ISO 14000 Series

ISO 9001 Standard - ISO 9001 Standards

2012-01-01T04:20:00.000-08:00

ISO 9001 Standard - ISO 9001 Standards

ISO 9000 Training DVD

2011-10-09T06:20:00.002-07:00

ISO 9000 Training DVD

The major reasons that company leadership or management decides to seek ISO 9000 certification are to gain continued or increased business and to maintain effective operations.

A company can maintain a relationship with customers, as well as get increased business through complying to the ISO 900 standards or becoming certified. This comes from satisfying customer demands, the desire for European business, and to advertise.

The “Introduction to ISO 9001:2008” DVD covers 3 major areas, which will help companies in the process of implementing ISO 9000 Standards. It consists of:

First, to describe some basic information on ISO 9000 Standards. It will specifically refer to ISO 9001:2008 Standards. The video will explained on topic like what is ISO 9000 Standards, The origin, history & evolution, Series of ISO 9000, version & certification in ISO 9000 Standards.

Then, the DVD will go into the introduction on quality management. It will explained on topics like what is quality, quality characteristic, quality management, Quality Management Principles, ISO 9000 vs. Quality, what is Quality Management System & etc.

Finally, the DVD will technically highlight the requirement of Quality Management System in ISO 9001:2008. It also going through in details the steps in implementing Quality Management System in ISO 9001:2008.

ISO 14001:2004 Training DVD

2011-10-09T06:20:00.001-07:00

ISO 14001:2004 Training DVD

ISO 14001:2004 Training DVD

Global warming, ozone depletion, pollution and extinction of numerous species of animals. These are just a few of the environmental issues that the world faces, in the name of development. As responsible corporate citizens, companies can play their part in preserving our natural environment for our next generation by implementing ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System.

So, what is ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System? What is the requirement of the ISO 14001 standards? What is the content of Environmental Management System? What are the steps in implementing ISO 14001:204 Standards – Environmental Management System? You will find the answers in this “ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System” DVD.

The “ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System” DVD will elaborate in details on:

Introduction to ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System.
The history & origin of the standards.
Requirement of ISO 14001:2004 Standards.
Contents Of ISO 14001:2004 Standards.
ISO 14001:2004 Implementation Steps & Checklist.

No matter how simple or complex the business, each can benefit from the implementation of a management system based on ISO 14001:2004. This international standard has as its focus the prevention of pollution, accomplished by a teamwork approach to identifying those aspects of the organizations processes that have the potential for harming the environment and the development of ways to reduce or prevent this harm.

In the process, many organizations have found ways to reduce costs by elimination of scrap, changes to their waste disposal processes or reduced use of natural resources. It is the application of the system approach that has proven to be successful. And, once the system is in place, it is logical and beneficial to have that system certified and registered. This provides added assurance that the management system remains effective and also provides public recognition to numerous stakeholders that your organization is committed to the prevention of pollution.

ISO 9000 Document Control Procedures

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The ISO 9000 Standard requires that a documented procedure be established to define

the controls needed.

This requirement means that the methods for performing the various activities required

to control different types of documents should be defined and documented.

Although the standard implies that a single procedure is required, should you choose

to produce several different procedures for handling the different types of documents

it is doubtful that any auditor would deem this noncompliant. Where this might be

questionable is in cases where there is no logical reason for such differences

and where merging the procedures and settling on a best practice would

improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Documents are recorded information and the purpose of the document

control process is to firstly ensure the appropriate information is available

where needed and secondly to prevent the inadvertent use of invalid

information. At each stage of the process are activities to be performed that

may require documented procedures in order to ensure consistency and

predictability. Procedures may not be necessary for each stage in the process.

Every process is likely to require the use of documents or generate documents

and it is in the process descriptions that you define the documents that need to

be controlled. Any document not referred to in your process descriptions is

therefore, by definition, not essential to the achievement of quality and not

required to be under control. It is not necessary to identify uncontrolled

documents in such cases. If you had no way of tracing documents to a

governing process, a means of separating controlled from uncontrolled may

well be necessary.

