How to Internal Audit a Quality department - ISO 9001:2000 14001:2004 OHSAS18001:1999

Hello again,

I have to audit a sisters company on their QHSE department : ISO 9001:2000/14001:2004 OHSAS18001:1999

Do any of you have suggestions for questions, besides document control!!!

Thx

Loaded Inquiry

QHSEer said:

Hello again,

I have to audit a sisters company on their QHSE department : ISO 9001:2000/14001:2004 OHSAS18001:1999

Do any of you have suggestions for questions, besides document control!!!

Thx

Click to expand...

I will leave the details to the Cove Experts and just suggest that you audit the processes of the department or management system. Document control would only be in addition to the In-puts, Value Added Activity, and Out-puts to those processes.

Doug

QHSEer said:

Hello again,

I have to audit a sisters company on their QHSE department : ISO 9001:2000/14001:2004 OHSAS18001:1999

Do any of you have suggestions for questions, besides document control!!!

Thx

Click to expand...

Well first, I would handle the audit as you would handle your own division. I really don't think that the requirement that the "Auditor can not audit their own work (ISO9001:2000)" would apply as long as you are not performing the work at your sister companies. But, that would be a matter of interpretation from a Third-Party Registrar, like Sidney's.

I would start looking at each of the processes that they have identified as critical, review any new policies or procedures that have been revised, review any third party results of their audits and make sure that if there were other NC's identified previously, that they are closed.

This would give you a starting point, but there might be other people here at the cove that may have some other ideas.


Coury Ferguson

thanks

Coury Ferguson said:

Well first, I would handle the audit as you would handle your own division. I really don't think that the requirement that the "Auditor can not audit their own work (ISO9001:2000)" would apply as long as you are not performing the work at your sister companies. But, that would be a matter of interpretation from a Third-Party Registrar, like Sidney's.

Click to expand...

Well said! I've audited sister mills and while their processes may be similar to ours, I'm not auditig my own work so the system, as a whole, is fair game. I audit them as I would audit my site.

You might wish to ask them for their process maps ahead of time so that you can understand how things interact...especially if they do things differently than your site.

Here's a big one that will sting, but what the "H", I'm on this side of the ocean.

Do you have the necessary competencies to effectively audit 9, 14 & 18? If your asking how to do it then you have answered the question already with a big resounding "NO"

If I'm correct, which I suspect, your audit will be nothing more than the dry old "Do you have a procedure?" and just a hum-drum type of gap analysis looking no further than the next "shall"..

Randy your right just know the 9001 system as we are only certified for that part, but they also have 14 and 18

Is it that different than??????

To a certain degree there are quite a few things that all the systems have in common, Doc & Records control, Competence, Awareness & Training, and even the internal audit itself.

The challenge of competence I speak of is directly related to the differences between Environmental management, Safety Management and Quality Management. Do you have training in all of them? Do you have experience with all of them? Do you have a working knowledge of Environmental technology and science? Do you have an understanding of Risk management? What experience do you have in product realization? The list goes on.

Unless you can talk-the-talk and walk-the-talk when it comes to safety, environment and quality how can you effectively and honestly audit them?

Thanks

And no, only did training in 9001, but can I audit the 14 and 18 as well
Or is this not recommended for these standards!!

QHSEer,

You may want to take Randy's advice. If I were you (you already are knowledgable in 9001) I'd see about contracting a 3rd party firm that specializes in Environmental as one of their areas. Maybe Lloyd's or DNV on your side of the pond. While they are doing their audits, shadow them to get a feel for it, then in the furture schedule yourself for some training.

On a different note, I myself would not want to aduit a system that I was unfamiliar with, unless I had training in it or I shadowed someone who had training and competence.