Category: ISO 14001

Environmental challenges become one of the most concerning trends in the world these days. It further encourages companies to follow proper measures to reduce their environmental impacts and carbon footprints. Implementing the latest ISO 14001 standard is one of the best ways to do so. The ISO 14001 standard is globally recognized for EMS (Environmental Management Systems). Getting ISO 14001 certified demonstrates your firm’s environmental responsibility. And, lifecycle perspective of the products your organization produces is one of the most fundamental ISO 14001 changes. It’s significantly more “prescriptive” than the ISO 14001 certification process itself.

So, what is this “lifecycle perspective” in the environmental context? What steps your company should take to ensure ISO 14001 compliance? Let’s discuss all these in the following blog post.

What does “lifecycle perspective” really mean in ISO 14001?

As per the latest ISO 14001 standard, companies must control the way their services and products are designed, produced, consumed, distributed, and disposed of without ignoring their impacts on the environment throughout the products’ lifecycle.

Organizations must be aware of potential environmental impacts at every stage of a product’s life and take full responsibility to ensure that the impact is as small as possible at every stage of that lifecycle.

How can you meet the “lifecycle” requirements in your brand’s EMS?

Identifying potential environmental impacts and taking appropriate actions to mitigate them is a critical part of your organization’s EMS.

Besides tackling and mitigating these aspects, you must also consider the “lifecycle perspective” of the products your brand manufactures and delivers.

The following is a step-by-step guide:

1.During Product Designing and Developing

In this phase, organizations should carefully examine lots of things, including sourcing of parts.You must evaluate whether any components contain SVHCs (substances of very high concern). If yes, then you must manage these to ensure that they comply with the environmental legislation in your region.

Besides this, you must check whether the components meet the mineral conflict requirements in your region. It will help you ensure that you fully understand what your components contain and that you are not unduly harming the environment or supporting illegal regimes in other countries by sourcing parts without proper understanding and knowledge.

2.During Product Manufacturing

Your organization should consider many environmental aspects during this phase.

It won’t only help you reduce your brand’s environmental impacts but also save the organization’s capital.

Streamlining manufacturing procedures, ensuring that your supply chain also practices the same habits, and reducing power consumption can benefit your organization hugely.

3.During Product Post-Manufacturing

The post-manufacture phase is when your customer has purchased the products and taken them home.

You should evaluate whether you have provided proper information in the user guide, ensuring that your product can be used power-efficiently or not.

You should also check and ensure whether you have provided options to your customers to make your products possible to upgrade or not.

It can further increase the “lifecycle” of the product and provide a welcome business opportunity for your organization.

4.During Product Disposal

During the last phase of the “lifecycle” of your product, you must ensure your product guide or website offers relevant information for the end users to understand the best way to dispose of your products or recycle them.

You may operate a “return for disposal” program, based on several factors, like your location, the weight and type of your products, and so forth.

The “lifecycle perspective” demonstrates that your company has taken the ultimate responsibility to ensure that they take all reasonable measures to prevent the products from having a damaging impact on the environment at the last phase, i.e., the disposal stage of the product.

How to find the right third-party ISO 14001 auditing firm for your organization?

Environmental responsibility has become a growing concern in today’s business world.

Therefore, you may find a lot of third-party ISO 14001 auditing firms across the country.

However, not every one of them is the same even though they offer similar services.

Thus, you must consider the following when looking for one:

• Expertise and reputation of the team

• Understanding of the latest ISO 14001 standard

• Knowledge of the latest ISO 14001 requirements and guidelines

• Estimated budget and timeline for the ISO 14001 certification process

• ISO certifications and qualifications of the third-party ISO 14001 standard auditors

• Customer testimonials and portfolio on the ISO 14001 EMS implementation

Take away

Wondering how to improve your brand’s environmental responsibility and gain more customers? There are lots of ways you can do so. However, implementing the latest ISO 14001 standard would be one of the best and most efficient methods. Getting ISO 14001 certified can open lots of doors when it comes to reducing environmental impacts and carbon footprint. However, you must learn and understand the “lifecycle perspective” before preparing your organization for the latest ISO 14001 certification process.

