Tips for Choosing an External Auditor

For large companies, a key step to SAFE certification is an audit completed by a Council-certified External Auditor. Review the following tips to find the best auditor for you.

Choose carefully

While trained and certified by the Council, External Auditors are independent  consultants selected and paid by individual companies.  Choose carefully. Check our web site for auditors’ expertise matching the work done by your operation; ask for references; determine the fee, and schedule enough time for the audit well in advance. The Auditor Code of Ethics prevents a safety consultant who helps develop a company’s safety program from acting as its external auditor.

Do a dry run

To avoid difficulty during a certification audit, conduct a baseline audit to close any major gaps between your current safety program and our audit protocol. For help with this, it’s useful to refer to the BASE Audit. One way of doing a dry run is for a company to arrange a student audit.  Student audits are conducted by individuals still training to be an auditor and help them meet a course requirement.  Companies interested in student audits should contact 1-877-741-1060.

Be prepared

For the certification audit, make knowledgeable staff part of the process, including preparing the documentation review, employee interviews and site tours.  What’s involved and how long it takes depends on the size of the operation.

Ethics

Have a look at the Auditor Code of Ethics to provide a sense of how your External Auditor should conduct the audit activities.

Questions?

Inquires regarding external auditors can be directed to Ken Hall at 1.877.741.1060.
 

 External Auditor Stated Experience Matrix

The BC Forest Safety Council has created the external auditor stated experience matrix. This matrix is a summary of the stated experience provided by the external auditors and will be updated as the information changes.

To access the external auditor stated experience matrix click here. 

 Disclaimer:

The BC Forest Safety Council does not recommend  specific auditors, nor do we verify the data that auditors submit regarding their previous work experience or expertise.  We recommend that companies review each auditor’s qualifications and experience prior to hiring to ensure that the auditor has the necessary experience and competency to audit the client operations.  All auditors are expected to uphold the Code of Ethics in all matters dealing with auditing.