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Audit glossary

Audit and inspection terms, explained in plain language.

A

Acceptance and rejection numbers (Ac/Re)Ac/Re: The acceptance number (Ac) is the maximum number of defective units that may be found in a sample for the lot still to be accepted; the rejection number (Re) is the lowest number of defective units that causes the lot to be rejected. They are read from the ISO 2859-1 tables according to sample size and AQL, and applied separately to critical, major and minor defects.
amfori BSCIBSCI: amfori BSCI is a social audit and monitoring system that assesses the suppliers of amfori member companies against the 13 performance areas of the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct and grades them from A to E. It is not a certification; audit results are shared with members on the amfori Sustainability Platform.
Announced, semi-announced and unannounced audit: In an announced audit the date is given to the site in advance; in a semi-announced audit the site is given only a time window (for example a few weeks); in an unannounced audit the auditor arrives without notice. Brands and programmes increasingly prefer semi-announced or unannounced audits in order to see real working conditions.
AQL (Acceptance Quality Limit)AQL: AQL is the quality level in the ISO 2859-1 sampling standard that expresses the worst tolerable average defect rate for a lot to be accepted. In product inspection separate AQL values are set for critical, major and minor defects; the lot size and chosen AQL determine the sample size and the acceptance and rejection numbers.

C

Calibration: Calibration is the determination and documentation of a measuring instrument’s accuracy by comparing its readings with a traceable reference standard. Quality audits check the calibration certificates and validity dates of instruments such as scales, tape measures, metal detectors and thermometers; expired calibration makes measurement results questionable.
Carbon footprint: A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions directly and indirectly caused by an organisation, product or activity, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). Under the GHG Protocol it is calculated as Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (purchased energy) and Scope 3 (other indirect, including the supply chain) emissions; brands’ Scope 3 targets create data requests to suppliers.
Child worker and young worker: Under Turkish regulation a young worker is a person who has turned 15 but not yet 18, and a child worker is a person who has completed age 14, has not yet turned 15 and has finished primary education. Article 71 of Labour Law No. 4857 prohibits employing children under 15; children who are at least 14 and have completed primary education may only do light work that does not hinder their development or schooling. Audits check age verification documents and the night-work and heavy-work restrictions for workers under 18.
Code of ConductCoC: A code of conduct is the written document in which a brand or initiative sets out the labour, human rights, ethics and environmental principles it expects from its suppliers. It is usually based on ILO conventions and local law; the supplier signs it, and a social audit is the evidence of compliance with it.
Corrective Action Plan (CAP)CAP: A corrective action plan is the document that states, for each non-compliance found in an audit, what the site will do, who is responsible and by what date it will be completed. The site submits the plan with evidence; the brand or audit firm verifies closure through desktop review or a follow-up audit.
Critical, major and minor defect: In product inspection a critical defect makes the product unsafe or legally unsellable; a major defect affects the use or saleability of the product and is likely to lead to a customer return; a minor defect deviates from the standard without affecting use. A separate AQL applies to each class, and critical defects usually carry zero tolerance.
CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive)CSDDD: The CSDDD (2024/1760) is the EU directive that requires large companies to identify and prevent adverse human rights and environmental impacts in their own operations and chains of activities. Its scope was narrowed by Omnibus I in 2026; Turkish suppliers are not directly covered but are affected through their large customers’ information requests and contract terms.

D

Document review: Document review is the audit step in which the auditor examines records such as payroll, time records, employment contracts, social security registrations, health and safety documents and permits to verify compliance with evidence. Records are usually sampled over a past period and cross-checked against worker interviews.
Due diligence: Due diligence is the ongoing process by which a company identifies, prevents, mitigates, accounts for and remedies adverse human rights and environmental impacts in its own operations and supply chain. It is based on the six-step framework of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; the CSDDD, LkSG and EU Forced Labour Regulation turn the concept into a legal obligation.
DUPRO (During Production Inspection)DUPRO: DUPRO (During Production Inspection) is a product inspection carried out while production is still under way, usually once part of the lot is finished, so that defects are caught early. Also called in-line inspection, it samples finished units, reviews the production line and remaining schedule, and reports while there is still time to correct.

