Worldwide Quality Assurance

ISO 14001 is the International Standard for Environmental Management Systems.

The most widely used EMS in the world, with over 11,000 organisations certified in the UK and an estimated 223,000 organisations certified in 159 countries world-wide.

ISO 14001 is the principal management system standard which specifies the requirements for the formulation and maintenance of an EMS. There are three fundamental commitments required in an environmental policy that meets the requirements of ISO 14001. These include:

• prevention of pollution
• compliance with legislation
• continual improvement of the EMS

These commitments help drive the improvements in overall environmental performance.

ISO 14001 can be used as a tool; it focuses on controlling your environmental aspects or the way that your activities products and services interact with the environment; for example, emissions to air, land or water. Organisations must describe what they intend to do, adhere to their procedures and record their efforts to demonstrate compliance and improvement. You will set objectives, targets and implement a programme to improve your environmental performance which often leads to financial benefits.

Organisations are required to identify applicable legal, statutory and related requirements. It is particularly important to identify how the legislation affects you so that compliance measures can be adopted and periodically evaluated ensuring requirements are understood by employees and implemented effectively.

ISO 14001 is accompanied by ISO 14004, Environmental Management systems - General Guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques. This standard covers issues such as the establishment, implementation, maintenance and improvement of an MS and discusses the principle issues involved.

Who is ISO 14001 applicable to?

Organisations of all types, sectors and sizes can improve their environmental performance through the implementation of this standard.

What are the benefits of ISO 14001 registration?

• Improved environmental performance led by top management commitment
• Cost savings can be achieved through improved efficiencies in energy and water usage and through waste minimisation
• Reduced risk of pollution incidents and other releases to the environment and therefore avoidance of unnecessary clean up costs and/or enforcement action by regulatory bodies
• Compliance with legislation through the identification of new legislation in adequate time to address appropriate issues
• Reduced risk of non-compliance with legislation and subsequent costs/prosecution
• Improved brand image as customers will see an organisation that is in control of its impact on the environment
• Improved business focus and communication of environmental issues
• Improved profitability through costs reductions and improved customer satisfaction.

How to gain registration to ISO 14001

• Application for registration is made by completing the EMS questionnaire
• Assessment to ISO 14001 is undertaken by WQA. This consists of two mandatory visits which form the Initial Certification Audit
• Registration is granted by WQA and maintained by the client. Maintenance is confirmed through a programme of annual surveillance visits and a three yearly re-certification audit.

Initial Certification Audit

Stage 1 - the purpose of this visit is to confirm the readiness of the organisation for full assessment. The assessor will:

• confirm that the environmental management system conforms to the requirements of the standard including the identification of impacts and aspects
• confirm its implementation status
• confirm the scope of certification
• check legislative compliance
• produce a report that identifies any non-compliance or potential for non-compliance and agree a corrective action plan if required
• produce an assessment plan and confirm a date for the Stage 2 assessment visit

Stage 2 - the purpose of this visit is to confirm that the quality management system fully conforms to the requirements of ISO 14001 in practice. The assessor will:

• undertake sample audits of the processes and activities defined in the scope of assessment
• document how the system complies with the standard
• report any non-compliances or potential for non-compliance
• produce a surveillance plan and confirm a date for the first surveillance visit

If the assessor identifies any major non-conformance, the organisation cannot be certified until corrective action is taken and verified.