In today’s competitive world, businesses strive to protect their staff, reduce their environmental impacts, and comply with international standards. Well, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are globally recognized management systems engineered for organizations to fulfill these goals. However, you must understand what is the difference between ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards to get your organization certified with the right ISO standard.

So, what is the ISO 14001 standard?

The ISO 14001 standard is recognized globally for EMS (Environmental Management Systems).

Having ISO 14001 in place provides your organization with suggestions to follow instead of setting standards for environmental efficiency.

It can help your organization improve its environmental performance, reduce waste production, save business capital, and gain a competitive advantage as well as market recognition.

Any organization regardless of its size, nature, and type can implement the ISO 14001 standard in its processes.

By implementing the ISO 14001 standard, firms can achieve their environmental legal obligations and promote a sustainable future.

Well, what about the ISO 45001 standard?

The ISO 45001 standard is recognized internationally for OHSMS (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems).

Having ISO 45001 in place provides organizations with a comprehensive structure to manage their OHSMS hazards and create a safer work environment for the employees.

The key goals of the ISO 45001 standard are to protect employees from occupational injuries and illnesses, comply with legal standards, and lower workplace dangers.

Implementing the ISO 45001 standard in your process uses a comprehensive approach to OHSMS allowing your organization to identify and address potential OHSMS risks and implement proper measures and responses to mitigate them.

ISO 45001 emphasizes the active involvement of all employees to create a safe and healthy work environment, develop a positive attitude to workplace safety, and improve the safety climate and organizational performance continually.

Obtaining an ISO 45001 certification shows that your brand is committed to protecting the well-being of the employees and stakeholders.

What are the key differences between the ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards?

ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are two different international standards, addressing different aspects of organizational performance.

While the ISO 14001 standard focuses on EMS, the ISO 45001 standard emphasizes OHSMS.

The following are the top 4 differences between the ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards:

1. Key Requirements

One of the major differences between ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 is their key requirements.

ISO 14001 requires the following:

• Putting procedures in place for tracking and measuring environmental performance

• Formulating an environmental policy

• Defining targets and objectives for enhancement

• Evaluating environmental aspects and impacts

While the ISO 45001 standard requires the following:

• Evaluating potential OHSMS risks

• Setting up procedures for investigating incidents and emergency readiness

• Identifying hazards in the workplace

• Implementing appropriate measures to reduce or eliminate potential OHSMS hazards

2. Key Benefits

The ISO 14001 standard and ISO 45001 standard also differ from each other depending on their key benefits.

The following are the ISO 14001 benefits:

• Improved brand reputation among customers, stakeholders, and the public

• Improved environmental performance and increased sustainability

• Optimized business operations, leading to cost savings

• Reduced risk of potential non-compliance and legal penalties

The following are the ISO 45001 benefits:

• Increased employee efficiency and productivity

• Improved employee satisfaction and well-being

• Enhanced safe and healthy work environment for employees

• Reduced penalties and brand reputational damage

3. Focus and Objectives

Objectives and focus are also differentiators between the ISO 14001 standard and the ISO 45001 standard.

The ISO 14001 standard mainly focuses on helping organizations worldwide to identify and tackle their environmental impacts, with a particular focus on the ISO 14001 Document Control concept. Thus, it helps organizations improve their environmental management with reduced production of waste materials, adherence to the laws, and responsible resource utilization.

On the other hand, the ISO 45001 standard focuses on protecting the well-being (health, safety, and welfare) of the employees and stakeholders within the organizational setting. ISO 45001 also emphasizes risk assessment to identify OHSMS hazards and evaluate potential risks to lower occupational injuries and illnesses and promote a safe workplace environment.

4. Targeted Impacts

ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 both address different aspects of organizational performance through specific targets and objectives.

ISO 14001 targets the following:

• Reduced production of waste materials and improved waste management practices.

• Preventing pollution by identifying and assessing the environmental aspects of the brand, implementing specific measures to decrease and control pollution, and promoting sustainable practices across all levels.

• Improving the organization’s environmental performance.

• Using resources (water, raw materials, and energy) efficiently.

ISO 45001 targets the following:

• Preventing occupational injuries by identifying potential OHSMS hazards, assessing risks, and implementing proper control measures.

• Complying with the latest occupational health and safety regulations, codes, and legal requirements.