The procedures that require the use or preparation of documents should also

specify or invoke the procedures for their control. If the controls are unique to

the document, they should be specified in the procedure that requires the

document. You can produce one or more common procedures that deal with

the controls that apply to all documents. The stages in the process may differ

depending on the type of document and organizations involved in its

preparation, approval, publication and use. One procedure may cater for all the

processes but several may be needed.

The aspects you should cover in your document control procedures, (some

of which are addressed further in this chapter) are as follows

Planning new documents, funding, prior authorization, establishing need

etc.

- Preparation of documents, who prepares them, how they are drafted,

conventions for text, diagrams, forms etc.

- Standards for the format and content of documents, forms and diagrams.

- Document identification conventions.

- Issue notation, draft issues, post approval issues.

- Dating conventions, date of issue, date of approval or date of distribution.

- Document review, who reviews them and what evidence is retained.

- Document approval, who approves them and how approval is denoted.

- Document proving prior to use.

- Printing and publication, who does it and who checks it.

- Distribution of documents, who decides, who does it, who checks it.

- Use of documents, limitations, unauthorized copying and marking.

- Revision of issued documents, requests for revision, who approves the

request, who implements the change.

- Denoting changes, revision marks, reissues, sidelining, underlining.

Amending copies of issued documents, amendment instructions, and

amendment status.

- Indexing documents, listing documents by issue status.

- Document maintenance, keeping them current, periodic review.

- Document accessibility inside and outside normal working hours.

- Document security, unauthorized changes, copying, disposal, computer

viruses, fire and theft.

- Document filing, masters, copies, drafts, and custom binders.

- Document storage, libraries and archive, who controls location, loan

arrangements.

- Document retention and obsolescence.

With electronically stored documentation, the document database may provide

many of the above features and may not need to be separately prescribed in

your procedures. Only the tasks carried out by personnel need to be defined in

your procedures. A help file associated with a document database is as much

a documented procedure as a conventional paper based procedure.

ISO 14001 Standards Audit

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SO 14001 sets out a system that can be audited and certified. In many cases, it is the issue of certification that is critical or controversial and is at the heart of the discussion about the trade implications.Certification means that a qualified body (an accredited certifier) has inspected the EMS system that has been put in place and has made a formal declaration that the system is consistent with the requirements of ISO 14001.The standard allows for self-certification, a declaration by an enterprise that it conforms to ISO 14001. There is considerable skepticism as to whether this approach would be widely accepted, especially when certification has legal or commercial consequences. At the same time, obtaining certification can entail significant costs, and there are issues relating to the international acceptanceof national certification that may make it particularly difficult for companies in some countries to achieve credible certification at a reasonable cost. For firms concerned about having certification that carries real credibility, the costs of bringing in international auditors are typically quite high, partly because the number of internationally recognized firms of certifiers is limited at present.2The issue of accreditation of certifiers is becoming increasingly important as the demand increases.Countries that have adopted ISO 14001 as a national standard can accredit qualified companies as certifiers, and this will satisfy national legal or contractual requirements. However, the fundamental purpose of ISO is to achieve consistency internationally. If certificates from certain countries or agencies are not fully accepted or are regarded as second class, the goal will not have been achieved. It is probable that the international marketplace will eventually put areal commercial value on high-quality certificates, but this level of sophistication and discrimination has not yet been achieved. It is essential to the ultimate success of the whole system that there be a mechanism to ensure that certification in any one country has credibility and acceptability elsewhere.The ISO has outlined procedures for accreditation and certification (Guides 61 and 62), and a formal body, QSAR, has been established to operationalize the process. At the same time, a number of established national accreditation bodiesheavily involved in ISO have set up the informal International Accreditation Forum (IAF) to examine mechanisms for achieving international reciprocity through multilateral agreements (MLAs). However, these systems are in the earlystages, and many enterprises continue to use the established international certifiers, even at additional cost, because of lack of confidence in the acceptability of local certifiers.Given the variability in the design of individual EMS and the substantial costs of the ISO 14000 certification process, there is a growing tendency for large companies that are implementing EMS approaches to pause before taking thislast step. After implementing an EMS and confirming that the enterprise is broadly in conformance with ISO 14001, it is becoming routine to carry out a gap analysis to determine exactly what further actions would be required to achievecertification and to examine the benefits and costs of bringing in third-party certifiers.
ISO 14001 Standards Certification

ISO 14001 Standards sets out a system that can be audited and certified. In many cases, it is the issue of certification that is critical or controversial and is at the heart of the discussion about the trade implications.

