough of the auditing process, from pre‐audit activities and fieldwork through recordkeeping and observations and then through evaluating and reporting on findings and recommendations. The final step is a corrective action plan that includes conformance priorities as well as best management practices and opportunities for improvement.

19.1.1 A Brief History

Auditing of environmental and occupational health and safety compliance ...