• Creating a healthy and safe workplace environment to maintain the health and well-being of your employees.

• Improving continually by establishing a cycle of review, evaluation, and enhancement of the OHSMS.

Take away

Can you not understand whether your company needs an ISO 14001 certification or an ISO 45001 certification? Both ISO standards are essential for organizations. However, you must understand what is the difference between ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards before investing in them. We hope this blog post can help you understand that.

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certifications are a testament to companies demonstrating their commitments to quality, excellence, and adherence to internationally known standards such as ISO 14001. Obtaining an ISO 14001 certification shows that your business cares for the planet and takes serious measures to reduce your carbon footprint. However, to maintain the relevance and validity of the ISO 14001 certification, regular audits are a must. The ISO 14001 audit frequency is a crucial aspect of the compliance strategy of an organization.

Let’s learn more about the frequency of the ISO 14001 standard audit in the following blog post.

What is the ISO 14001 standard?

ISO 14001 is an internationally known standard for EMS (Environmental Management Process).

Implementing the ISO 14001 standard in your business process provides you with a framework to design and implement EMS and improve your brand’s environmental performance continually.

Having ISO 14001 in place can help your organization to improve its environmental performance through the reduction of waste and responsible and more efficient use of resources, which, on the other hand, can benefit you with a competitive advantage and increase stakeholders’ trust.

Almost any organization, regardless of location, sector, or size, can benefit from getting ISO 14001 certified.

What is the frequency of the ISO 14001 standard audit process?

The ISO 14001 certification process requires organizations to complete a two-part audit process successfully to implement the ISO 14001 standard within the process.

However, it isn’t the end!

After completing the initial certification audit, businesses must also complete yearly surveillance audits along with a recertification audit every three years to maintain the ISO 14001 certification.

They are as follows:

1.ISO 14001 Audits for the Initial Certification

An organization undergoes this ISO 14001 audit process when it seeks the ISO 14001 certification for the first time.

This audit process includes a comprehensive evaluation process assessing whether the business’s management system meets the ISO 14001 requirements or not.

Upon successful completion, the organization receives its initial certification.

2.ISO 14001 Audits for Initial Surveillance

Following the initial ISO 14001 certification audit process, the organization enters the surveillance audit cycle.

These audits are periodic and conducted at defined intervals (normally annually) to ensure that the organization’s EMS is effective and continuing compliance.

Alongside that, the surveillance audits also verify that the organizational procedures are aligned with the ISO 14001 standard consistently.

3.ISO 14001 Audits for Annual Surveillance

The annual surveillance audits are the cornerstone of maintaining the ISO 14001 certification.

Accredited certification bodies conduct these annual surveillance audits to evaluate the ongoing compliance of the organization.

These audits also serve as a snapshot assessment of the business’s EMS, showing whether it continues to meet the ISO 14001 requirements.

The frequency of these audits offers a structured approach to ensure compliance allowing brands to identify and address any areas for further improvement in a timely manner.

4.Special ISO 14001 Audits in Response to Significant Changes

Besides the annual surveillance audits, organizations may also undergo special audits in response to significant changes (if any) within the business process.

These changes can be anything, including the following:

• Mergers

• Significant alterations to systems or procedures

• Expansions

• Acquisitions

Conducting these special ISO 14001 audits helps organizations to ensure that their EMS remains aligned with the ISO 14001 standard and effective even when facing substantial organizational changes.

5.ISO 14001 Audits for Recertification

Like other ISO certifications, the ISO 14001 certification also comes with a defined validity period, usually for three years.

To renew the ISO 14001 certification after this period, organizations undergo a re-certification ISO 14001 audit process.

This audit process is similar to the initial ISO certification audit process in terms of scope and rigor to evaluate whether the EMS is complying with the ISO 14001 requirements or not.

The ISO 14001 re-certification audit acts as a comprehensive assessment to confirm the organizations’ commitment to maintain compliance over an extended period.

Successful completion of this audit results in the renewal of the ISO 14001 certification.

6.ISO 14001 Audits for Continual Improvement

Even though they are not formally ISO 14001 audits, the ISO 14001 continual improvement audits should be conducted internally within the organization.

