Legal Compliance Evaluations
Adrian Pole’s legal compliance evaluations include a site inspection, review of applicable documents and records, and interviews with relevant staff. Legal non-compliances and recommendations are set out in an executive summary, while the body of the report makes reference to the relevant legal requirements, records the objective evidence assessed, and records the results of the evaluation. Each report is fully indexed and referenced, and is supplemented with photographs taken during the site inspection.
When do I need a legal compliance evaluation?
- Prior to ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification (a compliance evaluation audit report is a prerequisite for certification);
- Periodically to maintain ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification (usually once a year, although this period can be extended having regard to factors such as the nature and scale of a company’s activities and environmental impacts, previous non-compliance record etc.);
- Whenever a company wishes to identify and address its environmental legal or occupational health & safety risks.
Who should I use to conduct a legal compliance evaluation?
ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 require that anyone providing services to a company be competent on the basis of education, training or experience. While some company’s seek to self-evaluate or use the services of ‘environmental legal advisors’ who are not legally qualified, this can result in poor quality compliance evaluations exposing company directors and managers to increased risk and unnecessary costs.
Using the services of a qualified attorney has various advantages, including:
- An attorney’s legal compliance evaluation findings are protected by legal privilege;
- Admission as an attorney demonstrates legal competence, and is an assurance of quality;
- Reliance by directors’ on an attorney’s advice is likely to be considered reasonable in a court of law;
- Advice is given and findings made within an holistic legal context.