Frequency of Audits
The frequency of the audits depends on the regulatory/management policy. For example some authorities may conduct annual safety audits; others may consider that a full safety audit is only necessary at a few years interval. Ad-hoc safety audits may be conducted to verify the compliance of a particular system component or activity, or may be initiated following an incident. In accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) safety audits are to be conducted on a regular and systematic basis. Usually the frequency and scope of safety audits is fixed in a dedicated annual safety audit (inspection) programme of the responsible authority/organisation