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ISO 14001:2015

ISO 14001:2015

Introduction To The Standard

The International Standard ISO 14001:2015 defines criteria for an Environmental Management System (EMS); which if implemented and maintained effectively, can provide an organization with reassurance that environmental risk is being managed and improved.

ISO 14001 is applicable to any organization regardless of size, sector, or geographical location. Whilst the Standard sets out a framework for environmental management, it has been devised to give the flexibility to apply to all companies and organizations.

ISO 14001 requires effective demonstration that a systematic approach has been taken to prevent pollution and to have processes in order to manage environmental risk. Once a policy framework has been put into place along with processes to facilitate the organizations’ commitment, the Standard then asks an organization to audit, review, and improve the system to affirm that a commitment to continuous improvement is being achieved.

The Standard fundamentally comes in two parts; “The Standard” and then “Annexes” which provide help and explanation.

Environmental Management System
A Management Tool With Practical Benefits

An environmental management system (EMS) conforming to the international standard, ISO14001, provides the structural framework for an organization to deal with its environmental issues. Some advantages of incorporating environmental management into existing business practice are:

  • proactive environmental responsibility, 
  • meeting the due diligence required of directors and managers, 
  • financial savings, 
  • a sustainable competitive advantage. 
  • An effective integrated management system incorporates EMS, occupational health and safety (OH&S), and quality management.
Benefits Of Implementation

All “management ISO’s” have a similar fundamental benefit. They provide a framework of action that; if implemented appropriately, provides internal control. In the case of ISO 14001, the execution of the standard provides a control for an organization’s activities, products, or services and the interaction with the environment. This, in turn, can increase the long-term viability of the organization and where appropriate a higher regard for its asset value.

Whilst there are other numerous benefits to achieving ISO 14001 (and some will be more appropriate depending upon what sector an organization operates) the following benefits are likely in most cases:

1- Demonstration of Leadership

By testing environmental controls against the internationally recognized environmental Standard, an organization demonstrates ethical environmental leadership to its Stakeholders which includes customers, employees, and Regulators. The achievement of 14001 also provides assurance to a Board of Directors, Trustees, or owners that there is management control regarding environmental risks inherent within an organization.

2- Economic benefit

In a global marketplace where all sectors have to compete in some form or other, demonstration of ethical environmental leadership through “good environmental stewardship”, can be the deciding factor for being selected to supply the goods or services that an organization provides. Having ISO 14001 also may give a Unique Selling Point (USP) that increasingly provides one of the fundamentals when promoting an organization. A fundamental part of the Standard is conformance to appropriate environmental regulatory requirements or other obligations that are deemed as important as a regulatory requirement. A system that checks on.

adherence to legislation mitigates the risk of environmental liability prosecution. Whilst this is not a direct saving to an organization, the outcome of unregulated activities that deleteriously affect the environment will result in ever-increasing fines.

Most organizations or businesses consume resources of one form or another. Whilst the Standard doesn’t direct an organization to measure something specifically, examining the resources that are consumed, for example, energy

3- Internal audit and Management Review

ISO 14001 provides the framework to check what controls have been put into place through the use of internal audit and provides a way in which to monitor and improve. A Management Review process then allows Top Management to take a “step back” and determine how well the system is working within the context of the organization and whether it requires modification to meet future changes in a process, resources, or regulatory framework. Internal audits and Management Reviews when combined with an audit from a certification body, such as NQA, provide assurance that the EMS is meeting the requirements of the organization and the ISO 14001 Standard.

PDCA Cycle

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is an iterative, four-stage approach for achieving continual improvement. It involves systematically testing possible solutions, assessing the results, and implementing the ones that are shown to work.

At the “heart” of this approach is leadership. The importance of leadership at all levels, but particularly by Top Management, cannot be underestimated to operate an EMS successfully, to achieve performance levels required, and generate continual improvement.

In the context of an EMS, PDCA is translated into the following:

Plan:

Understand the context of the organization, establish environmental objectives and processes necessary to deliver results

in accordance with the organization’s environmental policy, understand risk and opportunities and determine the support required to achieve the outcomes required.

Do:

Implement the processes as planned to include operational planning and control and emergency preparedness and response.

Check:

Monitor, measure, and evaluate environmental performance to include internal audit and Management Review.

Act:

Take actions to continually improve to include addressing nonconformity.

AISC GROUP Practical Approach to EMS

AISC GROUP Environment Corporation addresses:
  • production objectives 
  • legal compliance objectives 
  • staff development objectives 
  • market objectives
Planned Outcomes from EMS
  • lower production costs 
  • higher quality at lower costs 
  • risk and reputation management 
  • increased market acceptance 
  • lower costs of products and services 
  • increased competitiveness 
  • contribution to sustainability
The AISC GROUP Approach to EMS

The Alexandria Integrated Systems and Consultations Group (AISC GROUP) advocates a step by step approach to environmental management. We have developed an effective model of assessment, using tools designed for the identification of waste and compliance issues. The AISC GROUP assessment facilitates the prioritization of objectives and a programmed implementation of EMS.

Environmental management systems include five core elements: policy, planning, implementation, measurement, and review. These elements comprise a continuous improvement process designed to manage and progressively reduce an organization’s impact on the environment.

Implementation of a practical environmental management system requires a detailed understanding of the organization, its products and services, and their interaction with society and the marketplace.

Our focus is on using EMS as a tool to manage environmental issues. AISC GROUP EMS provides a detailed framework within which waste minimization, cleaner production, and environmental improvement activities are conducted.

