Those who deal with OSHA’s PSM and EPA’s RMP regulations on a daily basis know all about the 3-year audit schedule we are required to maintain; but what many professionals responsible for PSM/RMP compliance may not know, is there are as many BAD audits done each year as there are GOOD audits. Sadly, we get proposal request for BAD audits on a monthly basis and although it is tough to walk away from a new client, we do so when the manner in which the potential client wants their audit done does not align with our audit methodology and expectations. Just how long should a PSM/RMP audit take, how many auditors should participate, what kind of background is necessary for a process safety auditor, and to what level of detail is needed are just a few of the many questions I will try to cover in this article. But as I said, there are just a few “compliance requirements” that must be met, the rest of what I say is based on true process safety and not necessarily driven by compliance with a government regulation.