These audits are necessary for the ISO 14001 certification process, emphasizing the principles of continual improvement inherent in the ISO 14001 standard.

The ISO 14001 continual improvement audits help companies identify opportunities to enhance their EMS and ensure that it remains dynamic and adaptable to transforming business needs and environments.

How to find the right third-party ISO 14001 audit specialists for your organization?

Considering the following can help you find the right one:

• Expertise and reputation

• Knowledge of the ISO 14001 standard

• Understanding of the ISO 14001 requirements

• Client testimonials and portfolios on ISO 14001

• Estimated budget and timeline for the ISO 14001 certification process

Take away

Obtaining an ISO 14001 certification is indeed an important and responsible task. However, the responsibilities don’t end just there after getting your company ISO 14001 certified. Maintaining your ISO 14001 certification needs a structured approach to audits. We hope this blog post helps you understand the ISO 14001 audit frequency and when you should conduct them.

Are you planning to improve your business process and get more customers for your brand? Well, there are many ways to do so. You can provide lots of discounts and loyalty points to attract more customers to your brand. Promoting your brand through social media also works. However, have you ever thought of obtaining an ISO 14001 certification? ISO 14001 is a globally known standard for EMS (Environmental Management Systems). Implementing ISO 14001 in the business process shows that your brand cares for the planet and reduces the environmental impact of your brand. But why ISO 14001 is important for running a business?

The amount of interest in the ISO 14001 standard and EMS certifications continues to grow over time. And why shouldn’t it? The ISO 14001 standard provides a set of frameworks for organizations to implement sustainable practices and maintain them properly. Every business owner knows about sustainable practices not only because they’re a good thing but also because they can contribute to their brand reputation, employee engagement, and ultimately, to your business sales. Yes, that’s right! If implemented correctly, the ISO 14001 standard can improve your overall business process and improve your bottom-line numbers.

Do you want to know more about implementing the ISO 14001 standard in your business process? Let’s dive into the following blog post to learn more about the importance of obtaining the latest ISO 14001 certification for running a business.

How can getting your organization ISO 14001 certified help you with running your business?

Most businesses wonder whether getting their organizations ISO 14001 certified is necessary or not.

Well, obtaining an ISO 14001 certification isn’t a compulsory requirement to run a business in any country. However, ISO 14001 in place can help your organization in numerous ways.

The following are the top 10 of them:

1. Improving resource efficiency

Implementing the ISO 14001 standard in your business process can encourage your organization to reduce the consumption of resources such as water and energy.

It, on the other hand, can help you save lots of money and reduce your brand’s carbon footprint.

Part of it can also ensure that your organization has an efficient system to manage the EMS in one place so people can use it.

2. Enhancing brand reputation

Getting your organization ISO 14001 certified demonstrates that you commit to sustainability.

Hence, it enhances your brand reputation among your customers, employees, and stakeholders.

Alongside that, maintaining a more environmental approach, including lowering your noise levels, pollution, and resource consumption can also improve your relationship with your neighboring companies or office buildings.

3. Lowering the environmental impact

One of the most important reasons to invest in the ISO 14001 certification is that it can help your organization reduce its environmental impacts by identifying areas for emissions and waste and creating rigorous plans to minimize or mitigate them.

Tracing the CO₂ impact of your organization by recording how often you use them.

You can do it just by recording the run hours of the pump or other equipment(s) and the km your business’s delivery truck has traveled during business hours.

It can help you understand the CO₂ impact on your business and focus on the energy reduction program, which can further improve your bottom line.

4. Increasing employee engagement

Do you know that by reducing your organization’s environmental impacts, you also are allowing your team to research more environment-friendly options and activities?

Well, it, on the other hand, can increase your employee engagement.

Involving your employees in the implementation and management of the ISO 14001 standard can also increase their motivation and make your work environment look more positive.

5. Reducing waste production and increasing business efficiency

Implementing ISO 14001 in your process can help you identify areas of business inefficiencies and waste.

It, on the other hand, can help you streamline the procedures, improve overall efficiency, and reduce costs.

6. Gaining a competitive advantage over your competitors

ISO 14001 certified organizations can differentiate themselves from organizations that aren’t ISO 14001 certified.

It can help you gain a competitive advantage over your competitors and help you attract potential customers to increase sales.

