The global pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to EHS auditing programs. With widespread social distancing requirements and travel restrictions, EHS leaders had to rapidly adapt their programs in order to meet their organizational objectives and effectively manage risk.
Despite the importance of these changes – and the difficulty presented by adapting an auditing program in the middle of a global pandemic, there are relatively few resources available documenting the state of auditing, as well as how to effectively execute an audit in ‘The New Normal.’
The Emergence of Virtual EHS Audits from NAEM fills this gap, showing how EHS auditing programs have adapted to the times by combining insights from an in-depth quantitative survey, interviews and panel discussions focused on virtual auditing.
The research also demonstrates that the majority of EHS auditing programs have been moderately scaled down since COVID-19 began, while rapidly embracing virtual EHS auditing practices.
In addition to this valuable benchmarking, the report offers a first look at the how leading companies are allocating resources to in-person vs. virtual audits, along with the most prevalent challenges to be aware of in planning and executing virtual audits.