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Periodically, the organization must examine the EMS to make sure it is working property. In Clause 4.4.4, ISO 14001 requires the company to carry out audits of the EMS. This is a system-wide audit, not just and audit for compliance with laws and regulations. The aim is to make sure the EMS "conforms to planned arrangements for environmental management including the requirements of this standard" and has been properly implemented and maintained. The other aim of the EMS audit is to provide information on its results to management.
The standard also emphasizes that the audit program and its scheduled frequency must be based on the environmental importance of the activity concerned and the results of previous audits." The audit procedures should be comprehensive and cover the scope of the audit, its frequency, and its methods. They should also cover responsibilities and requirements for conducting audits and reporting results.
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