Workplace Auditor Selection

The selection of the auditor of audit team is of critical importance for a successful workplace audit, whether the purpose of the audit is certification against an international standard or whether it is to determine conformance to a local standard.

In order to ensure that the auditors utilised during the audit, complies with the requirements set out by the certification authority and upholds a professional behaviour expected from the site being audited the following guideline is provided in respect of the use of auditors for ISO and OHSAS certification audits. The guideline should be enforced in respect of all full time auditors, contractors utilised to conduct audits or any of their agents as well as auditors supplying a support service.

Management System Auditors
The ISO 19011 should be used as a guideline for setting criteria for personnel carrying out management system audits. This includes Lead Auditors, Auditors and Technical Experts that could form part of the audit team.

Lead auditors and auditors may have to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of 19011 by registration to an internationally recognised Auditor Registration Scheme.

In order to allow the person calling together the audit team to make an informed decision on the capability of the auditors, proof of experience may be required in the form of the following types of supporting documentation:

• CV, Indicating qualifications and experience relative to the sector industry classification and the ISO standard.

• Audit log (including a summary of audits conducted showing the number of days worked as lead auditor, auditor, or technical experts to support requirements of ISO 19011.)

• An independent verification from a suitable referee.

When evaluating the potential auditors for a particular audit it is important to evaluate the industry sectors which the assessor has worked in, and sectors not worked in but which the assessor feels competent in. Previous experience or knowledge of the sector being audited is of high importance when conducting the assessment of the suitability of a particular individual for a specific audit.

When making use of sub-contractors it will be important to ensure that all subcontractors accept and sign a confidentiality and conflicts of interest agreement.

The final composition of the audit team should consider that at least one of the audit team must have appropriate knowledge of the Industrial Sector(s) for the audit by audit experience in the sector. The other option is to proof line management/supervisory experience in the sector or by consultancy experience or relevant academic qualification for the industry sector.

The lead auditor is responsible to ensure that all pre-audit activities are conducted timely and correctly. The lead auditor is also responsible to ensure that participating auditors are appropriately prepared to a level that is aligned with their roles and responsibilities during the audit, prior to the team arriving on the audit site.

Conclusion to Workplace Auditor Selection

The composition, experience and interaction between auditors play a much bigger role in ensuring the success of an audit than is generally recognized.

An audit that does not have the desired outcomes or result in dissatisfaction is mostly the result of an inappropriately experienced team of auditors. Even when the best available audit protocol is used during the audit and the workplace team is properly prepared for the audit it may result in a negative experience for everybody if the wrong team conducts the audit.

© 2009 Carl Marx