The internal audit program is an integral part of the quality management system and has a dedicated clause in both ISO 9001 and ISO 17025.

The requirement of each clause is similar and is summarised below:

audits must be conducted

audit and follow up process must be documented

audits must be scheduled on the basis of the status and importance of the activity

auditors must be independent, i.e. they are not responsible for the area or task they are auditing

audit results must be recorded and reviewed by management

action must be taken after identifying a problem during audit

all problems identified during the audit must be followed up to ensure they have been resolved and that the resolution is effective

The remainder of this section will address the standard requirements.