Preparing for a Buyer Social Compliance Audit: What RMG Factories Need

Buyer social-compliance audits (BSCI, Sedex/SMETA, WRAP and individual brand audits) are a routine part of exporting from Bangladesh’s RMG and export-processing sector, including factories around Chittagong’s EPZ. Measurement and equipment records are a recurring line item auditors check.

What Auditors Typically Check

• Valid, in-date calibration certificates for scales, thermometers and gauges used in production and QC
• DIFE load test certificates for cranes, hoists and lifting gear, current and displayed or filed
• Boiler and pressure vessel test records, where applicable
• Fire safety and electrical inspection records
• A traceable calibration register that maps each instrument to its certificate and due date

The Most Common Finding: Expired or Missing Certificates

It is rarely a total absence of a calibration programme that fails an audit, it is a handful of instruments that slipped past their due date, or equipment added after the last calibration cycle that was never registered. A simple, current register is often the difference between a minor observation and a major non-conformance.

Preparing Before the Auditor Arrives

• Reconcile your equipment list against your calibration register at least monthly
• Keep certificates centrally filed and cross-referenced, not scattered across departments
• Flag and quarantine any instrument used past its due date rather than leaving it in service
• Schedule DIFE and calibration renewals with a buffer before expiry, not on the deadline

We support export-oriented factories with both instrument calibration and DIFE load testing, including on-site service in Chittagong for port and EPZ-based facilities.