Hello All

Any auditing guru's out there?

I have a query regarding the internal arrangements of auditing and specifically the scope and layout of a document:

1) Internal audits - do they audit against internal procedures or, do they audit against clauses such as 9001 etc?

2) If the answer is auditing against internal procedures, does the internal audit form have to have any reference to 9001/14001/18001 etc?

I am asking this as a sanity check, as there seems to be a starkly different view on internal audits to my understanding in my current organisation. If there are any documents that people would be kind enough to reference, something I can make reference to, this would be much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance....

We recently had a 18001 audit and the auditor wanted me to identify/map the clauses from 18001 into my own internal audit documentation where it was applicable, I kinda argued my point that there was no requirement to do this - but I wanted the certificate so I did it. Personally I think that it was to help the 18001 auditor to conduct the audit rather that a requirement.

So to answer the question posed, your internal audits should audit against your own standards, policies, procedures, legal compliance etc... i.e. auditing is a test to see if you are doing what you are saying you are doing. You make you document scope and layout to suit your organisation or business, don't try to make it fit something else for example to keep 18001 happy.

If you have 18001 for example you may need to map your internal audit document to the clauses of the standard to evidence compliance though.

Hope this helps.

if U are accredited to a particular 'standard' [I use the word 'standard' lightly] U audit to that standard -if U are not accredited to any formal standard U can audit to whatever U like e.g. in-house systems