You may have an asbestos management program in place and want to find out how well it is doing. This calls for an audit, which I have done for several clients. They include an electric utility, a primary metals producer and one of their subsidiaries, a nationwide telecom company, a large university, a major hotel and the U S Postal Service.
Each of these assignments was conducted differently but a basic approach has emerged. An effective audit requires
• Face-to-face contact with the client’s staff at their facility
• Candid explanations and careful listening
• Appreciation of the basic problems facing the client – regulatory compliance, personnel issues, etc.
• An organized system of collecting detailed information – the audit questionnaire
• Extensive review of printed documents and electronic files
• Understanding of the client’s information management systems and software
• Comprehensive and realistic recommendations for the client to implement
• Follow-up to review effectiveness over a long term
Your EHS staff are my primary contact for the audit, but on-site discussions with facilities and operations staff are also important. Your consultants should be involved so that I can help you use their services more effectively. I am not trying to compete with them for your survey and abatement work.
Because each client's needs are unique, an approach and proposal from me for the audit requires that we start with an in-depth discussion. Call me and let’s talk it over, or send an e-mail with some basic information on your program and I will get back to you promptly.
Andrew F. Oberta, MPH, CIH
The Environmental Consultancy
info@asbestosguru-oberta.com
(512) 266-1368