ISO 14001 Internal Audit Checklist

This ISO 14001 internal audit checklist assists organizations to keep a record of their environmental management system (EMS). It features department and clause-wise audit questions for review by auditors. Furthermore, customers can make use of editable documents provided to fine tune their EMS in preparation for quick ISO certification.

Perform internal ISO 14001 audit inspections easily with Certainty Software’s 89-question audit checklist to assess compliance obligations.

Pre-Audit

Step one in audit preparation involves collecting all required documentation. This usually occurs through a meeting between top management, ISO 14001 coordinator and environmental department personnel.

Step two is creating an internal audit schedule based on frequency and scope of each audit, to ensure all areas of interest are covered throughout the year. Furthermore, it’s crucial that any nonconformities discovered during 3rd party certification audit are promptly rectified so as to meet compliance regulations as quickly as possible.

Create a spreadsheet comparing ISO 14001’s auditable requirements (clauses 4-10 of ISO 14001) against any processes being audited, and identify any gaps or items needing attention. Use it as an effective way of getting your team prepared before the actual ISO audit; saving both time and money while making sure your organization is ready for certification.

Desk-Top Study

Once an auditor has reviewed the context of an organization, he or she can move onto reviewing its internal audit program. An effective program should document both frequency and focus of audits conducted within it – the latter may vary according to factors like company size and scope as well as legal/environmental compliance obligations.

Establishing the importance of each environmental aspect is also crucial to making informed decisions about EMS controls, and auditors can use a generic template, such as EAR-01, to help make these assessments. This template compiles all relevant aspects from activities and products produced by an organisation and assesses their significance.

An audit should examine documents that demonstrate compliance with laws and regulations, such as certificates of registration, licenses, and compliance records. Furthermore, an auditor must identify any areas where EMS could be improved or strengthened for greater innovation and continuous improvement within their operations.

Site Visit

Before embarking on your ISO 14001 certification journey, it is vital that your leadership team provide their support. Doing so will enable you to keep the project on schedule while creating an atmosphere of environmental excellence in the company.

An auditor will visit your facility during this phase to observe how you implement your management system and examine any associated documentation, such as process metrics, work instructions, turtle diagrams, flow charts, environmental policies and previous site environmental reviews and audit reports; corrective action documentation, relevant legislation as well as permits/licenses/consents records/emission data records as well as management review reports will all be closely examined by this audit process.

At this stage, an auditor will assess how your company’s EMS meets ISO 14001 requirements and whether it effectively satisfies company objectives.

Post-Audit

At your company, it’s essential that you understand how your actions may have an effect on the environment. Many large and small enterprises take this commitment to heart by instituting environmental management systems (EMS) within their organisation to reduce its footprint on earth.

An internal audit can be an essential element in creating an effective Environmental Management System (EMS), helping identify weaknesses within your system and highlight areas for improvement. Furthermore, ISO 14001 certification offers your organisation a great advantage in terms of managing an EMS successfully.

Preparing for an internal ISO 14001 audit starts with reviewing all documentation requirements you must satisfy, which you can do by creating a checklist of certifiable ‘shall” requirements from ISO 14001 standard and checking them against processes and documents in your own company. This may seem daunting at first, especially if this will be your first audit experience!