The extensive industrial and organizational experience and high-level technical skills of our consultants complement AISC GROUP’s practical approach to environmental management systems. We would like to apply our knowledge and skills to developing an EMS specifically for your organization.

HOW CAN “AISC GROUP” HELP?

Our Team offers a variety of Consulting Services and Solutions.

We understand that each organization or person is unique. Our Solutions are comprehensive and will be customized to meet your specific needs.

  1. Provides a well-planned and stage-by-stage audit program. 
  2. A sound, coherent and non-disruptive assessment. 
  3. We have an enviable record of customer satisfaction.
Context of the organization
Risk-Based Thinking/Audits
- Context:

The first step of implementing an EMS, as described below, is to gain an understanding of the “context” of the organization or, paraphrasing, the macro issues that affect and are affected by an organization. As an organization is subject to a variety of influences, which can change, this can lead to risks in the form of potential threats and opportunities. Determining the risks that derive from this drives an organization to consider such changes or events, analyze their impacts and chances of an event occurring, and then encourage a planning or mitigation strategy.

Environmental aspects and operational control:

Following the determination of the macro issues, 14001 ask an organization to determine the aspects and impacts of activities, products, and services in some form of the risk assessment process. This analysis informs an organization where there are significant issues (risks or opportunities) that need careful management, where objectives need setting, controls that need designing or where, and to what frequency internal audits need carrying out.

- Planning – compliance obligations:

Surrounding the determination of aspects and impacts is the assessment of whether an organization is complying with its legal framework. The concept of maintaining knowledge and understanding of its compliance status has built-in risk assessment principles so that an organization can determine its compliance status and, per se, understand where it is not

complying and therefore devise strategies to minimize the risk.

- Planning – risk and opportunities:

Those organizations that need further assistance in ensuring that their risk assessment process is comprehensive can look towards ISO 31000 Risk management – Principles and guidelines. This provides generic guidelines although it is not intended to promote uniformity of risk management across organizations. Of course, the design and implementation of risk management plans and frameworks will need to take into account the varying needs of a specific organization, its

- Continual improvement:

A risk-based philosophy means that an organization can be better prepared for the impacts of uncertainty, which in turn means greater resilience. Moreover, risk-based thinking implicitly results in continual improvement, as an organization is always examining potential influences and changes.

PROCESS-BASED THINKING/AUDIT

Some organizations that implement an EMS will look to integrate it with their Quality Management System (QMS). If this is the case, they will have heard of “process-based” thinking. However, if not, it might be less understood how the process approach is applicable to the EMS requirements in ISO 14001:2015.

The ISO 9001 requirements for a QMS are founded on seven quality management principles, and one of these is the “process approach”. It is explained fully in the introduction of ISO 9001:2015, but as a paraphrased summation; a process approach is where more consistent results can be attained when consideration and management of activities are carried out as interrelated processes, which together, make up a system.

The process approach applies to an EMS because a comprehensive appreciation of an organization’s processes and their interrelation needs to be known. The following are the main areas in an EMS where process thinking is attributable:

- Context:

A comprehensive appreciation of processes needs to be understood when considering the macro-environmental issues which interrelate between the organization and the environment.

- Environmental aspects and operational controls:

In order to determine environmental aspects and impacts, risks, and opportunities, an analysis of the inputs, activities, and outputs needs to be determined. As part of the analysis, the interactivity of one or more of the processes may need to be considered. If it is not, this environmental risk assessment may omit environmental aspects and impacts which in turn would result in no controls being devised. This could result in a deleterious impact on the environment.

- Performance and monitoring:

In order to determine how successful a process is the result of the process (good/bad) needs to be evaluated.

- Support/competence:

In order to undertake a process, or a number of processes effectively, a person needs to be competent. When determining environmental competence needs, competence will need to be obtained or matched to the needs of the particular processes. If competence is not proven or appropriate to a particular process this could result in adverse environmental impact.

- Internal audit:

The processes which comprise the EMS need to be systematically audited over time and frequency to determine whether they perform effectively.

- Corrective action:

A corrective action is an opportunity to correct a problem identified in an EMS. A process approach to this will start at the root cause and finish at an appropriate and satisfactory sustainable solution.

Annex SL high-level structure comprises the following:
  1. Scope
  2. Normative References
  3. Terms and Definitions
  4. Context of the Organization
  5. Leadership
  6. Planning
  7. Support
  8. Operation
  9. Performance Evaluation
  10. Improvement

Numbers 1 to 3 provide a background to the Standard itself and it is not until number 4 that the requirements or “clauses/sections” of the Standard are set out.

Whilst clauses 4 to 10 are common to all Management System Standards, ISO 14001 specifically relates to environmental topics. So, whilst there is commonality, there are processes to be established, implemented, and maintained such as an organizations’ understanding of a policy framework around the protection of the environment or “aspects and impacts” and “life cycle perspective” which are unique requirements to ISO 14001.

Good use of Annex SL and an example of an integrated management system (IMS) is one that simultaneously handles the requirements of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Typically, the processes required

in each Standard for document control, internal audits, dealing with nonconformities, corrective actions, or management review are shared, so that the requirements of each Standard are met without duplicating effort i.e. having two processes – one for ISO 9001 and one for ISO 14001.

In order to determine the appropriate compliance obligations and how they apply to the organization’s processes

and aspects a great deal of research may be needed, particularly if the organization is complex or highly potentially environmentally damaging. This is sometimes where organizations need specialist help. contact us for more details.