Certification means that a qualified body (an accredited certifier) has inspected the EMS system that has been put in place and has made a formal declaration that the system is consistent with the requirements of ISO 14001 Standards.

The standard allows for self-certification, a declaration by an enterprise that it conforms to ISO 14001 Standards. There is considerable skepticism as to whether this approach would be widely accepted, especially when certification has legal or commercial consequences. At the same time, obtaining certification can entail significant costs, and there are issues relating to the international acceptance of national certification that may make it particularly difficult for companies in some countries to achieve credible certification at a reasonable cost. For firms concerned about having certification that carries real credibility, the costs of bringing in international auditors are typically quite high, partly because the number of internationally recognized firms of certifiers is limited at present.

The issue of accreditation of certifiers is becoming increasingly important as the demand increases.

ISO 9001 Standards & ISO 14001 Standards

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In order to assist organizations to have a full understanding of the new ISO 9001:2008, it may be useful to have an insight on the revision process, how this revision reflects the inputs received from users of the standard, and the consideration given to benefits and impacts during its development.

Prior to the commencement of a revision (or amendment) to a management system standard, ISO/Guide 72:2001 Guidelines for the justification and development of management system standards recommends that a “Justification Study” is prepared to present a case for the proposed project and that it outlines details of the data and inputs used to support its arguments. In relation to the development of ISO 9001:2008 user needs were identified from the following:

-the results of a formal “Systematic Review” on ISO 9001:2000 that was performed by the members of ISO/TC 176/SC2 during 2003-2004
-feedback from the ISO/TC 176/Working Group on “Interpretations”
-the results of an extensive worldwide “User Feedback Survey on ISO 9001 and
The Justification Study identified the need for an amendment, provided that the impact on users would be limited and that changes would only be introduced when there were clear benefits to users.

The key focuses of the ISO 9001:2008 amendment were to enhance the clarity of ISO 9001:2000 and to enhance its compatibility with ISO 14001:2004.

A tool for assessing the impacts versus benefits for proposed changes was created to assist the drafters of the amendment in deciding which changes should be included, and to assist in the verification of drafts against the identified user needs. The following decision making principles were applied:

1) No changes with high impact would be incorporated into the standard;

2) Changes with medium impact would only be incorporated when they provided a correspondingly medium or high benefit to users of the standard;

3) Even where a change was low impact, it had to be justified by the benefits it delivered to users, before being incorporated.

The changes incorporated in this ISO 9001:2008 edition were classified in terms of impact into the following categories:

-No changes or minimum changes on user documents, including records

-No changes or minimum changes to existing processes of the organization

-No additional training required or minimal training required

-No effects on current certifications

The benefits identified for the ISO 9001:2008 edition fall into the following categories:

-Provides clarity

-Increases compatibility with ISO 14001.

-Maintains consistency with ISO 9000 family of standards.

-Improves translatability.

ISO 9001 Documents Control – Elements and Requirements

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The ISO 9001 standard is caring for us. It cares for us from several angles. One of these cares regards our documentation. The standard requires that we will document by all means.
But it also cares that we won’t get confused and mix up different documents from different sources. Therefore it requires all documents to be controlled. This is not a recommendation but a requirement. You must control your documents. In order to achieve documents control you must maintain a method. This method must be one of the organizations quality procedures and it should be called “Documents Control”. In this procedure you must refer to the next line of issues.

