Organizations and businesses who want to identify, manage, monitor and control environmental issues in an integrated manner can utilize an environmental management system. Suitable for all types and sizes of organizations, ISO 14001 requires organizations and businesses to consider all environmental issues relevant to operations, such as water and sewage issues, air pollution, waste management, soil contamination, climate change mitigation and adaptation, efficiency and resource use. For organizations and businesses interested in becoming an ISO 14001 company, the following are 8 steps on the path towards ISO 14001 certification:
1. Become familiar with ISO 14001:2015 requirements by reading the standard.
2. Involve leadership in securing adequate resources for implementing an ISO 14001 management system, including time and staff. Strong leadership is essential to having a unified direction or mission and ensuring everyone involved understands the goal of certification.
3. Perform a gap analysis to identify any operational gaps that do not meet ISO 14001:2015 requirements.
4. Design and develop the required documentation, including an environmental policy, environmental objectives and procedures that meet the standards of the ISO 14001:2015 management system.
5. Compare your existing quality systems with ISO 14001 requirements and focus on aligning them with the requirements of the ISO 14001 EMS.
6. Perform an ISO 14001 internal audit. Any findings or recommendations can be addressed and resolved at this time.
7. Top management should access the possible need for changes to policies, objectives, or any other elements that do not meet the requirement of the ISO 14001 management system. Conduct a management review to assess the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the EMS should be done at regular intervals.
8. Successfully undergo a certification body audit. Management should have a clear understanding of the certification audit process to secure a successful certification body audit. Provide leadership by educating team members on the auditing process and communicating expectations. When people know what to expect, it can relieve some of the stress they might be experiencing. Ensure team members are aware of their possible participation in the audit. It is important to make sure that employees are knowledgeable on key policies and procedures. In order to have a confident certification body audit provide leadership by educating team members on the auditing process and communicating expectations.
An ISO 14001 environmental management system provides a systematic and standardized way for organizations around the globe to take steps towards making our world more sustainable. Organizations and businesses whose products or services have an impact on the environment, consider ISO 14001 as a strategic tool to reduce an environmental footprint. Together, organizations and businesses can focus on building a better tomorrow with ISO 14001. To learn more about ISO 14001, check out our article The Benefits of ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System Standard. Contact us to learn how the ISO Certifications Group can help lead the way to achieving ISO 14001 certification. Check out additional news articles here.
