DIN EN 16001: Energy Management Systems in Practice - adelphi

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5. Internal audits
You must regularly carry out internal audits, 27 which
includes a systematic review of your EnMS. Internal
audits are an important step for continuous improvement.
In the run-up to an internal audit, it is advisable to
clarify what it actually contains. For instance, it should
not be taken as a:
•
Cost-benefit-calculation of individual measures
• Calculation of economic efficiency for future
projects
• Analysis of technical aspects of the equipment
purchased according to the action plan
The aim of the internal audit is to further improve the
functionality of your EnMS, your energy management
Tip
27 Definition according to DIN EN 16001: “The purpose of an internal audit is to carry out a systematic review of the energy management system and
assess whether the system operates in accordance with the organization’s own requirements together with those of the energy management system
standard.”
28 ISO 19011, which at the moment is in the process of being amended, is the international audit standard. It functions as a guide for auditing quality
and environment management systems and lists the qualifications of auditors.
programmes, objectives and targets etc. and to help
develop new measures for optimising your energy
management. 28 An audit is a systematic element of the
internal review of your EnMS and thus an important
step for continuous improvement. Therefore, you
should not see the internal audit as merely a control
measure but as an opportunity to f urther improve
yourself and the company.
The internal audit should take place at least once a
year. It can either be conducted by employees of your
company who have the required skills and knowledge
about your EnMS, the standard DIN EN 16001, as well
as the aspects to be analysed but remain outside the
direct management of the EnMS. Otherwise, you can
consult an external auditor and have him / her carry it
out. In this case, it is advisable to use the same auditor
that is used for certification as it saves on effort and
costs. In either case, the auditor should be qualified,
experienced, impartial and independent of the area
to be assessed in the organisation.
When conducting internal audits through an employee, it is recommended to first
consult the other management officers of your company to exchange advice.
Once you have decided on the auditor, you should
then carefully plan the actual implementation of the
audit. Think beforehand about which information
sources you will use. These can be persons, documents
or already existing energy reports. It is a good idea to
collect the essential data for the internal audit before
the audit itself. This will help to save time and cost and
will give you a good opportunity to get more deeply
involved in the analysis of possible causes. Inform the
relevant persons in time and gather background information
in the run-up to the audit.
Prepare audit checklists for guidance during the audit.
In Appendix A, you will find examples of checklists
that will help you analyse the current status quo of
your EnMS. If required, note the type of resources
used, place and time of the audit taken, as well as the
name of the persons responsible.
At the beginning of the audit, explain the objective of
the internal audit to all employees directly connected
to the EnMS elements which are to be audited. It is
important that it is not about the performance of the
individual employee but about the effectiveness of the
EnMS.