amfori BSCI or SMETA? Which ethical audit do I need?
Ensuring that your supply chain is socially compliant and free from issues such as child or forced labour, health and safety risks and unethical practices is paramount in protecting your business from reputational or financial damage.
How do you know that your factory or suppliers are compliant with the applicable labour and environmental laws though? Well, that’s where social compliance audits can really make the difference.
Social compliance audits can come in different shapes and sizes depending on the industry you are in and different retailers may require a specific type of social compliance audit.
Two of the more common audits are amfori BSCI and SMETA. How do you know which one is relevant for your sites or factories though? Well, let’s take a look.
amfori BSCI
An amfori BSCI audit looks to continuously improve the social performance of suppliers and enhance working standards. It is based on the labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and international regulations such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This consists of 13 audit performance areas as below. This provides a grading for each section of the audit and an overall grading.
When might I need an amfori BSCI audit?
If you supply goods to a BSCI member (brand), they may request that you have the BSCI audit.
SMETA Audit
The SMETA audit is based on the labour standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and international regulations such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There are 2 versions of this: 2 pillar, covering labour and human rights, and health and safety; and 4 pillar, which has additional modules on environment and business ethics. There is no report scoring/ grading involved in this.
When might I need a SMETA audit?
If you are part of a retailer/brand’s supply chain, they may request that you have a SMETA audit conducted at your site. However, the SMETA audit can also be requested directly by the site without client or brand involvement. This allows sites to proactively improve standards within their business.
If in doubt, consult our experts!
With locally-based, credentialed social compliance auditors, the Eurofins Consumer Products Assurance network of companies can provide audit services focused on providing quality information depending on the specific needs of your business.
We are a Full Member Firm of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA), demonstrating expertise in quality social compliance audits.
Get in touch today to find out how we can help you.
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