Internal audit vs. Compliance evaluation

Answer:

In both cases, the aim is to determine whether the organization is conforming to the requirements, in case of internal audit conformance with requirements of the standard and in case of compliance evaluation conformance to legal and other requirements.

Although both internal audit and compliance evaluation require procedure, internal audit is more structured and defined process. Requirements for compliance evaluation procedure are more loose, basically, the only requirement for this procedure is to be consistent with commitment to compliance stated in OH&SMS (Occupational Health & Safety) Policy. For more information, see: How to identify and comply with legal requirements in OHSAS 18001 https://advisera.com/18001academy/blog/2015/06/24/how-to-identify-and-comply-with-legal-requirements-in-ohsas-18001/

On the other hand, procedure for internal audit needs to define responsibilities, competencies, and requirements for planning and conducting audits, reporting results and retaining associated records; and the audit criteria, scope, frequency and methods. For more information, see: How to perform internal audits in OHSAS 18001 https://advisera.com/18001academy/blog/2015/09/23/how-to-perform-internal-audits-in-ohsas-18001/