Audit

Why Audit

Organisations have a responsibility to ensure that their operations are carried out in a safe and productive manner that reduces the potential negative impacts to people, property or the environment. Increasingly, an approach towards the self-assessment of the risks which may result in these impacts is replacing prescriptive legislation.

Many organisations have implemented management systems to identify, evaluate and track hazards in the areas of organisational risk (health, safety, environment and quality (HSEQ) to meet required standards of performance. To be effective, these systems must reflect an organisation’s goals, regulatory requirements and be capably implemented and audited, either internally or independently.

Audit reports provide constructive feedback on the performance.

Audit reports aid managers to plan future operations, target key areas of concern and improve future performance.

Environmental Risk Solutions (ERS) designs, implements, reviews and audits systems to manage organisational risk for a variety of clients with specific requirements.We also develop audit protocols and provide training for internal audit purposes.

ERS assists organisations evaluate their performance and develop action plans to address non-compliances and maintain continuous improvement

Our Approach to Audits

ERS’s team has extensive experience in developing and implementing Management Systems (and Safety Cases / Safety Reports) based on Australian and Internationals Standards and providing organisations with a tool to plan and control activities, implement change and meet regulatory requirements. All systems are developed in close consultation with the client to produce a system that suits the specific operating requirements.

Our senior auditors undertake structured, independent audits of systems and their documentation (i.e. Manuals, Plans, Policies, Procedures, Codes of Practice, Forms, Work Instructions, Process Specifications) to identify possible risks and potential liabilities. We assess the suitability of systems for the organisation’s operations, measure the performance of the system as a whole, check the review and maintenance of the system and evaluate compliance with the system itself.

The written audit report lists findings, non-compliances, references to relevant standards and regulations and actions to address non-compliances to reduce or eliminate the potential liabilities.

ERS regularly undertakes audits for a variety of client groups in a range of industries, from small industrial operations to onshore and offshore facilities, including Major Hazard Facilities, to government bodies. We perform annual audits for internal use, audits for regulatory approval and reviews of Safety Case/Report submissions. For internal use, we provide Audit Protocols and training to provide company employees with the knowledge and skills required for planning and conducting an audit.

In consultation with regulatory bodies and clients ERS has developed several audit checklists and Safety Case/Report requirements.

Scope of Audits

• Systems
• Compliance
• Due Diligence
• ISO 14000
• Environmental License
• Major Hazard Facilities

ERS Auditing Services in a Glance

ERS considers that the most effective management systems are those that are developed and driven by the organisation concerned. The organisation should also take an active role in the regular review and audit of the system to assess compliance and implementation of procedures and to contribute to the continuous improvement of their performance. This may occur by a combination of:

• employing external auditors
• developing Audit Protocols for internal use in consultation with industry professionals
• obtaining training in audit procedures and undertaking internal audits.

ERS auditing services include:

• Compliance and System Audits (Safety Case/Reports, HSEQ and Integrated Risk Management Systems)
• ‘Due Diligence’ audits
• ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) audits − Environmental Licence Audits
• Emergency Response and Recovery Systems exercise co-ordination and audits
• WorkSafe Standard "Control of Major Hazard Facilities”
• Dangerous Goods audits

Complementary ERS Services include:

• review of existing HSEQ and Integrated Risk Management Systems
• upgrade of systems to reflect legislative, industry and organisational changes and best practices

Standards

• AS 4581 - Management System Integration
• AS 4804 - Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
• AS 4360 - Risk Management
• ISO 14000– Environmental Management