We continue to see examples where lack of preparation and poor systems leads to additional audit time and costs. There have been emails circulated with operators concerned about how much longer audits take than they expected. This approach is misinformed; it would make more sense to ask: “Why did my audit take so much longer than anticipated, why are there so many areas in my operation that do not conform?, Why did I not recognise these issues and it only came out in an audit?”. We could also say, :thank goodness this got noticed at an audit and didn't only come out during an investigation after a big incident!".

In other words, it often isn’t about the audit, it’s about making sure that our operations continue to meet the requirements spelled out in the Safety Management System Requirements for Adventure Activity Operators. 

Don’t “prepare for an audit”. Rather review your SMS regularly to ensure that you are meeting and adhering to (hopefully exceeding) the Safety Management System Requirements for Adventure Activity Operators 2023. That way, when it is time for an audit, you are well positioned to just present your evidence of meeting the requirements; business as usual.