Category: ISO 14001

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!