Getting ISO 14001 certified may not allow you to charge more, but it can definitely help you land more projects, especially with government agencies and international customers.

7. Ensuring continual improvement

One of the major ISO 14001 requirements for organizations is to monitor their EMS performance and improve it continuously.

Doing so can help your company ensure that you’re always striving for efficiency and sustainability.

8. Complying with the latest environmental regulations

Implementing ISO 14001 in your organization can help you ensure that your procedures comply with the latest environmental regulations, which, on the other hand, can reduce your chances of getting penalties and fines.

You can use numerous tools to do so by listing the EMS requirements for your business, recording the environmental incidents (if any) and how you managed them, and understanding the potential EMS risks and procedures to avoid or mitigate them.

9. Identifying and addressing potential EMS risks beforehand

Having ISO 14001 in place can help you identify, address, and mitigate potential environmental risks.

It can further help you reduce the likelihood of various environmental incidents that could affect your business reputation negatively and result in expensive penalties.

Identifying these risks before they occur can help you develop rigorous plans to minimize or rid them, so you don’t have to go through any sort of expensive dangers.

10. Improving the supply chain management

Lastly, implementing ISO 14001 in your business process can help you manage your supply chain more effectively.

It can further help you ensure that all your business partners and suppliers are also committed to practicing sustainability alongside your organization.

It, on the other hand, can increase your customer satisfaction rate and increase your bottom-line numbers.

How to find the right third-party ISO 14001 specialists for your organization?

The ISO 14001 certification has become a common ISO certification for organizations.

So, you’ll find numerous third-party ISO 14001 auditing firms nationwide.

However, not all of them are the same.

Hence, you must check a few points before hiring someone.

Consider the following factors when looking for one:

• Expertise and reputation of the third-party ISO 14001 auditing team.

• Understanding of the ISO 14001 standard and its implementation.

• Knowledge of the latest ISO 14001 requirements and guidelines.

• Client testimonials and portfolio on ISO 14001 implementation.

• Estimated budget and timeline for the ISO 14001 certification process.

• ISO certifications and qualifications of the third-party ISO 14001 auditors.

Take away

Are you wondering what would be the best way to improve your business process and gain more customers? Offering loyalty points and numerous discounts will indeed work, but they can’t bring any long-term benefits, while implementing the latest ISO 14001 standard in your business would be an excellent way to bring those benefits. We hope this blog post can help you understand why is ISO 14001 important for running a business.

Is your organization on a mission to improve its sustainability efforts? Are you planning to register for ISO 14001 certification? Then, you have reached the correct place!

The ISO 14001 environmental management system standard has helped over 500,000 organizations across 180 countries implement an effective EMS till now.

The standard puts forward an easy-to-follow framework consisting of 10 clauses that act as the audit criteria in ISO 14001. To obtain the ISO 14001 certification, you shall ensure your organization adheres to all the applicable requirements and create documentation and records as evidence.

In today’s blog, we list the most critical requirements of ISO 14001 to help you understand its criteria and what you should do to obtain the certification.

So, delve into the below section now!

The Most Vital Audit Criteria In ISO 14001

ISO 14001 environmental management system standard has 10 clauses. The first three clauses describe the standard, while the rest of the seven clauses lay out its requirements.

Hence, when creating an ISO 14001 audit checklist, you shall focus on the seven requirements.

Here are the must-know audit criteria in ISO 14001.

Scope of the Environmental Management System

The scope of your environmental management system sets out the type of operations the system will cover and its boundaries.

Establishing the boundary will also help you understand which parts of your organization will come under the EMS and your ISO 14001 audit checklist. It may include processes, departments, divisions, and sites.

In most cases, EMS covers the entire organization. Yet, there are circumstances where specific requirements of the EMS may not apply to your organization or are impossible to implement in a particular department.

Environmental Policy

The environmental policy should describe your company’s responsibilities and commitments towards the EMS and other legal requirements. It should include your commitment to continually improve the environmental management system and prevent pollution.

Evaluation of Environmental Risk and Opportunity 

Audit criteria in ISO 14001 certification require you to identify the environmental risks and opportunities your organization faces and establish strategies to address them.

