The auditing of a plant is more than a detailed sampling and examination procedure which identifies problems and puts forward recommendations to correct them. It also identifies and reinforces where the system is working well so as to present a balanced view of the operation.

Auditing has been used extensively in Mineral Processing Plant quality management to independently identify problems and the systems causing them. The ultimate purpose is to provide management with factual information about the plant based on benchmarking with what the author believes is "the industry standard" in each area and set up a corrective "continuous improvement plan" with accountability and commitment of resources to improve the operation.

Responsibility for corrective action must be clearly assigned and the action plan carried out as soon as possible to correct the immediate problems and take steps to stop them happening again in the future. The whole focus for improvement is based on the belief that no plant has ever achieved perfection and any improvement should result in "maximising gold production and minimising the associated cost".

Essential elements of the plant audit are as follows: Management responsibility, delegation, job descriptions, occupational health and safety, duty of care, planning day-to-day and long term, document control, verbal and written communication, metallurgical performance, maintenance performance, assay and laboratory service, metallurgical accounting, purchasing, consumable stock control, operating methods, operating method control, training on and off the job, language and cultural problems, plant inspections, monitoring and testing, technical innovation in the plant, outsourcing of functions, weekly and monthly reporting and control, daily and scheduled meetings, corrective and preventative action, handling and storage, accommodation and rosters, plant statistics.

Care is taken to obtain factual information of how things are being operated in the plant by asking the same question from several people to avoid what is essentially miss information and resist offering solutions and neither confirming nor denying whether the current situation is acceptable.