Ethical – C

Diplomatic – F

Open to improvement – B

Perceptive – E

These behaviours are standard auditor personal attributes used in lead auditor training and are aligned with audit competence guidance.

Ethical – C. Fair, truthful, sincere, honest, discreet

An ethical auditor acts with integrity. This includes honesty, truthfulness, sincerity, fairness, and discretion when handling audit evidence, findings, and confidential information. Ethical behaviour is essential because audit conclusions must be trusted and based on professional conduct.

Diplomatic – F. Tactful in dealing with individuals

A diplomatic auditor interacts with people carefully and respectfully. During audits, questions may be sensitive, findings may be difficult to communicate, and interviewees may feel pressure. Being tactful helps maintain cooperation and supports effective evidence gathering.

Open to improvement – B. Willing to learn from situations

An auditor who is open to improvement learns from audit experience, changing conditions, and new information. This behaviour supports continual development and better audit effectiveness over time.

Perceptive – E. Aware of and able to understand situations

A perceptive auditor recognizes what is happening in the audit environment and understands the significance of what is seen, heard, and observed. This helps the auditor detect inconsistencies, identify risks, and understand process realities beyond prepared answers.

Why the other options are not used here:

A. Persistent and focused on objectives describes tenacious behaviour.

D. Actively observing surroundings/activities describes observant behaviour.

So the correct matching is:

Ethical – C

Diplomatic – F

Open to improvement – B

Perceptive – E

The two options that give the strongest cause for concern are E and F.

E. The oil on the floor might spread to other areas of the kitchen is a clear OH and S concern because the spilled oil already presents a slip hazard in the work area and could increase the risk further if it spreads. ISO 45001 requires the organization to eliminate hazards and reduce OH and S risks through operational control. A spreading oil spill shows inadequate control of a workplace hazard and poor housekeeping in an active kitchen environment.

F. Fire protection may be inadequate without adjacent safety equipment is also a strong concern. In a kitchen with hot oil, boiling water, and multiple ignition sources, the absence of visible fire extinguishers or fire blankets raises concern about the adequacy of emergency preparedness and operational control. ISO 45001 requires organizations to establish processes for emergency preparedness and response, including provision for relevant emergency equipment where needed.

Why the other options are weaker:

A is speculative and refers to the storeroom, even though the immediate issue is the unsafe condition in the kitchen.

B is an assumption about workload, not objective evidence of a system failure.

C may be true, but impurities in waste oil are not the key OH and S issue identified here.

D focuses on whether cleaning arrangements are documented, but ISO 45001 does not require every control to be a documented procedure; the stronger evidence is the unsafe condition itself.

ISO 45001 emphasizes the importance of worker participation, particularly non-managerial workers, in developing and improving the OH and S management system. Clause 5.4 outlines specific areas where their involvement is crucial.

Analysis of Options:

A. Determining competence requirements:Incorrect. Competence requirements are primarily determined by management but may involve feedback from workers.

B. Determining how to fulfil legal requirements:Incorrect. Management typically handles compliance with legal requirements.

C. Determining controls on outsourced processes:Incorrect. This is a management responsibility.

D. Managing the internal audit programme:Incorrect. Workers participate in audits, but managing the program is a management task.

E. Determining what needs to be communicated:Incorrect. Communication strategies are usually set by management.

F. Determining actions to eliminate hazards:Correct. Non-managerial workers ' input is vital in identifying and eliminating workplace hazards (Clause 8.1.2).

G. Establishing the OHS policy:Correct. Workers’ participation in policy development ensures it is relevant and inclusive (Clause 5.2).

H. Establishing OHS objectives:Correct. Workers’ participation ensures that objectives are practical and aligned with workplace realities (Clause 6.2).

Clause 6.1.2 of ISO 45001:2018 emphasizes the identification of hazards and assessment of risks, and Clause 5.4 highlights the importance of consultation and communication among roles. The auditor ' s role includes verifying conformity to these clauses through evidence gathering and observation.

