You might have been in a position when being audited by your certification body, where you feel there is a new issue being raised that has not been raised before.   Does this mean that the auditor is using a different standard or different interpretation? Not necessarily.
At the end of any certification body audit, the auditor reads out the standard disclaimer which includes a statement something like ‘an audit is a sample, other non-conformities may exist although not identified at this time’ In other words an audit is a snapshot in time’, the data given only gives a ‘snapshot’ of the current situation and this sampling approach is one of the reasons why previous audits may not have raised the issue.
Other reasons for apparent inconsistencies may include…
- The auditor simply missed something during previous audits
- An individual auditor may have different knowledge, experience or may be more specific about certain requirements
- The depth and scope of each audit can vary (as can the sample) so this may have affected what the auditor looked at previously
What to do…
Any good auditor should clearly state the ‘evidence and criteria not met’ when discussing a non-conformity, so make sure you fully understand the evidence being cited and the exact clause of the standard not being met.  Don’t forget you are well within your rights to ask, ‘where in the standard does it say that’.
So, although the question of ‘why have we not had this issue raised before?’ can be asked, it should be clear exactly what the issue is with specific examples. Clear reporting of the issue as a non-conformity is for another time but it goes without saying, a good auditor can be measured by how well they report a finding. Which in turn leads to clarity in determining actions and ultimately mitigating risk, a stitch in time!