Types of records
At first, you must define what documents this procedure would include. Documents can be working procedures, diagrams, technical specifications, price quotes etc. In order not to “swirl” around too many documents, let’s make it clear. Let’s define what a document is: Communication of information, evidence for correspondence, sharing of any kind of knowledge, approved documents. Someone within the organization must supervise all documents and see that they are suitable for working before they are released.The reason is to prevent any faults where unsuitable documents are being used or information that is classified is handed to wrong bodies. It is required to define for whom it is authorized and when must he approve any document. Who is responsible? The same one who is responsible for the information documented. It must be part of his job description. There are situations that more than one function would be needed to approve one document. It happens when more than one process is documented on one document.

Updated documents
This requirement assures that always the last version is the version in use – and not an older. Therefore you must define a method for maintaining updated version and elimination of older versions. How would one know what is the last version? Usually organizations manage a list of editions and updates for documents. You can manage the document itself. But most important, it is required to indicate the document itself as the last edition. This way, any employee that would use the document, would be sure that he holds the last edition. Of course, don’t forget to document the method.It is also required to define what to do with the old versions that are now not updated. How do you handle them? Are they to be destroyed, archived etc. Managing editions must include: Date of last update, The reason for the update, The function who demanded the update, The function that authorized the update. Although the ISO 9001 standard doesn’t require these requirements specifically, it would help you to achieve its basic requirements. Of course you would use what is suitable for your organization. Today there is a lot of document management softwares. These software, naturally qualify for the standard requirements but it is recommended to review anyone before purchasing.

Availability and distribution of documents
This is an un separated part of the last requirement. Defining the availability and distribution of documents must include the following:User authorization – to which it is authorized to use the document, the location of the document – where must the document be kept before and after use. Most of today’s process management systems (such as ERP or CRM systems) provide documents control relevant to the process they handle. They present the user with a screen (a screen on a computer system is a document like any other document) with defined information to input. Most of these systems also has authorization module installed. But when systems like the ones mentioned do not exist in the organization, it must provide with his employees the relevant updated documents. That means the latest editions. In order to ensure that, the standard require a documented method. How to obtain that? Well, it depends on your organization and his substructures.

Identification of documents
Any document (internal or external) must be identified somehow. Any internal document must have a name, serial number, catalogue number or whatever. Somehow to define it. The ISO 9001 standard requires that you maintain a method to achieve identification. The identification must include the numbering, coding or however you decided to identify it. But it is required to document the method. You must also include location of documents. How one can trace the document. for example customer’s files are scanned to the computer or stored in some closet. The final purpose of all this is to achieve control of the documents – any employee, once he looks at a document or trying to trace a document, would know where to approach: a department, a process, some function or any kind of identification relevant to your organization. If we look again at process management systems, then it is much simpler. Any document in those systems is identified by a number of some kind, produced by the system. The number is given according to some internal method. In this case you must not document this method but mention it in the procedure that these specific documents are managed. In case there are documents that are manually managed you must document the method. All this also applies for external documents. Any documentation that arrives from outside (with presumption that it is a document as defined) is included in the ISO 9001 standard requirement. In this case you must specify what is to do with these documents and where one can trace them in the hour of need. For example, where to file the documents. Again, you define the method according to your organization’s nature.

Documents removal
You must define a method for documents removal for any reason: un updated, out of use, etc. the method must include what is it to do with the document and who is responsible, once it is out of use. For example, removing old documents from the organization’s server for no further use or removing old forms from the offices that no one would use them again. Some of this things sound trivial and they are, but still this is a ISO 9001 standard requirement..

Summary:
The ISO 9001 standard requires that we document all sorts of our documents. It also requires that we would not confuse all kinds of documents from different sources. Therefore we must define a method for documents control. This is not a recommendation but a requirement.
The method must be presented as a documented procedure.
The documented procedure would be called “Documents control”.
You must include a definition of documents within the method – what is a document.
All documents must be approved before use. The purpose is to verify that the documents are suitable for work.
All documents must be updated. You must define a method to ensure the use of updated documents only. The method should include management documents editions and documents indications.
All documents must be identified. The organization must specify a method for documents identification. The purpose is that any employee would know which document he holds or where to trace it.
It is also required to manage availability and distribution of documents. You must verify that the documents that are distributed to the employees are the correct ones.
You must define a method for documents removal. When and why to remove documents and in whose responsibility.

