Identify repeat red flags using the ‘New Audit Based on’ feature

October 20th, 2017

Ever wonder if auditing is making a difference at your facility? Are the action items resulting from the audit ever corrected? If so, are the corrective actions addressing the root cause or are they merely temporary fixes? These kind of questions can be answered with Dakota Auditor by basing the new audit on the last audit conducted for the location.

Traditionally, an EHS audit is a snapshot in time of the regulatory compliance at a given facility. Large quantities of valuable information is gathered during these audits and placed in the audit record. To take advantage of this information, an auditor may review the past audit file prior to, or immediately following, the audit. For Dakota users, a simplified method of retaining information learned in the last audit is to utilize the functionality of the “New Audit Based on’ feature in Auditor.

By selecting this tool, all of the previous information, painstakingly researched, is retained in a completely new audit. The notes and findings are displayed for each question and the auditor is given the choice to “accept” or “reject” the previous audit findings. This is useful when the note/explanation is desired, but most importantly, it facilitates the use of the “Repeat Red Flag.” True to its name, the Repeat Red Flag indicates that the issue raised in the previous audit has still not been corrected in the current audit. This is a great tool for identifying fixes that were inappropriate, or just not implemented, and for prioritizing those needed corrections to maintain regulatory compliance. A Repeat Red Flag is a beacon that will get the attention of management where resources are needed and light a fire under the person responsible for correcting this finding.

Please contact the Dakota support team with any questions or requests for assistance with this feature.

Julie Pecoraro

Compliance Services Leader