ENVIRONMENTAL + HEALTH & SAFETY
Regulatory Compliance Audits for US & Canadian Facilities
Find out where your facility stands on EPA, OSHA, state, federal and provincial requirements before an inspector, customer or incident does it for you. Clear, risk-rated findings, a practical action plan and a fixed quote. For facilities across the US and Canada.
- 25+ years
- over 200 clients
- Offices in Canada and Coral Springs, FL
What is a regulatory compliance audit?
A regulatory compliance audit is an onsite, evidence-based check of your facility against the environmental and health & safety laws, regulations and permit conditions that apply to you. That covers air, water, waste, chemicals, oil storage, emergency planning, injury records and workplace safety programs. Every gap is rated by risk, so you know what to fix first.
What we audit
United States
Environmental (US)
Air permits (Clean Air Act)
Title V and state air permit conditions, emission records, monitoring and reporting.
Water & stormwater (Clean Water Act)
NPDES / state industrial stormwater permits, SWPPP, inspections and sampling.
Oil storage (SPCC, 40 CFR 112)
Applicability, SPCC Plan, containment, inspections and training.
Hazardous waste (RCRA, 40 CFR 262)
Generator category, accumulation areas, labelling, manifests, training and contingency planning.
Chemical reporting (EPCRA)
Tier II (due March 1) and TRI (due July 1) applicability and accuracy.
Chemical substances (TSCA), where relevant
For manufacturers and importers.
State programs
State-authorized environmental rules and permits that apply to your site.
Health & Safety (US)
OSHA General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Written programs, training and field conditions, such as HazCom, lockout/tagout, PPE, forklifts, machine guarding and fire protection.
Injury & illness recordkeeping (29 CFR 1904)
300 / 300A / 301 records, posting, electronic submission and severe-injury reporting.
State Plan states
Where a state runs its own OSHA-approved program.
Canada
Environmental (Canada)
Federal (CEPA 1999)
Requirements that apply to your operations.
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
Classification, documents, means of containment and TDG training certificates.
Provincial environmental law and permits
For example, in Ontario, the Environmental Protection Act, Environmental Compliance Approvals and EASR registrations, plus waste, spills and discharges.
Health & Safety (Canada)
Provincial OHS
For example, Ontario's OHSA and its regulations, joint health & safety committee, training and workplace inspections.
WHMIS
Labels, SDSs and worker education (Hazardous Products Act + provincial OHS).
Canada Labour Code Part II
For federally regulated workplaces.
BOTH COUNTRIES
Due-diligence (acquisition) audits
Environmental and health & safety compliance review of a facility you're buying, selling or merging, with risk-rated findings to support the deal team and counsel.
We audit facilities across the US and Canada. Requirements differ by state, province and municipality, so we confirm what applies to your site in the scoping stage.
How it works
Scope & document review. A pre-audit questionnaire and request for permits, plans, records and prior inspection reports. We confirm which requirements apply.
Onsite audit. A facility walk-through, records review and interviews with operators and supervisors.
Findings report rated by risk. Each finding cites the requirement, the evidence and a high/medium/low risk rating.
Corrective action plan. Recommended actions, owners and target dates. Help closing actions and verification follow-up may be quoted separately depending on scope.
What you receive
An applicability summary showing which federal, state or provincial programs apply to your site
A risk-rated findings report with regulatory citations and supporting evidence (photos where permitted)
A corrective action plan template tied to each finding
A closing meeting with management
A legal register (compliance-obligation register) for your site, listing each requirement that applies, why it applies, who owns it and how compliance is shown
For due-diligence audits: a risk-rated summary of compliance issues for the buyer or seller and their counsel
Who it's for
Manufacturers and industrial facilities in the US and Canada
Companies with sites in both countries that want one consistent audit approach
ISO 14001 / ISO 45001 certified (or certifying) organizations that need evidence for compliance evaluation
Buyers, sellers and investors that need a due-diligence (acquisition) compliance audit
Companies preparing for a customer audit, an insurance review or a new permit
Recyclers and ITAD (IT asset disposition) facilities
Why Paradygm
25+ years and over 200 clients
Offices in Canada and Coral Springs, FL, auditing facilities across the US and Canada
Integrated with your ISO 14001 / 45001 management system
Practical, plain-language findings, with no checklists dumped on you
Fixed quote based on your site and scope
We build legal registers (compliance-obligation registers), so you know exactly which requirements apply
Regulatory compliance audit FAQ
What is the difference between a compliance audit and an ISO 14001 or ISO 45001 audit?
An ISO audit checks your management system against the standard. A compliance audit checks your facility against the specific laws, regulations and permit conditions that apply to it. ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 both require you to evaluate compliance (clause 9.1.2), and a compliance audit is the most direct way to do that.
Which regulations do you cover?
In the US: EPA programs (air, water and stormwater, SPCC, RCRA hazardous waste, EPCRA Tier II/TRI, and TSCA where relevant), state agency requirements, and OSHA General Industry and recordkeeping. In Canada: federal requirements (CEPA, TDG, WHMIS, Canada Labour Code Part II where it applies) and provincial environmental and OHS law. We confirm exactly what applies to your site during scoping.
Where do you work?
We audit facilities across the US and Canada, and we confirm the federal, state or provincial requirements that apply to each site during scoping.
How often should we have a compliance audit?
There's no single legal frequency for most facilities. Some programs set one, for example OSHA PSM and EPA RMP compliance audits every three years. Otherwise it's best set on a risk basis: more often for higher-risk sites, sites with many permits, or after major changes, incidents or new regulations. We can help you set a schedule that fits your sites.
How long does an audit take?
It depends on the size of the site, the number of permits and the scope. We'll give you a fixed quote and an audit schedule once we've scoped your site.
Will an audit guarantee we pass an inspection or avoid penalties?
No audit can guarantee that. An audit gives you an independent picture of your compliance status at a point in time, so you can fix gaps on your own schedule.
What happens if the audit finds a violation? Do we have to report it?
Reporting duties depend on the requirement and your jurisdiction. EPA's Audit Policy offers penalty mitigation to companies that systematically discover, promptly disclose (within 21 days) and correct violations, if all conditions are met. OSHA's self-audit policy says it won't routinely ask for voluntary audit reports at the start of an inspection. Decisions about disclosure should be made with your legal counsel.
Should our lawyer be involved?
Some companies have counsel direct the audit, and some states have audit privilege laws. Whether these apply is a legal question, so talk to your counsel. We can work under your counsel's direction if you choose.
Do you do due-diligence audits for acquisitions?
Yes. We carry out environmental and health & safety compliance audits of facilities being bought, sold or merged, and we can work under the direction of your legal counsel.
Can you build a legal register for us?
Yes. We build a compliance-obligation register for your site that lists the environmental and health & safety requirements that apply, why they apply, who owns them and how compliance is shown. It also supports compliance evaluation under ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 (clause 9.1.2).
Can you fix the findings for us?
We give you a corrective action plan with every audit. Hands-on help implementing corrective actions and follow-up verification may be quoted separately depending on scope.
Know where you stand before the inspector arrives.
Tell us about your facility and we'll send you a scope and a fixed quote.
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Regulatory requirements vary by jurisdiction and facility. Paradygm compliance audits assess compliance status at a point in time and do not guarantee compliance or protection from enforcement. Consult qualified legal counsel about legal obligations, disclosure and privilege.