Initial Review Of Gap Analysis In ISO 14001

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A fundamental concept of the ISO 14001 EMS Standard is continual improvement of environmental performance. Before you can plan for improvement, you must first determine the current state of the organization’s environmental programs.

The initial review or gap analysis is, in itself, a microcosm of a well-organized approach to the entire ISO 14001 EMS development process. Each specification of the standard must be reviewed, including policy, legal requirements, training, objectives and targets, operational control systems, document control, auditing, management review, and corrective action.

The review should take into account the culture, products, marketing strategies, and other specifics of the organization. In all cases, consideration should be given to the full range of operating conditions, including possible incidents and emergency situations that may be encountered.

The ability of suppliers and subcontractors to comply with the Organization’s EMS program and applicable regulatory requirements should also be evaluated. It is strongly recommended that the initial review consider energy use, financial accounting, and information systems so that these issues may be integrated into the EMS program.

To effectively begin the Initial Review, several things must happen. First, Management should issue a company-wide announcement of intent and endorsement. This should include estimates of the time required to complete the Initial Review, and time required to complete the entire project. Second, the project leader should be identified and vested with ample authority for completion of the project.

The Initial Review is a review of all pertinent documents, from which an accurate plan is designed for the EMS Gap Analysis.

All information from the review, including deviation from regulatory requirements and adverse impacts on the environment, should be identified along with policies, programs, procedures, training and work instructions, and operational controls.

A portion of the project team should begin to assemble a registry of appropriate regulations identified during the Initial Review. All pertinent national, state, local and self-subscribed requirements should be assembled. They should be compared with identified environmental impacts.

An Initial Review is also important in ensuring that EMS design is compatible with all current organizational management structures and operations wherever possible. This is especially important where the EMS interfaces with the site’s existing health and safety, accounting, computer systems, purchasing, energy utilization and other management programs. The focus will be to achieve operational efficiencies that ensure environmental improvements and maximize cost reductions.

Initial Review outputs will be:

· An EMS Gap Analysis Design that details where existing environmental management procedures must be further investigated to determine conformance with the Standard.

· A review of the site’s overall environmental management strengths/weaknesses.

· A schedule of events for the Gap Analysis.

The gap analysis allows for a quick but comprehensive assessment of the facility’s existing environmental management practices and procedures, and compares them

with the requirements of the Standard. To perform the Gap Analysis, a standard template tailored for that specific purpose is used. The template is a questionnaire with a three way scoring system, which develops a final rating of the current programs of the site as they compare with the sections of the Standard. The score from this questionnaire and investigative template identifies which areas of the EMS might be enhanced to improve environmental performance and comply with the Standard.

Based on the results of the Gap Analysis, the project schedule and design may require modifications. Modification should precede further systems development. Using the results of the Gap Analysis, the EMS developmental process can now begin.

This may involve modifying existing procedures, adapting other business procedures such as those designed for health and safety, accounting, or risk management to environmental utilization. At certain points, new procedures will be required.

Prior to embarking on EMS development, always remember that the more flexible your EMS is, the easier it will be to implement and the more flexible it will be in the future.

EMS AUDITING CONCEPTS AND ISO 14000

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The Environmental Management System (EMS) audit is based on the generic concept of auditing. Simply put, an audit, any audit, is the comparison of actual conditions to expected conditions, and a determination as to whether one is in conformance or not in conformance. This is the same philosophy used to perform financial, quality, regulatory compliance, and systems audits. It is prudent to first review what the common elements are in order to better understand why audits are different.

There are several definitions of audit components that are common to any type of audit. ISO 14001 defines these terms for EMS audits, but they apply in other cases also. As a matter of fact, the ISO committee decided not to create auditing standards for other types of audits, such as compliance audits, although it was originally considered. The main reason for deleting the work items was because the concepts and processes defined in 14011, originally intended for EMS audits, were generic enough to be applied “as is” to other types of audits.

