What is an internal audit report for ISO 14001 and how do you prepare one?

If your company has an EMS (Environmental Management System) that has ISO 14001:2015 certification, you are well aware of how crucial the internal audit function is to make sure your EMS is operating properly.

Why have a report on internal audits?

It is simple to understand why a business must document the findings of internal audits that are planned under the ISO 14001:2015 standard. It is imperative that you conduct rigorous internal audits to attempt and uncover any gaps in procedure, documentation, or standard requirements and then take official action to correct them in order to prevent non-conformance during the certification audit. In addition to meeting the requirements of the standard, creating an audit report gives you the foundation for a proper list of action items to address, which, if done correctly, will satisfy the certification auditor's review of your internal audit process and close the gaps that have been identified.

What should the subject matter be?

The ISO 14001:2015 standard itself doesn't specify the contents of the internal audit report. However, it is safe to infer that your audit report will need to address the following components if you look at the standards for the audit:

• Whether or not the EMS adheres to the requirements of the standard
• Whether all relevant laws are followed
• Whether the EMS complies with the terms of service and achieves the goals
• Any discovered non-conformances

It is also obvious that the following information belongs in the internal audit report:

• Information on general audits, such as who conducted it, when it happened, and when the report was produced.
• The departments, records, and procedures in the EMS that were subject to the audit, as well as, if necessary, any applicable provisions of the standard.
• If any non-conformances are discovered, you should take the time to record all pertinent facts and details because the more information you can gather here will increase the effectiveness of your efforts to fix them.