Business Benefits Of ISO 14001
Any manager will try to avoid pollution that could cost the company a fine for infringing environmental legislation. But better managers will agree that doing only just enough to keep the company out of trouble with government inspectors is a rather weak and reactive approach to business in today’s increasingly environment-conscious world.
There is a better way. The ISO 14000 way. The ISO 14000 standards are practical tools for the manager who is not satisfied with mere compliance with legislation – which may be perceived as a cost of doing business. They’re for the proactive manager with the breadth of vision to understand that implementing a strategic approach can bring return on investment in environmentrelated measures. Implementing an ISO 14000-basedenvironmental management system, and using other tools from the ISO 14000 family, will give you far more than just confidence that you are complying with legislation.
The ISO 14000 approach forces you to take a hard look at all areas where your business has an environmental impact. And this systematic approach can lead to benefits like the following:
a. Reduced cost of waste managementb. Savings in consumption of energy and materialsc. Lower distribution costsd. Improved corporate image among regulators, customers and the publice. Framework for continuous improvement of your environmental performance.
The manager who is “too busy managing the business” to listen to good senseabout environmental management could actually be costing the business plenty. Just think, for example, of the lost opportunities for achieving benefits like those above.
The ISO 14000 standards are management tools that will help your businessachieve environmental goals that go way beyond acquiring a mere “green sheen”.
Showing posts with label ISO 14000 Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ISO 14000 Series. Show all posts
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
ISO 14001 Auditing and Registration
ISO 14001 Registration
A registration system has grown up around the implementation of the ISO 9000 quality management documents and has formed the basis for a similar system of registration to ISO 14001. At this writing, ISO 14001 is the only specification_ document of the ISO 14000 series and the only standard that is intended to be auditable; all of the other standards are, or will be, guidance documents.
Registrars – Globally, there are 40 – 50 or more organizations established to register organizations to ISO 14001. These registration organizations are accredited by the standards bodies in, for the most part, major industrial nations that have adopted ISO 14001 as their country’s EMS standard. In the U.S., for example, the body that accredits registrars is the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB). ANAB passes on the credentials of registrars to register organizations to ISO 14001.
ISO 14001 Audits
First-, second-, or third-party auditors can assess an organization’s conformity to the requirements of the standard. First-party Audits – In the first-party circumstance, the internal auditors of the implementing organization conduct an audit to determine that the EMS has been properly implemented and is being maintained. If the organization passes the internal audit, it may self declare_ its conformity to ISO 14001.
Second-party Audits – In the second-party circumstance, the audit is conducted by a representative of a party interested in the environmental performance of the implementing organization. The interested party_ may be a customer, an environmental regulator, an insurance company, or any other organization affected by the environmental performance of the implementing organization. The second-party audit can be a condition of doing business with the auditor’s organization.
Third-party Audits – In the third-party circumstance, an external EMS auditor conducts an audit, usually at the request of the implementing organization, to determine if the organization conforms to the requirements of ISO 14001. The third-party audit is most often for the purpose of certifying_ that the organization is in conformity with the requirements of ISO 14001.
Typically, when a registration is awarded, it is for a period of three years with a provision for the periodic conduct of surveillance_ audits to ensure continuing conformity.
A principal benefit of the third-party audit is that it compels organizations to continually maintain the EMS in order to pass the follow-up surveillance audits; without this, there might be slippage in the maintenance of ISO 14001.
It is not a requirement of implementing ISO 14001 that organizations have a registration audit conducted; this is a decision made by each organization based upon its determination of the commercial value or necessity of certifying. When an ISO 14001 EMS is intended to be audited,
the requirements must be implemented and documented sufficiently for an auditor/registrar to be
able to conduct the audit based on the finding of objective evidence that the organization has implemented an EMS conforming to ISO 14001.
Establishing objective evidence requires a higher level of documentation and record keeping than is required for mere implementation of ISO 14001. The implementation of ISO 14001 is a simpler task for the organization when it is only seeking to implement the policy and sixteen procedures than when it is implementing with the intention or expectation of being audited.
A registration system has grown up around the implementation of the ISO 9000 quality management documents and has formed the basis for a similar system of registration to ISO 14001. At this writing, ISO 14001 is the only specification_ document of the ISO 14000 series and the only standard that is intended to be auditable; all of the other standards are, or will be, guidance documents.
Registrars – Globally, there are 40 – 50 or more organizations established to register organizations to ISO 14001. These registration organizations are accredited by the standards bodies in, for the most part, major industrial nations that have adopted ISO 14001 as their country’s EMS standard. In the U.S., for example, the body that accredits registrars is the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB). ANAB passes on the credentials of registrars to register organizations to ISO 14001.
