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ISO 14001
Welcome to our area devoted to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management standard with separate section covering its history, the benefits of certification, and what to become certified. By completing ISO 14001 certification your organisation can assure stakeholders that your environmental management system (EMS) meets international industry specific environmental standards. Every company large and small; industrial, manufacturing, services, or trade related had an impact on the environment and can therefore benefit from ISO 14001 certification.
ISO 14001 enables organisations of all sizes to benefit from new business opportunities and demonstrate their environmental credentials. Recognised internationally, the standard provides a straight-forward approach to using less energy resource and reducing waste. By becoming more resource efficient, you will save money from reducing waste and usage. According to research by leading in Middle East, this resulted in a payback period from implementation in just 3 months. In fact, being ‘green’ has never made more sense, with ISO 14001 certification being a proven business winner.
By completing ISO 14001 certification your organisation can assure stakeholders that your environmental management system (EMS) meets international industry specific environmental standards. Every company large and small; industrial, manufacturing, services, or trade related had an impact on the environment and can therefore benefit from ISO 14001 certification.
Maintaining a quality-led philosophy is exactly why ISO 9001 is stipulated within tenders. With buying authorities seeking to establish that their suppliers are reliable, asking for an internationally recognised standard eliminates the need to assess every single potential supplier. Having an ISO 9001 certificate saves your work too, allowing you to skip many lengthy pre-qualification process questions.
In summary...
In a world where sustainability and corporate responsibility is ever more prevalent, ISO 14001 is a tried and tested approach for demonstrating you are committed to reducing environmental impact. Studies have shown that the standard helps with new sales, cost reductions and employee engagement. When tendering, having ISO 14001 certification in place saves time filling out pre-qualification questionnaires. When it matters, it can also be the difference between you and the competition for being awarded the contract. In a difficult financial climate, ISO 14001 can also help you retain existing clients by showing them yet another reason to choose your organisation.
The ISO 14001 is a generic management standard. This means it can be used by organisations of any size or sector, providing the smallest of companies the opportunity to demonstrate parity with the likes of Bentley, Disney and Sony.
The standard focuses on proactive management and employee involvement in defining roles related to the environmental policy of an organisation. Once in place, the improved processes implemented lead to more consistent delivery, fewer errors and less costly re-work. You'll also use fewer raw materials, energy and therefore produce less waste, saving money in the long-term.
In addition, ISO 14001 is designed to be compatible with other popular standards such as ISO 9001 (Quality), OHSAS 18001 (Health and Safety) and ISO 27001 (Information Security). All or any combination of these complementary standards can be integrated seamlessly. By sharing many principles, choosing an integrated management system can reduce cost considerably.
If you are new to the ISO 14001 standard you may require some guidance before you start. We run regular ISO training courses and have published a number of articles which cover tips related to successful preparation and implementation. When you're ready, we’ll discuss your requirements and provide you with a competitive quotation so you can budget accurately. Your quotation will be based upon factors such as your organisation's activities, how many locations you operate from and how many people you employ. Once you are ready to start, it's important that you familiarise yourself with the requirements of the standard.
Once you decide to proceed, we'll assign a HTP Consultant to you. He or she will be your principal contact throughout the registration process and beyond. They will build up detailed knowledge of your organisation and will be able to answer any questions you might have. Many of our clients start with a Pre-assessment. This optional service is where we review your current circumstances as part of a Gap Analysis and agree an action plan with you.
HTP Consultant will visit you to explain the standard and undertake a conformity assessment of your current arrangements for quality management. You will then receive a detailed report including all required actions. Together, you will then determine the appropriate timetable for your Audit Assessment.
Once you are ready for your formal Audit Assessment, your HTP Consultant will make the required arrangements for you. On completion, you will be informed of the Auditor's recommendation before he or she leaves your premises.
Following the Auditor's recommendation, your registration will be reviewed and if approved your certification will be confirmed. Soon after, your certificate of conformity to the ISO 14001 standard will be issued and sent to you.
Having achieved certification, you'll want to maintain your registration and your Lead Assessor will remain on hand to undertake the required annual reviews to ensure you continue to meet the requirements of ISO 14001.
We work with clients of all sizes and even if you are a one person business, we can help you. With no long term contract to tie you in, we provide an affordable, transparent route to achieving ISO 14001 certification. Ultimately, your quotation will be based on factors such as your organisation’s activities, how many locations you operate from and how many people you employ (if any). We provide all of our clients with a competitive quotation with no hidden extras. We won’t charge you extra for travel, registration fees or for your certificate (unlike many others).
ISO 14001 is in fact a series of international standards on environmental management. It provides a framework for the development of an environmental management system and the supporting audit programme.The ISO 14001 series emerged primarily as a result of the Uruguay round of the GATT negotiations and the Rio Summit on the Environment held in 1992.
While GATT concentrates on the need to reduce non-tariff barriers to trade, the Rio Summit generated a commitment to protection of the environment across the world. After the rapid acceptance of ISO 9000 and the increase of environmental standards around the world, the International Standards Organisation (ISO) assessed the need for international environmental management standards. They formed the Strategic Advisory Group on the Environment (SAGE) in 1991, to consider whether such standards could serve to:
In 1992, SAGE's recommendations created a new committee, TC 207, for international environmental management standards. This committee and its sub-committees included representatives from industry, standards organisations, government and environmental organisations from many countries. What developed was a series of ISO 14000 standards designed to cover:
ISO 14001 was first published as a standard in 1996 and it specifies the actual requirements for an environmental management system. It applies to those environmental aspects over which an organisation has control and where it can be expected to have an influence.
ISO 14001 is often seen as the cornerstone standard of the ISO 14000 series. It specifies a framework of control for an Environmental Management System (EMS) and is the only ISO 14000 standard against which it is currently possible to be certified by an external certification body. However, it does not in itself state specific environmental performance criteria.
This standard is applicable to any organisation that wishes to:
Other standards in the series are actually guidelines, many to help an organisation achieve registration to ISO 14001. These include the following:
