Stage 1 Audits
The objectives of a Stage 1 Audit are to:
- Assess your Documented Management System
- Evaluate your Locations and any site-specific conditions
- Assess your understanding of the requirements of the standard
- Agree the scope of your Documented Management System, processes and location(s) and related statutory and regulatory aspects and associated risks
- Plan the Stage 2 Audit and establish your planning arrangements for Internal Audits and Management Reviews
- Determine your readiness for a Stage 2 Audit
- Identify any areas for potential Improvement of the Management System
Stage 2 Audits, Re-Audits and Transfer Re-Audits
The objectives of a Stage 2 Audit are to:
- Evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of your Management System
- Assess your performance against key performance objectives and targets (monitoring, measuring, reporting and reviewing)
- Evaluate your legal compliance, operational control of processes, Internal Audits, Management Reviews and Policies
- Evaluate links between the normative requirements, policy, performance objectives and targets, responsibilities, competence of personnel, operations, procedures, and performance data.
- Identify any areas for potential Improvement of the Management System
Surveillance Audits and Surveillance Takeover Audits
The objectives of a Surveillance Audit are to:
- Ensure your Management System has continued to fulfil requirements between Audits
- Ensure Internal Audits and Management Review have been performed to programme
- Review actions taken on nonconformities identified during previous Audits
- Evaluate your handling of any complaints
- Evaluate the continued effectiveness of the management system, with regard to achieving your objectives
- Evaluate your legal compliance and performance
- Evaluate your progress of planned activities aimed at continual improvement
- Ensure continuing operational control
- Review any changes to your organisation since the previous Audit
- Ensure that ACS Registrars and the Accreditation Body marks are being used correctly
- Identify any areas for potential Improvement of the Management System
Validation Audits
The objective of a Validation Audit is to:
- Ensure your Management System has continued to fulfil requirements between Audits
- Ensure Internal Audits and Management Review have been performed to programme
- Review actions taken on nonconformities identified during previous Audits
- Evaluate your handling of any complaints
- Evaluate the continued effectiveness of the management system, with regard to achieving your objectives
- Ensure continuing operational control
- Identify any areas for potential Improvement of the Management System
Unscheduled visits
The objective of an Un-Scheduled Audit will be defined separately, as each Audit of this type is unique.
