Planning of Internal Quality Audits

Each area of operation should be audited periodically, usually once every twelve months. However, new areas may be audited on a more frequent basis. Ideally, they are planned mid-way between external audits. This process should be planned well in advance and written down in the Quality Manual as a structured audit programme, covering both the timing and the coverage of the audit process. The audit programme can be of two types, either  

A laboratory is free to decide which scheme is most appropriate for its own circumstances. Laboratories entering the audit process for the first time may prefer to carry out an initial complete audit to establish if problems exist, followed, after an appropriate interval, by a rolling programme to maintain standards. When auditing to ISO/IEC 17025, the auditor should plan to witness at least one method being carried out. 

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