Nov. 14, 2025

Mastering EHS Audit Trends and Challenges

Welcome to Jennifer Koenig, an expert with over 30 years of regulatory compliance experience, who shares insights on ISO audits, including ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 45001 for health and safety. Jennifer discusses the importance of compliance audits, the role of internal and third-party audits, and the value of ISO standards in risk management. She also touches on the challenges companies face in maintaining regulatory compliance, the training needs for EHS managers, and the benefits of employee engagement in safety programs. Additionally, she provides guidance on selecting certifying bodies and emphasizes the necessity of identifying and addressing risks to ensure a robust compliance system.

00:00 Introduction to Today's Episode

00:04 Meet Jennifer: Compliance Expert

00:55 Diving into Auditing Trends

01:16 Understanding ISO Standards

03:17 Challenges in Compliance Audits

05:49 The Role of an ISO Auditor

07:11 Managing Risks and Root Causes

08:41 Training and Knowledge Gaps

16:08 The Importance of Internal Audits

20:44 ISO Certification and Compliance

24:23 Enhancing Company Culture with Safety Committees

25:48 Integrating ISO 45001 with ISO 14001

26:37 Understanding ISO Audit Days and Discounts

31:06 The Importance of Internal Audits

32:07 Steps to Becoming ISO Certified

36:07 Choosing the Right Registrar

39:51 Maintaining Auditor Certifications

44:45 Final Thoughts on Risk Management

Jennifer Koenig, CHMM Profile Photo

Jennifer Koenig, CHMM

Managing Director, EHS Auditor, Compliance Specialist

I have been blessed to have a career where I am an extension of my client's organizations. Most of them comment that I'm "one of them" and that's the best compliment I can receive.

I've spent my career in various aspects of environmental, health and safety including owning an environmental laboratory, and a laboratory service and sales organization. Currently I own ECS Audit & Compliance Svcs LLC. We focus on providing EHS compliance activities for small and medium size manufacturing. Services include writing wastewater, air, stormwater permits, SPCC and SWPP Plans, and all types of regulatory training including RCRA, DOT HazMat, HazCom, and more. In addition, we offer EHS compliance audits, internal ISO 14001, 45001 and 9001 system audits and contract to Eagle Registrations as a contract 3rd party auditor. I've been a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager for over 25 years and currently sit on the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals Board of Directors as the Treasurer.