News
ASSURANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS: CONSOLIDATING A STRATEGIC DOCUMENT
SMETA SOCIAL AUDITS
SMETA AUDIT
As a Sedex Affiliate Audit Company, Bureau Veritas is approved to conduct SMETA audits. Our expert team undertakes thousands of social audits at sites globally and remotely each year.
SEDEX CERTIFICATION
With enhanced focus on ESG performance, it is important that organisations are operating ethically. This includes taking into account issues such as labour conditions and occupational safety, as well as environmental standards and ethical business practices throughout their supply chain.
SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is one of the most widely used ethical audit formats in the world, enabling organisations to monitor and demonstrate their ethical performance. It was created to allow suppliers to share one audit report with multiple customers, providing third-party assurance of ethical standards.
WHAT IS A SMETA AUDIT?
SMETA from Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) combines the best practices in corporate social responsibility with a methodology based on the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code.
Social audits enable businesses to assess their sites and suppliers to understand working conditions in their supply chain. This includes monitoring health and safety for workers and ensuring zero tolerance for human rights abuses such as child and forced labour.
Audits consist of a self-evaluation form which can be tailored to the organisation, followed by a site visit or remote audit by an approved auditor to assessment performance against SMETA criteria.
Once the audit is complete, Bureau Veritas auditors will provide a Corrective Action Plan (CAPR) and detailed audit report which is uploaded to the Sedex database to be shared with multiple customers.
THE FOUR PILLARS OF SMETA
SMETA encompass four pillars of responsible business practice - labour, health and safety, environment and business ethics. Two pillar audits are also available, assessing performance against standards for labour and health and safety.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A SMETA AUDIT?
- Demonstrate your commitment to ethical and socially responsible business
- Identify any areas of concern and take corrective measures to improve social responsibility
- Save time and money by avoiding duplicate audits and certification
- Access new markets by giving confidence to customers
- Drive continuous improvement in supplier performance and relations
- Internationally recognised audit methodology
BUREAU VERITAS – A SEDEX AFFILIATE AUDIT COMPANY
Only audit companies (and their auditors) that meet criteria set out by Sedex can conduct SMETA. This includes Bureau Veritas, a recognised Sedex Affiliate Audit Company.
- Certification specialists, with more than 40 national and international accreditations from relevant bodies worldwide
- A global leader with 7,400+ skilled auditors across the world, undertaking thousands of social audits
- Full range of information security services and training, including certification to ISO 27701 Information Security Management System