Although the standard does not specify a particular methodology or process for risk management, you must demonstrate that you are following a risk-based approach.

Your team should be able to explain the methodology you are using to address the risk and document evidence during the ISO 14001 audit questions and answers.

Also, the documented evidence should align with the clauses of ISO 14001.

Analysis of Environmental Aspects

Environmental aspects refer to the organizational activities that impact the environment, such as using resources like gas or water, generating waste, emitting air pollution, and disposing of effluents.

Audit criteria in ISO 14001 ask organizations to identify their environmental aspects and determine their impact on the environment. Experts suggest using a risk-scoring system to find out the significance of the aspects.

Also, you shall review and modify your environmental aspects, their impacts, and the scoring system as required.

Environmental Objectives and Plans For Achieving Them

One of the first clauses of ISO 14001 focuses on setting straightforward environmental objectives and establishing strategies to achieve them. You can use the outcome of your risk assessment to identify your company’s environmental goals and prioritize them.

Ensure the objectives are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, such as reducing waste production within the next six months.

Along with the objectives, you shall determine who has ownership of each objective, how you will monitor their progress, a timeline to achieve those objectives, and the specialized equipment used in the process.

When assessing your compliance with the audit criteria of ISO 14001, auditors will check how the objectives relate to each other and your environmental policy.

Operational Control Procedures

As per the ISO 14001 EMS requirements, your organization must define and execute its operational controls based on its industry. The standard doesn’t specify how you should implement these controls. However, it’s essential to keep evidence of your operational controls to meet the audit criteria of ISO 14001.

Procedure For Emergency Preparedness And Response

Environmental emergencies are the situations within your company that influence the environment or the environmental events that impact your company.

Your emergency plan should demonstrate your ability to address both. The plan should be able to identify emergencies and address them.

Also, you should have records on testing the proceeds and providing training to relevant parties.

List of Interested Parties and Applicable Regulations

Interested parties are essentially the stakeholders your organization cannot operate without.

The audit criteria in ISO 14001 EMS want organizations to determine the needs and expectations of their interested parties. Considering them when building the EMS will help you ensure its appropriateness.

Furthermore, you shall record the requirements of all interested parties and upgrade them as necessary. Additionally, you shall determine all the environmental regulations applicable to your organization and list them.

Competence Record

Record the skills of every relevant stakeholder at your company. Also, document how you help improve their skills with training. Make sure employee training records are easily accessible.

Communication Evidence

According to the ISO 14001 audit requirements, it’s your top management’s responsibility to communicate the environmental management system to relevant stakeholders. They should be aware of your obligations and their role in the system.

Monitoring Performance

To facilitate continual improvement of the ISO 14001 environmental management system, you must establish a monitoring process to measure performance. Keeping records of these evaluations will help auditors determine your commitment to the standard.

Compliance Obligation Record

You shall obtain records of everyone working at your organization. Experts suggest performing a competence evaluation to establish legal requirements and regular reviews to keep the records up-to-date.

Internal Audit Program and Management Reviews

The internal audit criteria in ISO 14001 require you to perform planned audits to check your company’s overall environmental performance and maintain records of the audit outcomes as evidence of compliance.

Furthermore, your top management shall take the responsibility to review the EMS to maintain its effectiveness and record its outcome.

Non-Conformities and Corrective Actions

Document the non-conformities of your environmental processes and operations and the actions you took to address them. To prove the effectiveness of your corrective actions, consider performing a root cause analysis.

Final Thoughts

Not all audit criteria in ISO 14001 may apply to your organizations. However, following these 14 requirements is a must. These clauses build the foundation of ISO 14001. Complying with them will help demonstrate your commitment to the standard and achieve the ISO 14001 certification.

External and internal audits are essential parts of ISO 14001. Both of them are mandatory for earning the ISO 14001 certification.

Performing them following the internal audit criteria in ISO 14001 can help check the effectiveness of your implementation process, evaluate compliance, and point out improvement opportunities.

But do you know what to check during the internal audit? If your response is no, then this blog is for you!

To help you get the most out of your internal audits, today’s blog presents a thorough checklist for assessing your compliance through clauses 4 to 6.

This checklist of questionnaires will allow you to take a deep dive into your environmental management system to gather critical facts.

So, let’s get started!

