When I was at a previous company we had an external auditor who wanted us to change all our documentation to match the template of another company they had previously audited. As they were not in the same line of business as us, we respectfully declined - however it subsequently took a lot of explanation about how our business differed to pass the audit.

I'm pleased to say that our current auditors are required by regulation to be accredited as competent in both our industry and H&S practices.

All ACC AEP Auditors had to apply to be an ACC auditor, and I know ACC requested a H&S qualification which was considered alongside an individual's H&S experience in the industry. Only a small number are accepted as auditors and the selection process means that those with the most H&S, injury management qualifications, and experience are accepted. In addition to this, ACC has one of the most robust audit approval processes in NZ, namely training and an exam for those that make it past the selection process. And every two years, a full two-day peer review assessment. Every single AEP (and ACC Fleet Saver) audit report is QA'd by ACC, assessed for content, and scored, with the outcome fed back to the auditors. CPD also forms part of the contractual requirement which is verified as part of the peer review process.
So I would argue that ACC auditors have one of the most rigorous auditor regimes in NZ.
Robyn Bennett (Senior ACC AEP Approved Auditor)