An audit is fundamentally a comparison of audit evidence to audit criteria to determine findings. The evidence is the objective information collected through interviews, visual reconnaissance, and documentation review. The audit criteria are the expectations or “rules” of how conditions should be. It is the criteria that distinguish one audit from the next. For example, in compliance auditing, the criteria are the regulations. With an EMS audit, the criteria would be the description of the expected system elements. In this case, the EMS criteria would be that described in ISO 14001, the specification standard.

When evidence is compared to criteria, one can determine whether the audited entity does or does not conform. This determination is a finding, and a finding can either be one of conformance, or non-conformance. Therefore, an audit will always produce findings, even if what is being audited is in full conformance with criteria.

Other key definitions to be aware of with auditing are: objectives, scope, auditee, client, and auditor. The audit objective(s) is simply why you are conducting an audit; usually the reason is to demonstrate conformance to stated criteria. The audit scope is what entity is being audited, and can be a company, a site, or unit within a site or company.

In the ISO 14000 realm, there is a clear distinction between the auditee and client. The auditee is the entity being audited. The client is the party commissioning the audit. For example, a client can be the customer, and the auditee a supplier to that customer. In ISO 14000, this distinction is important because the client sets the scope, objectives, and plan for an audit, not the auditee, although it is expected the auditee will be involved and cooperate.

The auditor is the one actually collecting evidence and determining findings. The auditor can be comprised of several individuals on a team. There are requirements in ISO 14001 that state that those performing functions within the EMS, such as the auditors, be qualified in their tasks. This means the auditors must have received training in EMS auditing. However, there may be audit team members who do not have the training, but are on the team because of some unique expertise, such as process, language, or regulatory knowledge.

Quality Management System

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Clause 4.2.1 in ISO 9000 Standards requires quality management system documentation to include 5 types
of document:
(a) Quality policy and objectives
(b) Quality manual
(c) Documented procedures
(d) Documents needed to ensure the effective planning, operation and control of processes
(e) Records
Other than the requirements in clause 4 for documentation, there are 14 other references requiring documentation. These are as follows:
(a) The output of the planning
(b) The quality manual
(c) A documented procedure for document control
(d) A documented procedure for the identification, storage, retrieval, protection, retention time and disposition of records.
(e) Planning of the realization processes
(f) Inputs relating to product requirements
(g) The outputs of the design and development process
(h) Design and development changes
(i) The results of the review of changes and subsequent follow up actions
(j) A documented procedure for conducting audits that includes the responsibilities and requirements
(k) Evidence of conformity with the acceptance criteria characteristics of the product
(l) A documented procedure for nonconformity control activities
(m)A documented procedure for corrective action
(n) A documented procedure for preventive action
This list is somewhat inadequate for documentation purposes because it does not tell us what types of things we should document or provide criteria to enable us to decide what we need to document. ISO 9000 clause 2.7.2 includes a more useful list of document types that are classified as follows:
(a) Quality manuals
(b) Quality plans
(c) Specifications
(d) Guidelines
(e) Procedures, work instructions and drawings
(f) Records

Contents Of ISO 14001 Standards

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Contents Of ISO 14001 Standards

The ISO 14000 family addresses various aspects of environmental management. The very first two standards, ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14004:2004 deal with environmental management systems (EMS). ISO
14001:2004 provides the requirements for an EMS and ISO 14004:2004 gives general EMS guidelines.

The newly revised ISO 14001:2004 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system (EMS), which provides a framework for an organization to control the environmental impacts of its activities, products
and services, and to continually improve its environmental performance. It applies to those environmental aspects which the organization can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence. It does not itself state
specific environmental performance criteria.

ISO 14001:2004 is applicable to any organization that wishes to:
• implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system
• assure itself of its conformance with its stated environmental policy
• demonstrate such conformance to others
• seek certification/registration of its environmental management system by an external organization
• make a self-determination and self-declaration of conformance with this international standard.

All the requirements in this standard can be incorporated into any environmental management system. Having been revised, the improved ISO 14001 is now expected to bring the benefits of implementing an EMS to more businesses than ever. The standard is now easier to understand and use and has more detailed checklists for inputs and outputs from the management review and has increased compatibility to ISO 9001.