A Checklist To Meet The Internal Audit Criteria Of ISO 14001

The requirements clauses of ISO 14001 span from clauses 4 to 10. Your internal audit criteria shall depend on the requirements of these clauses.

Here’s an internal audit checklist to plan and meet the audit criteria of ISO 14001 for the requirements through clauses 4 to 6.

4.1 Understanding the organization and its context

• Has your organization determined the external and internal issues relevant to your purpose? Do the issues affect your organization’s ability to achieve the intended EMS outcome?

• How does your organization monitor and review the internal and external issues?

4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties

• Has your organization determined the interested parties relevant to its environment management system?

• Has your organization determined the requirements of those interested parties relevant to the EMS?

• Has your organization determined which of these needs fall under compliance obligation as per audit criteria in ISO 14001?

4.3 Determining the scope of your EMS

• Has your organization established the applicability and boundary of the EMS for its scope?

• Have you considered compliance obligations and external and internal issues when deciding the EMS scope?

• Have you considered the organizational units, physical boundaries, functions, activities, products, services, authority, and ability to exercise control when determining the scope?

• Have you included all activities, products, and services in the scope?

• Are you maintaining documented information on the scope?

• Have you made the scope available to interested parties?

4.4 Environment management system

• Has your company established and implemented the EMS as per the audit criteria in ISO 14001?

• Do you have the system to continually improve and maintain the EMS, including various processes and their interactions?

• Have you considered the requirements of clauses 4.1 and 4.2 when establishing and maintaining the EMS?

5.1 Leadership and Commitment

• Does your top management take accountability for the effectiveness of the EMS, demonstrating commitment and leadership?

• Has your top management ensured the establishment of EMS policy and objectives?

• Are the EMS policy and objectives compatible with the organization’s context and strategic direction?

• Have you integrated the EMS requirements into business processes?

• Has your top management ensured the availability of resources for the EMS?

• Have you communicated the importance of the EMS conformance and effectiveness?

• Does your top management ensure the EMS archives its intended goals according to the audit criteria in ISO 14001?

• Do they direct and support stakeholders to contribute to the EMS?

• Does top management promote continual improvement?

• Does top management support relevant management roles?

5.2 Policy

• Has your top management established an environmental policy appropriate to the context and purpose of the organization?

• Does the policy provide a framework for setting the objectives?

• Does the policy include an affirmation to protect the environment?

• Does the policy contain a commitment to meet compliance obligations and make continual improvements?

• Are you communicating the environmental policy, maintaining it as documented information, and making it available to interested parties?

5.3 Organizational roles, responsibilities, and authorities

• Have you assigned the authorities and responsibilities of relevant roles as mentioned in the audit criteria in ISO 14001?

• Have you communicated the roles within your company?

• Has your top management assigned roles and responsibilities for ensuring ISO 14001 EMS compliance and reporting on the performance of the EMS?

6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities

• Has your organization considered all the requirements of clause 4 when planning the EMS?

• Has your organization considered reducing or preventing undesired effects impacting the EMS?

• Has your organization considered emergencies impacting the environment and included them in the EMS scope?

• Has your organization established documented information on its risks, opportunities, and processes to address them?

6.1.2 Environmental aspects

• Has your organization determined its environmental aspects as guided by audit criteria in ISO 14001?

• Have you considered new or modified activities, products, or services when determining environmental aspects?

• Have you considered emergency and abnormal conditions when determining the aspects?

• What criteria have you used to determine the aspects? Have you communicated the aspects across the organization?

• Are you maintaining documented information on the aspects and impacts?

6.1.3 Compliance obligation

• Has your organization determined the compliance obligations related to the environmental aspects and how they apply to the company?

• Have you considered the obligation when implementing the EMS?

• Are you maintaining the obligation as documented information?

6.1.4 Planning action

• Have you addressed the environmental aspects, compliance obligations, risks, and opportunities?

• How do you plan to integrate the actions into the EMS and business processes?

• How do you plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the action as required in audit criteria in ISO 14001?

6.2.1 Environmental objectives

• Have you established the environmental objectives, considering compliance obligations, aspects, risks, and opportunities?

• Are the objectives consistent with the environmental policy?