E

Emergency plan and drill: An emergency plan is the written document that sets out who does what in events such as fire, earthquake or a chemical spill, together with evacuation routes and assembly points; a drill is the practical rehearsal of that plan with workers. Article 11 of Turkey’s Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331 obliges the employer to assess possible emergencies in advance, prepare plans and run drills. Social audits check the plan, drill records and clear evacuation routes together.
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)ESG: ESG is an assessment framework that considers a company’s environmental impact, social responsibility and governance quality together. In the supply chain, social compliance audits provide evidence for the “S” pillar, chemical management and carbon measurement for the “E” pillar, and ethics and transparency for the “G” pillar.
EU Forced Labour RegulationFLR: The EU Forced Labour Regulation (EU 2024/3015) bans products made wholly or partly with forced labour from being placed on the EU market or exported from it. It applies from 14 December 2027 regardless of company size, so Turkish suppliers whose goods reach the EU must be able to show they manage forced labour risk in their own sites and subcontracting chains.

F

Forced labour: Forced labour, as defined in ILO Convention No. 29, is all work or service exacted from a person under the menace of any penalty and for which that person has not offered themselves voluntarily. Audits look for ILO indicators such as retention of identity documents, recruitment fee debt, withholding of wages, restriction of movement and compulsory overtime; where found, it is a zero tolerance finding.
FRI (Final Random Inspection)FRI: FRI (Final Random Inspection) is the final product inspection carried out on randomly selected samples once production is complete and most of the goods are packed, before shipment. The sample is drawn according to the ISO 2859-1 AQL tables; appearance, measurements, workmanship, function, labelling and packaging are checked and the result is reported as pass or fail.

H

Higg FSLM and SLCPFSLM: SLCP (Social & Labor Convergence Program) is an initiative that offers a single Converged Assessment Framework (CAF) to reduce duplicate social audits; the Higg FSLM (Facility Social & Labor Module) is the module through which this data is shared on Cascale’s Higg platform. The facility completes a self-assessment, an approved verifier confirms it on site, and the verified data can be shared with several brands.

L

LkSG (German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act)LkSG: The LkSG (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz) is the German law that obliges companies above a certain size to analyse human rights and environmental risks in their supply chains, take preventive and remedial measures and set up a complaints mechanism. It has applied since 1 January 2023; Turkish suppliers with German customers encounter these obligations through questionnaires, codes of conduct and audit requests.
Loading supervision (container loading check)LS: Loading supervision is the check at the time of shipment in which the inspector verifies on site the condition of the container, the quantities of products and cartons loaded, that the goods are the ones ordered, the way they are stowed and the seal number. Its purpose is to make sure the inspected goods are loaded completely and without damage into the correct container.

M

Minimum wage and wage deductions: The minimum wage is the lowest wage that may legally be paid to a worker; wage deductions are the tax, social insurance and other items subtracted on the payslip. In social audits the auditor checks that net pay does not fall below the minimum wage, that only lawful deductions or those with the worker’s written consent are made, and that payslips match bank payments.
Mystery shopping: Mystery shopping is an assessment method in which a trained evaluator visits a store as an ordinary customer, without revealing their identity, and scores service quality, staff behaviour and compliance with standards against a predefined scenario. It differs from a store audit in that staff do not know they are being assessed.

N

Needle policy and metal detection: A needle policy is the control procedure in sewn products that requires needles to be issued against a log, all fragments of a broken needle to be collected, taped and recorded, and a new needle to be issued only then, so that no needle fragment ends up in a garment. A metal detector screens every unit, especially children’s products, for remaining metal particles; the machine is verified regularly with test pieces and records are kept.

O

OHS risk assessmentİSG: An OHS risk assessment is the systematic exercise of identifying workplace hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of each and planning controls. Article 10 of Turkey’s Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331 obliges the employer to carry out or commission a risk assessment. Social audits expect a current risk assessment that addresses chemical, machine, fire and ergonomic hazards.
Opening and closing meeting: The opening meeting is the short session at the start of an audit where the auditor confirms scope, schedule and ground rules with management; the closing meeting is the session at the end where findings are presented and discussed. At the closing meeting the site learns the findings and any corrective action expectations; the final report is written afterwards.
Overtime: Overtime is work that exceeds the legal weekly working time. Under Turkish Labour Law No. 4857 the working week is at most 45 hours (Art. 63) and total overtime may not exceed 270 hours a year (Art. 41); overtime requires the worker’s consent and is paid at a premium rate. Whether overtime is voluntary, within limits and correctly paid is among the most frequently examined issues in social audits.

P

PPI (Pre-Production Inspection)PPI: PPI (Pre-Production Inspection) is the check carried out before mass production starts to verify that raw materials, components, accessories and the approved sample meet the order requirements and that the factory is ready to produce. Its purpose is to catch problems such as defective fabric or wrong trims before they spread through the whole lot.

Q

Quality Management System (QMS)QMS: A quality management system is the set of processes, responsibilities, procedures and records an organisation puts in place to deliver product and service quality in a planned and repeatable way. ISO 9001 is the most widely used QMS standard; a QMS audit examines whether incoming inspection, in-process control, final inspection, non-conforming product handling and corrective action processes actually work in practice.

