SMETA Audit Checklist: 4 Pillars Readiness for Manufacturers
SMETA, the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit, is a widely used social audit format. A 4-pillar SMETA covers labour standards, health and safety, environment and business ethics. This checklist gives plant teams a practical way to see what an auditor will ask for, and which records to have on hand.
0 of 40 items complete
15 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.
Pillar 1: Labour standards
Pillar 2: Health and safety
Pillar 3: Environment
Pillar 4: Business ethics
Management systems and audit logistics
A SMETA audit looks for conformance with the ETI Base Code and local law, and reports findings as non-compliances to correct. Treat unticked critical items as likely findings. This checklist is a readiness aid and does not replace guidance from Sedex or your audit firm.
Audit evidence on request
An optional demo of asking your HR, ERP and EHS records for audit evidence from a private AI layer on your own servers.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the checklist
Work through each pillar with the person who owns it: HR for labour, EHS for safety and environment, and the plant or general manager for ethics. Tick what is in place and can be shown, not what is believed to be in place. Mark gaps with an owner and a date. Do this four to eight weeks before the audit window so there is time to fix issues such as expired permits or missing time records. Export the result to keep a dated readiness baseline.
- Check the records, not just the policy
- Pull 12 months of payroll and time data in advance
- Do a walk-through of the site with fresh eyes
The four pillars and what auditors look for
Labour standards and health and safety form the core of a standard 2-pillar SMETA. Adding environment and business ethics makes it a 4-pillar audit. Auditors compare practice to the ETI Base Code, the audit methodology and national law, and where they differ the stricter standard generally applies. Typical findings relate to working hours, wage records that do not reconcile, blocked exits, missing risk assessments and absent grievance channels. Business ethics checks are largely documentary and based on interviews and observation.
Records and ERP data
Much of the evidence sits in systems. Time and attendance, payroll, training records, maintenance and calibration logs, supplier lists and waste manifests can all be pulled from HR, ERP and EHS tools. Teams that can retrieve a worker's contract, hours, pay and training in one go handle audits far more calmly. Build a short evidence folder per pillar and keep it current rather than assembling it the week before.
SMETA training and certification
Sedex offers training on its platform and methodology, and independent audit firms and consultants run SMETA awareness and auditor courses. There is no 'SMETA certificate' for a factory. A SMETA audit produces a report and corrective action plan shared on Sedex, not a certification. Check the official Sedex site for current training options and for how the audit methodology is updated before you plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four pillars of a SMETA audit?
They are labour standards, health and safety, environment and business ethics. Labour and health and safety are the core 2-pillar audit. Environment (a shortened assessment) and business ethics are the additional pillars in the 4-pillar version.
How early should we prepare for a SMETA audit?
Start four to eight weeks ahead. Gather 12 months of payroll and time records, confirm permits and fire certificates, run a mock walk-through, and close actions from your previous audit. Late discovery of missing documents is the most avoidable cause of findings.
Does SMETA give us a certificate?
No. A SMETA audit results in an audit report and a corrective action plan, usually shared with customers through the Sedex platform. It is not a certification scheme. Customers decide what outcomes they accept.
Where can we get SMETA training?
Sedex publishes its own training, and independent audit firms and consultants offer courses on the methodology and on preparing sites. Confirm current options on the Sedex website, and choose training that matches your role, such as site preparation versus auditor skills.
If assembling audit evidence from HR, payroll, ERP and EHS tools takes days, Netray can add a private AI layer on your own servers so quality and HR teams can ask for records in plain language, with read-only access.
Related Tools
Safety Training Matrix Worksheet
An editable training record that shows who is trained on what, when it was last done and how many days remain before renewal.
Quality & InspectionEmployee Training and Skills Matrix Template 2026
An editable skills matrix scoring each employee 0 to 4 across work centers, with average competence and review dates, exportable to Excel as ISO 9001 and AS9100 competence evidence.
Safety & WorkforceForklift Daily Inspection Checklist (English and Spanish)
A bilingual English and Spanish daily forklift pre-use inspection checklist covering visual, fluid, safety, operational and attachment checks, printable for the shop floor.
Compliance & ContractsNDA Checklist for Manufacturers
A tick-box NDA review checklist with example clause wording for manufacturers sharing drawings and ERP data with vendors, customers, employees and consultants.
More Compliance & Contracts tools
See all- ISO 14001 Internal Audit Checklist
- Environmental Compliance Obligations Register Worksheet
- AI Governance Policy Template for Manufacturers
- AI Acceptable Use Policy Template for ERP Users
- Annualized Loss Expectancy Cyber Risk Calculator
- Cyber Insurance Retention Tradeoff Calculator
- MFA Rollout Risk Reduction Calculator
- Cyber Risk Register with ALE Worksheet
- IEC 62443 Security Levels and Parts Reference
Keep exploring
Free tools
- Electronics Traceability Readiness ChecklistA 30-point checklist to audit your lot/serial capture, supplier traceability, test data linkage, and recall readiness before a customer or auditor does.
- Year-End Inventory Audit Readiness ChecklistA 28-point checklist covering count, cutoff, valuation, reserves and documentation so inventory is ready before the external auditor arrives.
- UL Listing Certification Readiness ChecklistCheck design, documents, samples and factory readiness before applying for UL or another NRTL certification.
ERP fixes and how-tos
- Is Your ERP Data Ready for AI? A Readiness ChecklistMost ERP data is ready enough to pilot AI today. A practical checklist of the master-data and access-control issues that actually break AI answers.
- Deltek Costpoint Audit Trail Report for DCAA ReadinessHow to get an audit trail from Deltek Costpoint for DCAA readiness: what is tracked, how to enable it, how to report on changes, and what auditors look for.
Guides
- ERP Go-Live Readiness Assessment ChecklistValidate ERP go-live readiness with a 100-point checklist covering data, integrations, training, cutover, and support. Prevent post-go-live emergencies.
- Is Your Manufacturing Operation AI-Ready?Assess your manufacturing organization's readiness for AI. Data quality, process maturity, infrastructure, and cultural readiness evaluation framework.
- AS9100 Contract Review Checklist for Aerospace Machine ShopsAS9100D contract review checklist for build-to-print machine shops: what to verify on every PO and RFQ, who signs, and the records an auditor expects.
AI on your ERP
- Is Your ERP Ready for AI? A Readiness Assessment ChecklistIs your ERP actually ready for AI? A practical checklist covering master data quality, access and permissions, GPU sizing, and governance before you fund a pilot.
- AI for ProShop ERP in Medical Device Machining: Traceability, NCRs and Audit ReadinessPrivate AI for ProShop medical device machine shops: work orders, NCRs, CAPA, calibration and lot traceability answered from your own data, with QMSR in mind.