Ring the consultant and ask them to explain what it is they are looking for. your current procedures should be the basis of what will become your OHSAS18001 management system. If you currently have ISO 9001 you will already have a lot of what is required.

If you need a template gap analysis let me know and I will send something over SBH

It is very much easier to prove in an audit if you have a procedure. We run 14001 and 18001 as one unit, but we do have procedures for communication and the other stuff you have listed as part of the complete management system. The auditor will be looking for evidence and if you have a written procedure and can show evidence to demonstrate it is followed, the headaches for you will be considerably less. I found, because I did EHS but not Quality, when they changed one of their procedures or processes it didn't necessarily continue to comply with my requirements so it was easier to duplicate the procedure and then let the two naturally evolve differently to suit either 9001 or 14001/18001. There is no substitute for a good written set of documents under your own control to cover the requirements. Although hard work initially, the benefits going forward will be immeasurable.

Dick PM me with your email and I will forward you on a detailed gap analysis which you can use. J

Perhaps you should look at PAS 99 -Integrated Management Standard which can bring two or more standards together into a single framework.

I'd recommend going on an 18001 lead auditors course with a reputable body. It will highlight to you what procedures are required as it teaches you how to audit against the standard. It all becomes a lot clearer once you understand what the external auditors are looking for. Regards Yul

Hi all Firstly, as an auditor I would be looking for clear processes. These do not necessarily have to be documented as long as there is a procedure in place and it is clear for all to follow i.e. everyone understands the procedure. It seems to me that your consultant has done the minimum required of him and has done exactly what has been asked, documented the gaps, but this is difficult to comment on specifically as none of us on this forum can examine the communication or evidence. A simple small organisation can 'work' with unwritten procedures as it is easy to communicate what is expected, but as organisations grow it is far more easier to communicate through documented procedures. So, to clarify, an auditor cannot 'fail' someone if he/she can clearly follow a procedure during auditing, if they can clearly evidence it taking place. However, 18001 is about continual improvement so the auditor may comment on improvement opportunities. Some clauses in the 18001 standards HAVE TO BE documented and this is clearly define in the standards. For instance: Audit: systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining “audit evidence” and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which “audit criteria” are fulfilled Communication can be easily identified through simple means such as sign off attendance forms etc. Really, if you're having trouble implementing such a system then you really should seek professional advice and I would look towards an auditor who is accredited to both 18001 and 9001, as 9001 will look at your quality management system which could save you £££ in the future, especially in terms of quality control and efficiency. You are definitely very right in saying that procedures can be cross referenced otherwise the 'communication element would be a stand alone procedure which doesn't make sense. It should be detailed in each process how the information will be communicated to relevant parties. Although again, there might be a justifiable reason why you need a stand alone procedure and that's the very reason why I recommend you seek advice.