Rank: Forum user 
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Hi All,
Just putting this one out there for thought/opinions. When performing an internal environmental audit to check our process etc etc does the lead auditor/auditor require an environmental audit qualification in order to do this or can someone who is deemed competent with enough knowledge and understanding of the subject/audit content be sufficient to conduct this?
We have personnel who are not qualified in environmental training but have a good knowledge and experience. We have identified a gap in a skill set in preparation for a forthcoming audit. The long term plan is identify personnel and then get them on a course.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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As no one has answered you.
My view is that anyone doing auditing work should have been on an auditing course on how to audit. Though in theory I guess anyone could do it, but how effective it would be is another matter. I am assuming that this is for ISO14001 and I would say they would want the auditors to have training ( but they would wouldn't they). There is an ISO for auditor requirements, but I'm not sure people go to that level.
There is a skill involved in auditing, but I do feel that someone who has been on say a ISO9001 course is perfectly capable of doing ISO14001, if they have some environmental knowledge.
Not sure if this has helped any as it is just MHO. We have just had our ISO audits for the last two weeks (what a marathon) and they were happy enough with my stance.
Of course the standards are changing later this year so careful on what course you send people.
Chris
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Rank: Super forum user
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We have an integrated HS&E system. When training some internal auditors we sent them on a "process" centred audit course. The idea being that they would learn the key skills for auditing and reporting from a process perspective, not safety and not environment.
In practise they then pick up the requirement from one of the standards (14001/18001), the relevant procedure and documents and then they can prepare for the audit. What actually works well is that because they are not specifically safety or environment focused they tend to ask some interesting questions because they need to understand what they are looking at and what the auditee is telling them.
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Rank: Forum user
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Thank you for your comments I appreciate them.
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