• Are the objectives measurable and monitored?

• Have you communicated and updated the objectives as needed?

• Are you maintaining documented information on the objectives?

6.2.2 Planning actions to reach the environmental objectives

• How does your organization plan to achieve its environmental objectives?

• Do you have sufficient resources to achieve the goals?

• Who will be responsible for this task?

• Have you set a timeline for achieving the objectives?

• How do you plan to evaluate the results?

Endnote

The audit criteria in ISO 14001 are quite extensive. However, you can tailor the requirements depending on the services and products of your organization. Hopefully, this questionnaire will help you evaluate parts of the EMS. For the checklist on the rest of the clauses, keep an eye on this space!

ISO 14001 standard is the globally recognized standard for the environmental management system. The primary goal of the standard is to set the policies and procedures for a robust eco-friendly system that will control different elements for reducing the yearly carbon footprint. Today’s business organizations need this management protocol to understand the requirements for improving their operations to maintain the environmental sustainability.

The increasing need for waste management and proper mobilization of resources, forces companies to take prompt initiatives so that their operational impact does not disrupt nature and the community. ISO 14001 is often considered a competitive mechanism that works for a company’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) program.

There is no need to implement a completely new system if you already have one. However, ISO 14001 is an excellent tool for monitoring and evaluating the functions and productive efficiency of your existing program. You need professional assistance to carry out the necessary analyses, reviews, and audits to ensure your system is performing as per the expectation.

The following post has discussed the key elements of the standard and the prime benefits a company can enjoy.

What is the aim of the ISO 14001 Standard?

The fundamental purpose is to help companies proactively improve their operational efficiency for minimizing waste production, controlling energy usage, and finding proper resources.            It helps to set SMART objectives and suggest strategic moves for eco-friendly methods. Today, every company needs to show concern for community welfare and environmental sustainability. The standard allows the stakeholders to clear their rudimentary concepts, which further encourages them to contribute to the final goal.

What are the five elements of the ISO 14001 Standard?

•The environmental policies

•Planning

•Implementation and operations

•Review and evaluation

•Corrective actions for continual improvement

The three pillars of a successful implementation are –

•The enhancement of environmental performances

•Timely fulfillment of the compliance

•The ultimate achievement of the objectives

What are some of the major advantages of getting the ISO 14001 Standard?

1.Legal compliance

In India, companies have to pay lakhs and spend approximately 5 years in jail for violating environmental laws. Legal compliance has become stricter and more mandatory. ISO 14001 is the fastest and easiest option to meet regulatory demands and avoid parliamentary intervention. As per one of the main clauses of ISO 14001, a company should determine the organizational context and scope of the program first before modifying or implementing a system. Further, they should design proper planning and find resources to meet the goals. While setting the policies and objectives, a company has to consider the legislative terms and conditions. This way, both the governmental criteria and organizational goals for reducing pollution are achieved.

2.Brand Reputation

Impressing customers and earning their loyalty is necessary to build a sustainable empire. Today, most customers are concerned about greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint. More than 50% of Indian customers are eager to buy products/services from a company that has an eco-friendly approach. By achieving the ISO 14001 certification, a company can successfully improve its brand reputation. Customers start to rely more on the company as they come to know about the effective practices. With a loyal customer base, a company achieves a high-profit margin.

3.Competitive advantages

The international standard is known for being an exclusive mechanism for increasing competitive strength. By performing as per the customers’ expectations in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other degradable ingredients, a company makes a permanent impression. As per market research, the new generation of customers goes through the ingredient list and manufacturing process first before purchasing something. They are conscious buyers who do not invest in services that directly or indirectly harm nature. ISO 14001 is the wisest tool for ensuring the target segment that your actions have been carefully planned and executed. Your company achieves a competitive edge as you accomplish an almost niche customer base.

If a company meets legal compliance for waste reduction, it automatically reduces insurance costs and the overall cost of manufacturing and supply. ISO 14001 is a comprehensive measure for earning more than just competitive advantages.

To modify your current system as per the terms and conditions of ISO 14001 standard, hire expert audit specialists from Blue Wolf Certifications. It is India’s premium ISO consultancy website providing solutions for internal audits. To get complete guidance for conducting an effective audit assessment, contact here now!