14001 Registration Audit Mandays

[Mike Smith]

EMS is BS. Then on to TS

We are about to go through our registration for ISO14001. The registrar says it will take 3 auditor days to ensure we conform. 3 days!!!!!!!!! What are they going to do for 3 days? We hardly have any significant impacts on the environment. As a matter of fact, our company does more to help the environment since we remanufacture used automobile parts. Recycling is our business. All of these processes are documented with our quality system. Will this just be recertification audit to our QS? Just letting off some steam to anyone who will listen.

 

[Randy]

I'll listen, but 1st make sure you follow what Davy Crockett said..."Be sure you're right, then go ahead". Of course he died at the Alamo, so much for being right.

The audit days are determined by ISO Guide 66 and IAF Guidance to ISO Guide 66. Registrars have to follow basic guidance that is established based upon personnel manning levels and complexity of the organization. Is the audit going to take 3 days or is it billed at 3 auditor days? There is a big difference.

The audit will look at more than just your S/A's. The audit will look to see if all 17 required elements have been met and if all 52 of the "Shalls" in the standard have been addressed. The auditors will also look to see if you are confroming to the "planned arrangements" of the system (your procedures). They have a lot to do in a short period.

Trust me when I say that your QS ain't the issue, your EMS implementation, maintenance and effectiveness is.

Good luck

 

[tomvehoski]

Mike,

Has the auditor been to your facility yet? They are allowed some flexibility in audit days depending on how significant your impacts are. I had one increased by a day (paint manufacture - lots of potentially bad stuff) and one decreased (biggest impact was a potential spill of a quart of motor oil). Challenge them to see if they can reduce the days if you don't have that much to review.

Are your EMS and QMS integrated? If so you may be able to reduce audit days by scheduliing your surveillance visits at the same time. They will normally reduce the days since they don't need to audit document control, record control, corrective action, etc. twice if they are the same in both systems.

Tom

 

[Mike Smith]

Our EMS and QS are integrated. We had our last surveillance audit in November 2002, and are looking at June for our certification audit to 14001. We are then looking at ts16949 certification at our next audit in November. Upper management decided to concentrate on 14001 first and then to go for 16949 in November. Our registrar is performing both audits