Analysis of Options:

A. The auditor should advise the organization to get rid of the walled area.This is outside the scope of an auditor’s role, which is to observe and report findings, not to dictate specific actions.

B. The auditor should ask the Maintenance Manager to conduct a safety survey.While safety surveys are useful, asking the Maintenance Manager to conduct one is not the auditor’s responsibility.

C. The auditor should check the lines of communication between the OHS Manager and Maintenance Manager.This aligns with ISO 45001:2018, Clause 5.4, as communication gaps may have contributed to the situation.

D. The auditor should check whether the organization has identified the safety hazards associated with the walled area.Clause 6.1.2 requires hazard identification. The auditor must determine whether this has been done.

E. The auditor should consider surveying more areas of the site for other potentially unsafe situations.Broadening the audit scope to identify additional risks is a good practice in line with Clause 9.2.2.

F. The auditor should demand that the Maintenance Manager deals with the wall.Demanding action is not within the auditor’s authority. The auditor should raise findings instead.

G. The auditor should raise a nonconformity against ISO 45001.While this may be appropriate depending on evidence, raising a nonconformity is not a replacement for good audit practices.

H. The auditor should refer the organization to health and safety authorities.This step is extreme and should only occur if there is an imminent danger and no action is being taken.

ISO References:

Clause 6.1.2: Hazard identification and risk assessment.

Clause 5.4: Worker consultation and participation.

Clause 9.2.2: Internal audit program and execution.

ISO 45001:2018 requires a holistic approach to occupational health and safety. This means considering all aspects that could impact worker well-being, not just obvious physical hazards. The correct answer encompasses work activities (the tasks themselves), workplace design (the physical environment), and human factors (psychological and social aspects like working hours and harassment). It ' s the most comprehensive and aligned with the standard ' s philosophy

ISO 45001:2018, Clause 6.1.2, outlines requirements for hazard identification. Hazards to consider include work activities, workplace design, human factors, and social factors that may impact OH and S. These go beyond traditional physical risks and include psychosocial and organizational hazards.

Analysis of Options:

A. Work activities, workplace design, and human factors such as hours of work and bullying and harassment:Correct. This comprehensively addresses hazard categories outlined in ISO 45001, Clause 6.1.2.

B. Work activities where there is the possibility of danger:Too general. ISO 45001 includes broader categories of hazards, including those related to organizational and social factors.

C. Hot-work, working at height, enclosed space entry, and work on electrical equipment:Too narrow. These are specific hazards but do not encompass the full range outlined in ISO 45001.

D. Work hazards and environmental factors such as bad weather:Incomplete. While environmental factors are relevant, ISO 45001 also includes workplace design, human factors, and psychosocial hazards.

ISO References:

Clause 6.1.2.1: Hazard identification.

Annex A.6.1.2: Examples of hazard categories, including workplace design and human factors.

The correct answers are E, F.

ISO 45001 Clause 8.1.4.2 Contractors requires the organization to coordinate its procurement processes with its contractors, in order to identify hazards and to assess and control the OH and S risks arising from the contractors’ activities and operations that impact the organization, the organization’s activities and operations that impact the contractors’ workers, and the contractors’ activities and operations that impact other interested parties in the workplace. It also requires the organization to ensure that contractors and their workers meet the organization’s OH and S management system requirements.

In this case, the objective evidence already found during the audit supports the nonconformity:

the hazards list did not include contractor-related hazards;

the Purchase Manager relied on trust rather than controlled OH and S coordination;

the OH and S team said chemical safety had never been a problem, which is not evidence of hazard identification, risk assessment, or control.

The email shown at the closing meeting only states that contractors carry out a site risk assessment. That does not automatically demonstrate that Shelf-Fit itself has met Clause 8.1.4.2 requirements for coordinated procurement control, hazard identification, and control of contractor OH and S risks within its own management system. Therefore, the nonconformity should not simply be withdrawn on the spot.

