Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) Best Practice Guidance

During the site tour, the auditor should meet a range of managers / supervisors / workers across all site
operations, The auditor should not be purely guided by management on areas to visit and should freely
investigate all areas that they feel are needed to perform the audit.
The auditor should raise issues as they arise, giving managers the opportunity to seek clarification, respond,
and provide explanations or further evidence.
Note: Auditors should ensure that workers cannot be identified from any photos taken, especially those
interviewed.
CHECKLIST - SITE TOUR
The auditor should walk around all areas of the employment site in order to:
l Understand the types of work.
l Evaluate Health & Safety.
l Identify potentially vulnerable groups of workers.
l Assess whether some operations may be sub-contracted to other units.
l Observe management systems and practices, including interaction between management and workers.
l During the site tour, the auditor should include the following areas of focus:
Working environment, Health & Safety:
l Working environment e.g. layout, temperature, tidiness.
l Work stations.
l Evacuation plans and evacuation routes.
l Signs in local language as appropriate.
l Fire equipment and emergency equipment.
l Building construction, maintenance and certificates.
l Machine safety, guarding and maintenance.
l Emergency procedures.
l Personal protective equipment.
l First aid equipment and qualified staff.
l Hazardous substances storage, handling and disposal.
l Warnings and labels and whether in local language if appropriate.
l Waste management.
l Toilets and sanitation.
l Potable water.
l Canteen hygiene and safety, when applicable.
l Dormitory hygiene and safety, when applicable.
SMETA Best Practice Guidance (4-Pillar Version 4.0, May 2012)
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