Sorry, but I don’t buy this!
There are no special requirements for doing internal audits. If you are already a quality management systems auditor, if you need to audit internally any environment or safety management system all you need to have is some experience with the related standards.
The degree of experience you need to have is only defined by your organization, although it needs to be consistent...
Remember just this; those training courses you are going to attend in these standards are going to be given by someone that had self training on the subject. Why don’t you do it also?
Study the standards and read important information on those fields.
I give may case, I’m finishing a master degree in the safety area, but before I started it I had already studied by myself OHSAS 18001/2 and also several other related standards. When it came the part of safety management systems and risk management, I could easily say that I knew much more about that than the teacher present.
The idea of getting DNV or Lloyds to perform an audit there and “see the way they do it”, also I don’t think is a good idea. You’re going to spend money and a registration audit has little to compare with and internal audit.
My humble suggestion:
- Read all environmental and safety policies and procedures and make a good check list based on them. Make the audit based on them!
This audit could not be “the perfect one”, but after making it in 2 or 3 different places of your company, and well studding the standards, you’ll be able to understand your QES system and make good audits!