Key Elements Of ISO 14001:2004
• Environmental policy
Develop a statement of your organizations commitment to the environment. Use this policy as a framework for planning and action.
An environmental policy is top managements declaration of its commitment to the environment. This policy should serve as the foundation for your EMS and provide a unifying vision of environmental concern by the entire organization. Given its importance, your policy should be more than just flowery prose.

Since it serves as the framework for setting environmental objectives and targets, the policy should be brought to life in your plans and deeds. Everyone in the organization should understand the policy and what is expected of them in order to achieve the organizations objectives and targets.
Your policy should reflect three key commitments, including a commitment to continual improvement. While this does not mean that you must improve in all areas at once, the policy should drive your organizations efforts to continually improve environmental management (and the improved performance that results from these efforts).

How To Get ISO 9001 Certified

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How To Get ISO 9001 Certified

The ISO 9001 accreditation is part of the International Organization for Standardization 9000 standards. They are awarded to businesses for quality. The ISO 9001 is recognized worldwide as an award for a company’s internal quality management or actions that the company takes to ensure the product or service they provide is of the highest quality. Customer satisfaction is a major factor in whether a company will be awarded an ISO 9001 accreditation. The International Organization for Standardization in Geneva, Switzerland publishes thousands of international standards to help companies throughout the world more efficiently do business with one another. The 27 page ISO 9001 standard is focused on defining minimum business practices for the production and delivery of a company’s products and services through the implementation of a formal “quality management system”, or QMS. An ISO QMS is made up of certain processes, documentation and other formal practices that control internal company operations to ensure customer requirements are consistently met. To pass an audit, an organization must follow these guidelines: Develop a Quality Management System (QMS) manual. Develop the procedures required by the ISO 9001 Standard. Determine the additional processes and procedures that are needed by the organization to perform work and satisfy the requirements in the ISO Standard. Operate in accordance with the organization’s documented QMS. Provide evidence that the organization is operating according to the QMS. The achievement of an ISO 9001 certification is a milestone in demonstrating to your customers that you have implemented a reliable system of producing and delivering your products and services. The focus of this “system” is twofold: providing consistent products and services; and continual improvement in your processes leading to better results. The ISO 9001 certification is granted by a third-party auditing firm called a Registrar who specializes in quality system auditing. There are a wide variety of Registrars located in every ISO participating country. Some firms have offices internationally; others have a more regional focus. The selection of your Registrar is one of the more important decisions you will make to ensure the best alignment with your type of business, your location(s) and overall cost of maintaining the certification. The initial certification audit is conducted in two parts. The Stage 1 audit is a general review of your QMS documentation to ensure you have addressed all of the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard. Depending upon the size of your business, this can be conducted in a one to two day visit to your facility or virtually via phone. Any discrepancies noted during the Stage 1 audit will be documented in a formal report and must be corrected before the Stage 2 audit. The main part of the ISO audit is the Stage 2 audit which is always conducted onsite at your location(s) and will be focused on the implementation and effectiveness of your QMS. During this audit which can take 1 day (for very small companies) to several days, the auditor(s) will tour your company, speak to managers and employees, and review documentation and records (along with any Stage 1 discrepancies) to ensure that your system is fully implemented. If nonconformances are found, they will be documented in a formal report for correction. Following the Stage 2 audit, you are generally given thirty (30) days to submit corrective action plans for all audit nonconformances. Once corrective actions are received, your certification is complete and your certificate is issued. In order to maintain the certification, you will participate in an annual surveillance audit from your Registrar where they confirm that you are maintaining your QMS. Every third year, a more comprehensive re-certification audit is conducted, similar to the initial certification audit.

Elements Of ISO 14001 Environmental Management System

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Elements Of ISO 14001 Environmental Management System

ISO/DIS 14001 is one of a series of emerging international environmental management standardsaimed at promoting
continual improvement in company environmental performance through the adoption and implementation of an environmental management system. The (draft) standard specifies the core elements of an EMS, but contains only those elements that may be objectively audited for certification or self-declaration purposes. A companion guidance standard, ISO/DIS 14004 includes examples, descrïptions and options that aid in the implementation of an EMS and in integrating the EMS into overall management practices. It is not intended for use by certification/registration bodies.