E. Advise management that the information provided will be reviewed at the audit follow-up stage is acceptable because the auditee can submit corrective-action evidence after the audit. The certification decision and close-out process can consider additional evidence later, but that does not erase the nonconformity already supported by audit evidence gathered during the audit.

F. Note the OHS Manager ' s comments but indicate that there is evidence of a nonconformity that needs to be addressed is also acceptable because this is exactly what the audit team leader should do at the closing meeting: acknowledge the auditee’s response, but maintain the finding where objective evidence supports it.

Why the other options are not acceptable:

A is not appropriate at the closing meeting. The audit team should base findings on evidence gathered within the audit scope and timing, not start a new off-line investigation with contractors at that point.

B is weak audit management. The audit team leader should control the discussion and decision, not hand it over informally.

C is incorrect because the information is not irrelevant; it is relevant, but not sufficient to invalidate the nonconformity.

D is not acceptable because the email does not remove the original evidence of failure in Shelf-Fit’s contractor control process.

Explanation

Prepares the audit report → Audit Team Leader:The Audit Team Leader is responsible for compiling and preparing the final audit report, summarizing findings and conclusions.

Prepares audit checklists for use during the audit → Auditor:Auditors create checklists to ensure a thorough and systematic evaluation during the audit.

Participates under the direction and guidance of an auditor → Auditor in Training:An auditor in training works under supervision to gain experience and contribute to the audit process.

Follows up on audit findings within an agreed timeframe → Auditee:The auditee is responsible for addressing and resolving audit findings and providing evidence of corrective actions.

A person who accompanies the audit team but does not act as an auditor → Observer:Observers are typically external parties or internal personnel who watch the audit process but do not participate actively.

Escorts the auditors but does not participate in the audit → Guide:A guide facilitates the audit by helping auditors navigate the site and access relevant areas or documents.

References

ISO 19011:2018: Guidelines for auditing management systems.

Option D provides the most complete description because audit resources must be adequate for the audit programme and capable of supporting achievement of the audit objectives, with competent personnel being a critical component. Resources are broader than management personnel, technology or a timescale considered individually. Depending on the programme, they may include auditors and technical experts with appropriate competence, sufficient time, financial resources, audit methods and tools, travel arrangements, information and communication technology, and other logistical support. The overriding requirement is that resources collectively allow audits to be conducted effectively and credibly. ISO/IAF guidance on ISO 19011 specifically states that those managing an audit programme should ensure the audit team ' s competence matches the audit scope and objectives and that adequate resources are available for the audits included in the programme.

The correct answers are B, E, and G.

G is true because ISO 19011 states that a closing meeting should be held to present the audit findings and conclusions. This applies to audits generally, not only third-party audits. (Oshisis)

E is true because ISO 19011 guidance says that for some audit situations the closing meeting may be formal, but in other instances, such as internal audits, the closing meeting can be less formal and may simply consist of communicating the findings and conclusions. That means a first-party closing meeting is commonly less formal than a third-party certification closing meeting. (Synersia Foundation)

B is also true. ISO 19011 and related guidance allow the use of remote methods / ICT in audit activities, and remote audit methods may be combined with on-site methods. From that, it follows that the audit team leader may arrange for audit team members to join activities such as the closing meeting virtually, where appropriate and controlled. This is an inference from the permitted use of ICT in audits. (ISO)

Why the others are false:

A is false because the closing meeting is for presenting findings and conclusions, not for changing findings simply because the auditee is unhappy. Findings can be clarified, but not changed without objective evidence. (Oshisis)

C is false because there is no rule that the audit team must meet formally immediately after the closing meeting to consider recommendations.

D is false because ISO 19011 says some closing meetings may be formal and recorded, but internal audits can be less formal, so they do not always have to be documented in that way. (Synersia Foundation)

F is false because the audit team leader is responsible for managing the audit team and assigning roles.

H is false because the closing meeting should be chaired by the audit team leader, not by the audit client. (Oshisis)