Performing a hospital hazardous waste audit.

In this two part article, the author considers hazardous materials audits: what they are, why they should be performed, what they should encompass, and who should perform them. He also describes the actual mechanics of the audit process. In this first segment, the author discusses how an audit differs from a compliance inspection, what the auditor will look for, and why it is important that the auditor have both top level commitment to the process and the resources to accomplish the task. Finally; the issue of how broad a scope is appropriate is discussed.