ISO/DIS 14001 defines an overall environmental management system , closely modeled on the ISO 9000 quality systems standard , and covers the following key elements:

· Establishment of an appropriate environmental policy that is documented and communicated to employees and made available to the public, and which includes a commitment to continual improvement and pollution prevention, regulatory compliance and a framework for setting objectives;
· A planning phase that covers the identification of the environmental aspects of the organization’s activities, identification and access to legal requirements, establishment and documentation of objectives and targets consistent with the policy, and establishment of a program for achieving said targets and objectives (including the designation of responsible individuals, necessary means and timeframes);
· Implementation and operation of the EMS including the definition, documentation and communication of roles and responsibilities, provision of appropriate training, assurance of adequate internal and external communication, written management system documentation as well as appropriate document control procedures, documented procedures for operational controls, and documented and communicated emergency response procedures;
· Checking and corrective action procedures, including procedures for regular monitoring and measurement of key characteristics of the operations and activities, procedures for dealing with situations of non-conformity, specific record maintenance procedures and procedures for auditing the performance of the EMS;
· Periodic management reviews of the overall EMS to ensure its suitability, adequacy and effectiveness in light of changing circumstances.

The EMS as outlined in ISO 14001 provides a structured process for the achievement of continual improvement, the rate and extent of which is determined by the organization in light of economic and other circumstances. Although some improvement in environmental performance can be expected due to the adoption of a systematic approach, it should be understood that the EMS is a tool which enables the organization to achieve and systematically control the level of environmental performance that it sets itself. The establishment of an EMS will not, in itself, necessarily result in an immediate reduction of adverse environmental impact. Indeed, care needs to be taken that the mere establishment of an EMS does not lull the organization into a false sense of security. But effectively used, an EMS should enable an organization to improve its environmental performance and avoid or reduce adverse environmental impacts over time.

The ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 Standards and the environment

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The ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 Standards and the environment

The ISO 14000 family of International Standards on environmental management is a relative newcomer to ISO’s portfolio – but enviroment-related standardization is far from being a new departure for ISO.

In fact, ISO has two-pronged approach to meeting the needs of business, industry, governments, non-governmental organizations and consumers in the field of the environment.

On the one hand, it offers a wideranging portfolio of standardized sampling, testing and analytical methods to deal with specific environmental challenges. It has developed more than 350 International Standards (out of a total more
than 12000) for the monitoring of such aspects as the quality of air, water and soil. These standards are means of providing business and government with scientifically valid data on the environmental effects of economic activity.

They also serve in a number of countries as the technical basis for environmental regulations.

ISO is leading a strategic approach by developing environmental management system standards that can be implemented in any type of organization in either public or private sectors (companies, administration, public utilities). To spearhead this strategic approach, ISO establish a new technical commitee, ISO /TC 207, Environmental management, in

1993. This followed ISO’s successful pioneering experience in management system standardization with the ISO 9000 series for quality management.

ISO’s direct involvement in environmental management stemmed from an intensive consultation process, carried out within the framework of a Strategic Advisory Group on Environment (SAGE),set up in 1991, in which 20 countrie, 11 international organizations and more than 100 environmental experts participated in defining the basic requirements of a new approach to environment-related standards.

This pioneering work was consolidated with ISO’s commitment to support the objective of “sustainable development” dicussed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

Today, delegations of business and government experts from 55 countries have participate actively within TC 207,

and another 16 countries have observer status. These delegations are chosen by the national standars institute concerned and they are required to bring to TC 207 a national consensus on issue being addressed by the commitee.

This national consensus is derived from a process of consultation with interested parties.

From its beginning, it was recognized that ISO/TC 207 should have close cooperation with ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, in the areas of management systems, auditing and related terminology. Active efforts are under way to ensure compatibility of ISO environmental management and quality management standards, for the benefit of all organizations wishing to implement them.

ISO 9001 Standards & ISO 14001 Standards

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