SMETA audits – Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit
Strengthen responsible sourcing and ethical supply chain management through structured assessments of social and environmental practices.
SMETA audits – Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit
SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) provides a structured approach to assess labour practices, health and safety, environmental performance, and business ethics at your own sites or those of suppliers. It enables transparency, comparability, and continuous improvement across global value chains, helping organisations meet buyer requirements and demonstrate sound ethical conduct.
SMETA audits follow an agreed methodology grounded in international standards, primarily the ETI Base, International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and relevant local legislation. It offers a framework for applying a consistent, globally recognised way to assess social and environmental conditions across your supply chain.
What is SMETA?
SMETA is a globally adopted audit methodology created by Sedex to help companies understand and improve working conditions and ethical practices across their operations and supply chain. It is not a certification, but a structured assessment performed by approved Sedex auditor companies.
A SMETA audit examines four core areas called pillars of responsible business practice:
- Labour Standards: Working hours, wages, child labour, forced labour, discrimination, freedom of association, disciplinary practices, and contracts.
- Health & Safety: Workplace safety, fire safety, chemical handling, emergency procedures, PPE use, sanitation, and building safety.
- Environment: Resource use, emissions, waste management, environmental permits
- Business Ethics: Anti bribery, corruption prevention, conflict of interest controls, and fair business practices
A SMETA 2 Pillar Audit covers the two mandatory pillars required for all SMETA audits, which are Labour Standards and Health & Safety. This includes supplementary elements such as entitlement to work checks, management systems assessment, subcontracting/homeworking review, and a basic environmental assessment.
A SMETA 4 Pillar Audit includes everything in the 2 pillar audit but expands the scope to include Environment (detailed assessment) and Business Ethics. The 4 pillar audit provides a more complete picture of operational integrity, sustainability, and responsible sourcing performance and is often required by major global buyers.
Value of SMETA audits
A SMETA audit helps organisations:
- Increase visibility into working conditions and ethical risks across the supply chain.
- Support compliance with buyer requirements and evolving legislation.
- Reduce the burden of multiple customer audits via a single harmonised methodology.
- Strengthen supplier engagement and corrective action follow-up.
- Build trust with customers and stakeholders by demonstrating responsible business practices.
As the SMETA audits can be shared with multiple customers on the Sedex platform, reducing audit duplication and improving supply chain efficiency.
Customers
Certificates
People trained annually
Countries
How to get a SMETA audit
To prepare for a SMETA 2 pillar or 4 pillar audit, organisations should ensure systems, documentation, and operational practices align with Sedex expectations.
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- Familiarize yourself with SMETA guidance, including the ETI Base Code, ILO conventions, and Sedex audit materials.
- Decide whether you need a 2‑pillar or 4‑pillar audit according to your customer’s request, if applicable
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- Appoint responsible staff for labour standards, health & safety, environment, and ethics.
- Ensure the team understands audit expectations and how to prepare accurate evidence.
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- Collect required policies, records, permits, and compliance documents.
- Run internal checks or pre audits to spot areas needing improvement.
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- Address gaps related to labour, safety, environment, or ethics.
- Strengthen oversight of contractors and suppliers where relevant.
- Document corrective actions.
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- Select SMETA 2 pillar (core social compliance) or SMETA 4 pillar (adds environment and business ethics).
- Auditors will review documents, interview workers and management, and inspect the site.
- Findings are issued in a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) and uploaded to Sedex.
SMETA Audits - FAQ
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SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) is the world’s most widely used social audit methodology, created by Sedex to assess labour standards, health and safety, environmental performance and business ethics at a worksite. It provides a standardized way for companies to evaluate and improve responsible practices in their own operations or across their supply chains.
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A SMETA 2‑pillar audit covers the two core areas of Labour Standards and Health & Safety, which are mandatory in all SMETA assessments. In contrast, a SMETA 4‑pillar audit includes these two areas plus Environment and Business Ethics, offering a broader evaluation of a site’s responsible practices.
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SMETA audits are typically required by major global buyers and retailers who want assurance that their suppliers meet ethical, social, and environmental standards. Many brands in sectors such as retail, apparel, consumer goods, and food require SMETA audits as a condition for doing business. They use the results to ensure responsible sourcing and protect workers in their supply chains.
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No. SMETA is not a certification, but a social audit methodology used to assess labour standards, health & safety, environmental practices and business ethics. It results in an audit report (not a certificate) that suppliers can share with multiple buyers through the Sedex platform.
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Yes. SMETA audit results can be shared with multiple customers through the Sedex platform, which is one of the main advantages of SMETA. This helps suppliers avoid duplicate audits and meet the requirements of several buyers with a single assessment.
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