Air Quality Self-Audit Checklist

What an air quality self-audit is

An air quality self-audit is a structured internal review of the equipment, processes, and permits that can produce air emissions at your facility. Rather than waiting for an external inspection, you walk through each emission-generating activity, confirm whether the required permits and licenses are in place, and document anything that needs attention. The Air Quality Self-Audit Checklist gives you a repeatable way to do that across the full range of combustion, industrial, chemical, and refrigeration equipment on-site.

Why it matters

Permits and licenses for emission-generating activities carry expiry dates, renewal conditions, and specific limits. When one lapses or an activity is run without the right authorisation, the exposure falls on the facility. A self-audit catches gaps while they are still internal and correctable, keeps your documentation current, and gives you a record that the check was carried out. It also keeps operational details — such as which materials are authorised for open burning, or the combined rated output of your engines — in one place rather than scattered across departments.

What a good air quality self-audit covers

This checklist organises the audit into seven operational sections plus a closing summary: - **Combustion equipment and burning permits** — validity of permits for fossil fuel-burning comfort heating units, the count of those units, and permit status for permanent generators, turbines, or internal combustion engines with a rated output over 150 horsepower, plus their combined rated power. - **Comfort heating and power generation** — the same permit-basis checks applied to the heating and power equipment that keeps the site running. - **Incineration and open burning** — whether incineration equipment holds a current permit, the permit status for open burning, and the materials authorised for disposal by open burning under that permit, including any volume or frequency limits. - **Industrial process emission permits** — permit status for large-scale printing operations, degreasing operations, VOC-containing coating lines, electroplating, anodizing or electropolishing tanks, metal melting or die casting, wax melting or application, adhesive application, and extruders processing metals, minerals, plastics, rubber, or wood. Where degreasing units exist, the checklist also asks whether they are properly sealed and kept closed when not in use. - **Chemical and surface treatment operations** — the permit position for the treatment processes that use or emit regulated substances. - **Metal, wax and material processing** — coverage of the furnaces, casting, wax, and extrusion activities that fall under emission permits. - **Refrigeration and air conditioning** — whether work is coordinated with the Facilities & Services Refrigeration Shop, the notification status for units with a refrigerant capacity of 50 pounds or greater, how many such units are on-site, and who the designated primary contact is. - **Audit summary and corrective actions** — a single place to record non-compliance items, missing or expired permits, the corrective action plan with owners and target dates, an overall compliance rating, and the report reference number.

How to carry out the audit

Set aside time to walk the site and check the paperwork side by side. For each activity the checklist names, confirm two things: that the equipment or process exists on-site, and that the corresponding permit or licence is current and correctly documented. Use the answer options as they are written, including the 'not applicable' choices where a given activity genuinely does not take place — that keeps the record honest and avoids false gaps. Capture quantities where the checklist asks for them, such as the number of comfort heating units, the combined horsepower of permanent combustion engines, and the count of refrigeration and air conditioning units with a refrigerant capacity of 50 pounds or greater. These figures matter because permit obligations often depend on scale or capacity. Every time you find something that is expired, missing, or otherwise out of compliance, log it in the summary section. Write a corrective action for each one that names who is responsible and when it will be done. Finish by recording the overall compliance rating, the report reference number, the preparer, location, and dates, and signing off. Keep the completed record so the next audit starts from a known baseline.

Frequently Asked Questions

The checklist covers seven operational areas: combustion equipment and burning permits, comfort heating and power generation, incineration and open burning, industrial process emission permits, chemical and surface treatment operations (printing, degreasing, VOC coating, electroplating), metal, wax and material processing, and refrigeration and air conditioning. It then closes with an audit summary and corrective actions section.

Typically, an in-house air quality technician, an environmental compliance officer, or a safety manager works through the checklist to verify that all required permits and licenses are current, valid, and properly documented.

The checklist is grounded in holding and documenting current permits and licenses. It asks for the permit status of comfort heating units, generators and engines over 150 horsepower, incineration equipment, open burning, printing operations, degreasing units, VOC coating lines, electroplating, anodizing or electropolishing tanks, metal melting or die casting, wax melting or application, adhesive application, and extruders, so make sure the corresponding documents are on hand and unexpired.

The checklist treats degreasing units as a separate compliance area. Beyond permit status, you verify that all degreasing units are properly sealed and kept closed when not actively in use.

Yes. The refrigeration and air conditioning section asks whether all such work is coordinated with the Facilities & Services Refrigeration Shop, whether every unit with a refrigerant capacity of 50 pounds or greater has been notified, how many such units exist on-site, and the name of the designated primary contact at that shop.

The audit summary and corrective actions section has you document all identified non-compliance items, missing or expired permits, and areas requiring immediate corrective action; outline a corrective action plan for each deficiency with responsible personnel and target completion dates; and assign an overall air quality regulatory compliance rating for the facility.

No. The checklist references only the permits and licenses required for the specific emission-generating activities listed. It does not name any specific regulation or standard, and it is a self-audit tool rather than a legal compliance certification.

Written by

Arne Reis

Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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