C3.2.1 Environmental Inspections
Environmental inspections are assessments of the environmental performance of the area being inspected. They are generally more observation based (as opposed to audits which tend to also look at paperwork trails in more detail).
Purpose of an Environmental Inspection
Environmental inspections are usually conducted to confirm compliance with something, whether that be adherence to internal procedures or environmental legislation.
Inspection Process
Organisations will have differing inspection procedures. However, the process for an environmental inspection is essentially the same.
- Person conducting the inspection walks around the area being inspected and observes working practices. For example, this may include:
- Looking inside bins to ensure waste is segregated properly.
- Ensuring that liquid materials are stored in drip trays.
- The inspection is recorded, with any actions required listed (preferably allocating responsibility for completing the actions and a deadline for their completion).
- The inspection report is provided to the relevant person to ensure that the actions are completed, such as the area Supervisor or Manager.
Who should conduct an environmental inspection?
This will depend on the subject of the inspection and the depth of the inspection. For example, an organisation may have different tiers of inspection:
Work Area Inspection:
- One page checklist (a tick sheet).
- Covering issues such as storage, housekeeping and waste management in that specific area.
- Completed weekly.
- Completed by the supervisor of that work area.
Site Environmental Inspection:
- More in-depth checklist, perhaps several pages.
- Covering issues such as legislative compliance.
- Completed monthly.
- Completed by the Environmental Manager.