IMS Certification Audit Guides: Stage 2 and Surveillance Audits

Three slide guides that follow an integrated management system (IMS) for quality, environment and occupational health and safety through its certification cycle — from the audit that grants the certificate to the two surveillance visits that keep it. Each explains what the auditor is looking for, what evidence to have ready and how the focus shifts from one audit to the next.

What is inside

IMS Stage 2 Certification Audit (90 slides) — foundations and audit criteria, preparation and the opening meeting, the audit approach and leadership, planning and support, operational control, people, findings and the closing meeting, and what happens after Stage 2.

IMS 1st Surveillance Audit (38 slides) — closing out the Stage 2 findings, keeping IMS performance on track, and getting ready for the 2nd surveillance.

IMS 2nd Surveillance Audit (20 slides) — keeping conformity, proving effectiveness, driving improvement and getting ready for recertification.

Three PDFs in widescreen slide format, ready to read on screen or present to your team.

Who it is for

Management representatives, QHSE managers, process owners and internal auditors preparing an organisation for an IMS certification or surveillance audit, and trainee auditors who want to see how the three audits differ.

How to use it

Start with the guide for the audit you face next. Use its evidence lists to brief process owners and gather records before the visit, and walk your management team through the slides so nobody is surprised by what the auditor asks. After the audit, the next guide in the series shows what the certification body will come back to check.

This is a training guide, not the standard. Requirements are summarised in our own words and the published standard remains the only authoritative text. Audit timing and rules are set by your certification body and its accreditation requirements.