In any construction-related article, case study, or posting I have written, whenever I reference a standard, guideline, or code of practice, I have noticed a recurring issue during audits, assessments, inspections, and testing/monitoring activities. Often, while these documents are cited in Method Statements, Inspection & Test Plans, or other records, the actual standards are not readily available for verification.
In my practice, I always request to see the referenced standards, either in hard copy or digital form, to confirm that the references are genuine and not merely copied from another source. I also verify whether the standards were obtained through the official issuing body (my first preference) or downloaded from other sources.
When standards are downloaded, I ensure proper intellectual property safeguards are applied for example, marking the copy as “FOR REFERENCE ONLY” or, in the case of internal training or briefings, as “FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY.” These measures help prevent infringement of intellectual property rights and are aligned with ISO 9001 requirements regarding the control of documented information.
The next step, which often causes hesitation, is to ask the auditee to demonstrate exactly where in the standard the formula, standard deviation, tolerance, or methodology is specified. If drawings are involved, I request the auditee to indicate the specific chainage, gridline, or location referenced. This ensures that the cited references are correctly applied and understood, rather than merely mentioned.
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