GB/T 24011-1996 Environment Audit Guide
1 Introduction
The environmental audit guide of GB/T 24011-1996 sets out requirements for carrying out environmental audits. It is intended to provide an audit process that ensures that organizations can identify and effectively manage their environmental management system (EMS) responsibilities and associated risks. This guide should enable organizations to assess the effectiveness of their EMS in the context of their operations.
2 Objectives
The objective of this audit guide is to enable organizations to assess the effectiveness of their EMS, and in particular its conformity to best practice and any regulatory requirements. The organization as a whole would be assessed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the system, and specific parts of the system that are important for meeting regulatory or other requirements would be evaluated.
3 Scope
This audit guide is applicable to any organization, regardless of the size or nature of its activities, that applies one or more environmental management systems. This guide applies to all phases of system planning, implementation, operation, and review. This guide is applicable to organizations that have already implemented their MS and those that have not.
4 System elements to be covered
The environmental management system covered by this guide should consist of the elements specified in the MS. These elements should include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Element 1: Environmental policy
• Element 2: Leadership
• Element 3: Planning
• Element 4: Objectives, targets, and programs
• Element 5: Organization and responsibilities
• Element 6: Training, awareness, and competence
• Element 7: Documented information
• Element 8: Communications
• Element 9: Risk assessment and management
• Element 10: Monitoring, measurement, and analysis
• Element 11: Emergency preparedness and response
• Element 12: Continual improvement
5 Procedures
5.1 Overview
The environmental audit process is typically divided into three stages: planning and scoping, execution, and evaluation. Each stage is discussed in detail below.
5.2 Planning and scoping
The first stage of the audit process is planning and scoping. This stage involves defining the scope of the audit, identifying the audit sites and personnel, and developing an audit plan. This includes activities such as determining the audit objectives, identifying the criteria to be used for evaluating the EMS, identifying potential sources of information, and developing a timeline for the audit.
5.3 Execution
The second stage of the audit process is the execution stage. During this stage, the auditors visit the audit sites and collect the necessary data for their assessment. The data to be collected includes document reviews, interviews, observations, and measurements.
5.4 Evaluation
The third stage of the audit process is evaluation. During this stage, the auditors review the data collected to assess the effectiveness of the EMS against the criteria defined in the planning and scoping stage. If necessary, they may also recommend corrective actions and develop a follow-up plan.
6 Follow-up
After the audit is completed, it is important to ensure that the recommended corrective actions are implemented and the system is monitored for continuous improvement. Follow-up activities may include additional audits, monitoring of the systems performance, and identification of opportunities for improvement.
7 Conclusion
The environmental audit of GB/T 24011-1996 sets out requirements for carrying out environmental audits. The objective of this audit guide is to enable organizations to assess the effectiveness of their EMS and identify ways to improve it. The audit process is typically divided into three stages: planning and scoping, execution, and evaluation. It is important to follow-up on the audit to ensure that the corrective actions are implemented and the system is monitored for continuous improvement.
