The International Cyanide Management Institute (ICMI) announced today the implementation of a system for Cyanide Code signatory operations to provide ICMI with advance notification of planned Cyanide Code certification audits and the auditors planned to perform those audits.
This advance notification system requires mining, production, and transport operations planning to be audited to complete and submit an online form available on the Cyanide Code website at https://cyanidecode.org/notification-of-planned-audits-and-auditors/. Information requested includes the name of the operation planning the audit, the start date of the planned audit, the auditors planned to conduct the audit, and their companies. Operations must submit the completed form no less than 60 days prior to the planned commencement of the site inspection portion of the planned audit.
The notification system is being implemented to provide ICMI with early warning of audit scheduling issues. For example, if an operation has not notified ICMI of an upcoming audit by 60 days in advance of its audit due date, ICMI will have time to remind that operation of its audit obligations. The ability to track whether audits have been scheduled and conducted before the three-year audit deadline has become increasingly important due to the audit delays caused by the onset of COVID. The system will also allow ICMI to review in advance the planned auditors for potential conflicts of interest, and to ensure conformance with the Cyanide Code’s limitations on performing consecutive audits. Individual auditors may only conduct two consecutive Cyanide Code certification audits of the same operation, while audit firms may only be involved in three consecutive audits of an operation.
The ICMI has updated its Auditor Criteria document and its Auditor Credentials Form to clarify that pre-operational certification audits count as Code Certification Audits for the purpose of calculating the number of consecutive audits performed by an auditor or audit firm.
The notification system is now available for use. ICMI requests that operations begin completing and submitting the form by no later than January 1, 2023.
Date:
Tuesday, December 6, 2022