R

Root cause analysisRCA: Root cause analysis is the systematic search for the underlying cause of a non-compliance rather than its visible symptom. It uses methods such as “5 Whys” or the fishbone diagram; corrective actions taken without identifying the root cause usually lead to the same finding recurring at the next audit.

S

SA8000: SA8000 is the international social accountability standard developed by Social Accountability International (SAI) that certifies a workplace’s labour conditions against requirements based on ILO conventions and a social management system. Unlike amfori BSCI and SMETA it is certifiable; the SA8000:2026 version was published in January 2026.
Sampling and inspection level: Sampling is inspecting a statistically selected part of a lot instead of the whole lot and deciding on the lot from that sample; the inspection level is the ISO 2859-1 setting that determines how many units are sampled for a given lot size. Unless otherwise specified General Inspection Level II is used, and samples are drawn at random from different cartons, colours and sizes in the lot.
Site tour: A site tour is the audit step in which the auditor walks through the entire facility, including production areas, warehouses, canteen, toilets, any dormitories and outdoor areas, to observe safety, hygiene and working conditions directly. Emergency exits, fire equipment, machine guards, chemical storage and use of personal protective equipment are checked at this stage, and observations are combined with document review and worker interviews.
SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit)SMETA: SMETA is the social audit methodology developed by Sedex that assesses a site against the ETI Base Code, ILO conventions and local law. It is not a certification and gives no grade; findings are reported with a corrective action plan, and the report is shared on the Sedex platform with the customers the site authorises.
SMETA 2-Pillar vs 4-Pillar: A 2-Pillar SMETA covers the two main pillars of labour standards and health and safety; a 4-Pillar SMETA adds the environment and business ethics pillars. The customer requesting the audit usually decides which one is needed; a 4-Pillar audit takes longer and requires additional documents on environmental permits and ethics policies.
Social compliance: Social compliance means that a workplace’s labour conditions meet the law, ILO conventions and the customer’s code of conduct: minimum standards on workers’ age, pay, working hours, health and safety, freedom of association and protection from discrimination. A social compliance audit verifies this through document review, a site tour and worker interviews.
Store audit: A store audit is the on-site assessment of a retail outlet’s compliance with brand standards, visual merchandising rules, price and label accuracy, stock and hygiene requirements, using a defined checklist. Results are scored and reported for comparison across stores and for follow-up of corrections.

T

Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier: A Tier 1 supplier is the facility that directly makes and delivers the finished product to the brand; a Tier 2 supplier supplies Tier 1 with fabric, yarn, trims or components, or carries out processes such as dyeing, printing or washing. Brands’ social and environmental audit programmes increasingly extend to Tier 2 and beyond; subcontracted sewing workshops are usually mapped as Tier 1’s subcontractors.
Traceability: Traceability is the ability to track back through records where a product was made, with which raw materials and components, and in which lot and on what date. In social compliance it shows which workshop sewed which order; in quality it locates the source of a defective lot; and it is the evidence base for regulations such as the EU Forced Labour Regulation.

U

Unauthorised subcontracting: Unauthorised subcontracting is having all or part of an order produced in another, unaudited workshop without the brand’s knowledge and approval. Most brands treat it as a zero tolerance or serious finding because working conditions in that workshop are invisible; the auditor detects it through production capacity, cutting and sewing records, delivery notes and subcontracting contracts.

W

Worker interview: A worker interview is the audit step in which the auditor speaks confidentially, without management present, with selected workers about hours, pay, treatment and safety. Interviews are held individually or in groups, and what workers say is cross-checked against document review and site observation. Retaliation against a worker for an interview is a serious finding.
WRAPWRAP: WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production) is an independent social compliance certification programme that audits sewn product, footwear and similar facilities against 12 principles and issues a facility certificate. The process consists of application, self-assessment, an audit by an accredited audit firm and WRAP’s approval; the certificate is issued for a fixed period and renewed.

Z

ZDHC and MRSLZDHC: ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) is a brand and supplier initiative that aims to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals in the textile, leather and footwear supply chain; the MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substances List) is the ZDHC document that lists chemical substances banned from intentional use in manufacturing. At wet processing sites such as dye houses and laundries, the chemical inventory is checked against the MRSL and wastewater is tested.
Zero tolerance finding: A zero tolerance finding is the most serious category of non-compliance, predefined by an audit programme as never acceptable, such as child labour, forced labour, imminent danger to life, physical abuse, bribery or document falsification. Such a finding is usually reported to the brand immediately, on its own makes the audit result negative and triggers a rapid remediation process.