Environment, health and safety (EHS) audits are incredible tools for assessing regulatory compliance, identifying risk and finding opportunities for process improvement. However, many EHS departments find audits daunting, requiring time, money and resources they may or may not have.
In our experience, EHS audits are one of the most valuable and cost-effective ways to ensure compliance, mitigate risk and propel EHS programs forward.
Learn how companies in a variety of industries have benefited from EHS audits with the help of Antea Group and our global partners.
Company 1: A Big Box Retailer
An international big box retailer was struggling to assess EHS risks and implement solutions at their non-retail units, which included a meat processing facility, a print shop, an eyewear manufacturing facility, and several regional distribution centers.
The Audit: Antea Group worked with the company to develop custom EHS protocols that addressed unique risks and local regulations for each business unit. From there, Antea Group deployed experienced and certified auditors to each of the locations to conduct on-site reviews using those tailored protocols.
Finally, after two days of interviews, record review, and process evaluation, auditors prepared audit reports that included regulatory citations, a prioritized list of potential risks, and suggestions for corrective action.
The Big Benefit: The EHS audit process provided the company with a roadmap for taking advantage of the biggest opportunities, correcting issues and proactively managing ongoing risk at each site. In addition, an educational follow-up visit gave both on-site personnel and the corporate EHS team a deeper understanding of the risks present in their respective facilities.
Company 2: A Global Pharmaceutical Organization
A global pharmaceutical organization was on a mission to improve its EHS and social responsibility performance across the entire organization. After new baseline standards were established and communicated, the organization needed to evaluate each site to determine the level of conformance and any necessary corrective actions. But with sites spread across multiple geographies, this would be a big challenge.
The Audit: Antea Group quickly leveraged its global team of auditors through the Inogen Environmental Alliance network, deploying auditors to evaluate manufacturing sites in multiple countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America. Audit results were then compiled into individual reports including findings, regulatory references and recommendations for each site.
The Big Benefit: The EHS audits were able to identify compliance gaps, as well as offer recommendations for systematically implementing corrective action, allowing the organization to continuously improve their EHS performance.
Company 3: A Global Food Service and Commercial Laundry Organization
A global food service and commercial laundry organization—with a robust history of acquisitions—was experiencing a high incident rate due to injuries, illnesses and fatalities within its newly acquired laundry facilities. Recognizing a lack of understanding of EHS best practices and regulatory compliance, the organization came to the conclusion that enhanced EHS audits could be a valuable tool.
The Audit: Antea Group dispatched auditors to the five commercial laundry facilities with the highest incident rates. Auditors not only worked to assess compliance and programmatic gaps, but also any behavioral factors and educational needs.
After reviewing records and documentation, interviewing employees, assessing behavioral factors, and taking time to educate employees about EHS, auditors compiled reports that included findings, regulatory references and recommendations. In addition, trend analyses were conducted to identify EHS practices and compliance issues that trended across locations.
The Big Benefit: The audit revealed several focus areas and trends, allowing the organization to understand how to identify regulatory gaps, make programmatic improvements, and develop and implement corrective action plans. Antea Group also assisted the organization in a top-down evaluation of their programs based on the audit results. In addition, the educational element prepared employees for those corrective actions.
Company 4: A Petroleum Marketer
A petroleum marketer was in the midst of a large asset transaction for bulk plants, industrial facilities, fueling/transfer stations, and warehouse facilities across the U.S. Before the transaction could be completed, the company need to evaluate the condition of each facility in relation to regulatory compliance and potential Recognized Environmental Conditions (REC).
The Audit: Antea Group began by compiling relevant environmental and safety requirements for each facility, conducting a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), on-site inspections and audits, interviews, record reviews, and regulatory research. Auditors then compiled a detailed report of audit findings, including an REC summary and necessary recommendations for a Phase II ESA.
The Big Benefit: Armed with detailed findings and recommendations, the organization was able to complete the asset transaction without incident.
Company 5: A Ceramics Manufacturing Facility
A large, advanced materials organization wanted to evaluate worker risks at one of its specialty ceramics manufacturing facilities, as well as ensure compliance with OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard and EPA’s Risk Management Program (RMP) regulation, and obtain recommendations for necessary corrective actions.
The Audit: Antea Group launched a comprehensive EHS audit for the facility and operations, using the specific PSM and RMP industry requirements as a guide, as well as other consensus standards. As always, after on-site audits, document review and research, auditors compiled a findings report complete with risks, opportunities and recommendations.
The Big Benefit: The audit provided the organization with the information it needed to define a pathway for compliance, as well as direction on when or if upgrades need to be made to safety programs and operating equipment.
Learn more about EHS auditing and consulting services from Antea Group by visiting our Environmental and Health and Safety Audits service pages.
