I am looking for information from Guidance to Guide 66 as it relates to registration for multiple facilities under one business unit registration. In a lead auditor training course I attended, according to Guide 66, representative sampling for a business unit registration can only occur if the facilities are low-impact (e.g. warehouses). Can anyone find this specific reference for me?
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Kathleen, I could be wrong but I don't think there is a specific reference to low-impact facilites as it applies to multi-site registrations. It may be that a specific certification body has made that a requirement of their audit program.
Here is what I think applies from the guidance to Guide 66.
"G.5.3.10. The certification/registration body’s procedures should ensure that the initial contract
review identifies, to the greatest extent possible, the difference between sites such that an
adequate level of sampling is determined in accordance with provisions c) to e) of G.5.3.13."
and this
"G.5.3.13. Where an organization has a number of sites with similar activities covered by a
single EMS, a certificate may be issued to the organization to cover all such sites provided that:
(a) all sites are operating under the same EMS, which is centrally administered and
audited and subject to central management review, and
(b) all sites have been audited in accordance with the internal audit procedure(s), and
(c) a representative sample of sites have been audited by the certification/registration
body, taking into account the factors below
• the results and reports of internal site and central EMS audits
• the results of management review
• maturity of the management system
• any existing knowledge of the organization
• variations in the size of the sites
• complexity of the EMS
• complexity of the sites
• any shift working
• variations in working practices
• repetitiveness of functions
• variations in activities undertaken
• the spread of the organization’s personnel over the sites
• the significance and extent of the aspects and associated impacts
• potential interaction with sensitive environment
• differing legal requirements
• the views of interested parties, and..."
