ABSTRACT
Ideally, an audit team should comprise at least two people, as one person is not a team, but an individual. You will have heard the expression that “There is no ‘I’ in team.” The exception to this rule is for Level 2 specialist auditing, where the auditor is an expert in the subject being audited, and finding two experts to work together may be difficult, expensive, or very inefficient. In normal circumstances, the use of a team approach is beneficial when it comes to making recommendations-the recommendation from a single auditor is at risk of being perceived as subject to that individual’s bias, whereas a “team” recommendation, even if it comes from a team of two, is more likely to be taken as a carefully considered view which has taken into account more than one perspective. Larger teams are more common when carrying out Level 3 SHE management audits, because of the quantity and breadth of subjects to be considered. However, a word of caution-large audit teams can create the atmosphere of an inquisition. In one case that I know, a team of seven auditors turned up for a week to audit a factory employing sixty people. This was insensitive and almost amounted to intimidation, particularly when you realize that the factory operated a shift system, so that the maximum number of people on site at any one time was about thirty. Almost irrespective of the size of the operation, it is rare for the audit team to exceed four people. If larger groups are needed, it is wise to go back and review the scope of the audit and consider narrowing the breadth. Due diligence audits may be an exception to this rule as these may require a series of specialisttype audits to be conducted in parallel in a very short time or where trainee auditors may be present, although their role may be primarily in an observation capacity. In no circumstances should there be more than one trainee on an audit team.