ISO 14001 Audits
First-, second-, or third-party auditors can assess an organization’s conformity to the requirements of the standard. First-party Audits – In the first-party circumstance, the internal auditors of the implementing organization conduct an audit to determine that the EMS has been properly implemented and is being maintained. If the organization passes the internal audit, it may self declare_ its conformity to ISO 14001.
Second-party Audits – In the second-party circumstance, the audit is conducted by a representative of a party interested in the environmental performance of the implementing organization. The interested party_ may be a customer, an environmental regulator, an insurance company, or any other organization affected by the environmental performance of the implementing organization. The second-party audit can be a condition of doing business with the auditor’s organization.
Third-party Audits – In the third-party circumstance, an external EMS auditor conducts an audit, usually at the request of the implementing organization, to determine if the organization conforms to the requirements of ISO 14001. The third-party audit is most often for the purpose of certifying_ that the organization is in conformity with the requirements of ISO 14001.
Typically, when a registration is awarded, it is for a period of three years with a provision for the periodic conduct of surveillance_ audits to ensure continuing conformity.
A principal benefit of the third-party audit is that it compels organizations to continually maintain the EMS in order to pass the follow-up surveillance audits; without this, there might be slippage in the maintenance of ISO 14001.
It is not a requirement of implementing ISO 14001 that organizations have a registration audit conducted; this is a decision made by each organization based upon its determination of the commercial value or necessity of certifying. When an ISO 14001 EMS is intended to be audited,
the requirements must be implemented and documented sufficiently for an auditor/registrar to be
able to conduct the audit based on the finding of objective evidence that the organization has implemented an EMS conforming to ISO 14001.
Establishing objective evidence requires a higher level of documentation and record keeping than is required for mere implementation of ISO 14001. The implementation of ISO 14001 is a simpler task for the organization when it is only seeking to implement the policy and sixteen procedures than when it is implementing with the intention or expectation of being audited.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
How ISO 14000 works
ISO 14001:2004 does not specify levels of environmental performance. If it specified levels of environmental performance, they would have to be specific to each business activity and this would require a specific EMS standard for each business. That is not the intention.
ISO has many other standards dealing with specific environmental issues. The intention of ISO 14001:2004 is to provide a framework for a holistic, strategic approach to the organization’s environmental policy, plans and actions.
ISO 14001:2004 gives the generic requirements for an environmental management system. The underlying philosophy is that whatever the organization’s activity, the requirements of an effective EMS are the same.
This has the effect of establishing a common reference for communicating about environmental management issues between organizations and their customers, regulators, the public and other stakeholders.
Because ISO 14001:2004 does not lay down levels of environmental performance, the standard can to be implemented by a wide variety of organizations, whatever their current level of environmental maturity. However, a commitment to compliance with applicable environmental legislation and regulations is required, along with a commitment to continual improvement – for which the EMS provides the framework.
ISO has many other standards dealing with specific environmental issues. The intention of ISO 14001:2004 is to provide a framework for a holistic, strategic approach to the organization’s environmental policy, plans and actions.
ISO 14001:2004 gives the generic requirements for an environmental management system. The underlying philosophy is that whatever the organization’s activity, the requirements of an effective EMS are the same.
This has the effect of establishing a common reference for communicating about environmental management issues between organizations and their customers, regulators, the public and other stakeholders.
Because ISO 14001:2004 does not lay down levels of environmental performance, the standard can to be implemented by a wide variety of organizations, whatever their current level of environmental maturity. However, a commitment to compliance with applicable environmental legislation and regulations is required, along with a commitment to continual improvement – for which the EMS provides the framework.
What is ISO 14000 Series?
ISO 14000 is a series of international standards that have been developed to incorporate environmental aspects into business operations and product standards. ISO 14001 is a specific standard in the series for a management system that incorporates a set of interrelated elements designed to minimize an organization’s impact on the environment. Similar to the ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS), ISO 14001 defines the implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS). In addition, ISO14001 incorporates the QMS ISO 9001 management system philosophy, terminology, and requirement structure, providing system compatibility.
What Does ISO 14001 Require?
Originally issued in 1996 and later revised in 2004, the ISO 14001 EMS standard is intended to address the identification, evaluation, and continual improvement of an organization’s activities, products, or services that interact with the environment. The ISO 14001 methodology is a systematic approach for continually improving environmental management through identification and evaluation of aspects and impacts, development of objectives and measurable targets, implementation of programs, and on-going monitoring and review.
What Does ISO 14001 Require?
Originally issued in 1996 and later revised in 2004, the ISO 14001 EMS standard is intended to address the identification, evaluation, and continual improvement of an organization’s activities, products, or services that interact with the environment. The ISO 14001 methodology is a systematic approach for continually improving environmental management through identification and evaluation of aspects and impacts, development of objectives and measurable targets, implementation of programs, and on-going monitoring and review.
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