ISO 14001

Overview

ISO 14001 is the internationally recognised standard for the environmental management of businesses.

ISO 14001 was first released in 1996, revised in 2004 and its last version was issued on 2015 to reflect the new trends and to remain compatible with management systems standards like ISO9001. Today it is the world’s most recognized framework for environmental management systems.

ISO 14001:2015 is applicable to any organization, regardless of size, type and nature, and applies to the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services that the organization determines it can either control or influence considering a life cycle perspective. ISO 14001:2015 does not state specific environmental performance criteria

ISO14000 FAMILY OF STANDARDS

The ISO 14000 family addresses various aspects of environmental management. The very first two standards, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 14004:2016 deal with environmental management systems (EMS). ISO 14001:2015 provides the requirements for an EMS while ISO 14004:2016 provides with general EMS guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques..

Included in the ISO 14000 standards that are maintained by the International Organization for Standardization are several other documents that provide guidelines for incorporating very specific elements of environmental management which include:

• ISO 14006: Environmental Management Systems – Guidelines for incorporating ecodesign
• ISO 14020: Environmental labels and declarations – General principles
• ISO 14040: Environmental Management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and Frameworks
• ISO 14050: Environmental Management – Vocabulary
• ISO 14064-1: Greenhouse Gases – Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals
• ISO 14066: Greenhouse Gases – Competence requirements for greenhouse gas validation teams and verification teams

The ISO 14001 standard requires organizations to identify all environmental impacts and associated aspects. Furthermore to define environmental objectives and implement actions for improved performance to improve processes in prioritised areas with significant aspects. ISO 14001 lays forth a best practice for proactive management of the environmental impact of your organisation. When you have an ISO 14001 certified environmental management system you go beyond mere compliance. Your focus becomes continual improvement

Elements of the standard

ISO 14001 contains the core elements for an effective environmental management system. The main sections of the standard are:

• Context of the organization
• Leadership
• Planning
• Support
• Operation
• Performance evaluation
• Improvement

WHY CHOOSE ISO14001 – KEY BENEFITS

There are numerous benefits associated with a certified ISO 14001 management system:

• compliance with legislative and other requirements by providing a systematic approach for meeting current and identifying future legislation
• marketing tool as it provides a competitive edge over non-certified businesses
• Better management of environmental risks, now and in the future
• Overall cost savings: in terms of consumption, waste and recycling
• increased credibility that comes from independent assessment
• shares common management system principles with ISO 9000 and OHSAS 18001 enabling integration of your quality, environmental and occupational health and safety management systems

STEPS TO CERTIFICATION

Step 1: Proposal for Certification – Contact AVRV and exchange of preliminary information. AVRV provides you a proposal based on the size and nature of your organization, detailing the the cost and time involved.

Step 2: Optional pre-audit – You may decide to perform pre-audit to assess the readiness of your organization for the audit. This stage is optional

Step 3: Stage 1 Audit – Readiness review of your management system to verify the status of your organization for certification that includes compliance of your documented system, examination of key elements of the system and planning of next audit steps. At the end of this step you will receive a report summing up all findings (critical and non critical).

Step 4: Stage 2 Audit – Evaluation of the implementation and systems effectiveness through observation of working practices, personnel interviews and examination of records. At the end of this stage all audit finding will be presented to you by the lead auditor that include nonconformities, opportunities for improvement and positive aspects.

Step 5: Recommendation for Certification – The auditors team shall propose their recommendation based on the evaluation and review of the effective implementation of corrections and corrective actions on findings raised during Stage 1&2 Audits. The final audit report is forwarded for the review and decision.

Step 6: Technical Review and Issue of Certificate subject to successful audit –Appointed independent and impartial team of AVRV reviews the audit report and the recommendation of the audit team and decides further on granting or not certification.

Step 7: Awarding Certification –The client is informed on the results of the certification decision and following successful certification a three years certification cycle is initiated and a certificate is issued

Step 8: Surveillance audit – Each year the validity of the certification remains subject to successful surveillance audits. Every twelve months we will verify that the management system conforms to the requirements of the standard.

Step 9: Re-certification – After 3 years and before the expiry of your certification our routine visit will be extended to enable a re-certification audit.

The technical review and decision of certification includes granting, refusing, maintaining, renewing, suspending, restoring or withdrawing certification or expanding or reducing the scope of the certification.

Certification Flowchart

The roadmap of the certification process is summarized as follows

The technical review and decision of certification includes granting, refusing, maintaining, renewing, suspending, restoring or withdrawing certification or expanding or reducing the scope of the certification