ISO 14000: The Beginner Guide

Most businesses that connect with us, have zero or incomplete knowledge about setting correct standards against which operational efficiency is measured. Mainly found that organizations that have ISO accreditation or are planning to have it in the near future have better understanding of implementing. 

So from this article on ISO series you will also understood of ISO- 14000. It will help companies realize the importance of ISO 14000, its benefits, how to apply for its accreditation.

ISO- 14000

ISO 14000 is a set of global standards that help organizations across the world limit and reduce the adverse effects of their operational activities on the environment. It is a set of environmental management standards (EMS) that ascertains how companies, irrespective of size, location and nature, can adopt environmental consciousness into their operations, services, and products.

It is to be noted that the standard itself does not propose or set any environmental goals for the organizations, instead it empowers them with tools to measure the impact of their operational activities on the environment. This in turn helps them find best ways to reduce the negative impact to achieve a greener work culture.

About an organisation: Environmental Management System

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of processes created by companies to help achieve environment goals in a cost-effective manner. It is also considered as an organizational framework designed to meet regulatory standards. It does not imposed any external environment targets or performance levels, instead it helps each organization achieved the goals and objectives they set for themselves. 

Main principles of environmental management system are:

Standards outlined in the ISO 14000 family are designed with key principles of environmental management in mind:

• To encompass environmental management systems and the environmental aspects of products
• To not be restricted by country or region
• To uphold and promote public interest as well as the interests of those who use and be affected by the standards.
• To utilize scientific evidence and principles
• To continuously improve upon existing principles of environmental management
• To be actionable, practical, and useful for organizations.

Why Is it Important?

ISO 14000 is important because it enables organizations to move beyond regulatory compliance and take a proactive approach toward environmental management. Businesses can create a massive impact when they actively take part in considering the environment—which is arguably a root of all the world’s biggest problems.

Relationship between ISO-14000 and ISO-9000:

In 1987, the ISO issued a different set of management standards known as the ISO 9000 series. Mainly focuses on quality in design, development, production, inspection, testing, installation, and servicing of products. In short, the standards are drafted to improve quality management practices (QMS).

Both ISO-9000 and ISO-14000 are process standards and not performance standards. Performance standards are defined by the organization themselves and the standards help them achieve it. Both series encourage the existence of management systems with a company that promote preventive action instead of corrective action.

Implementation of ISO-14000 and their benefits:

Implementing ISO 14000 standards across all departments and hierarchies if a company has many positives, most of which eventually translate to the company's commercial advantage.

Four key benefits are mentioned below.

• Improving brand reputation.
  A company projects environmental consciousness and responsibility to the masses. Environmentally responsible operations get appreciated quickly in current times. As such, implementing ISO 14000 or above standards assures all entities of a company’s non-commercial goals, which is a great way to foster personal relations in the professional world.

• Improving environmental performance and reducing waste.
  EMS implementation helps companies realize previously ignored cost saving measures such as waste reduction, less energy usage, recycling and less usage of toxic raw materials. Steps taken during EMS implementation reduces the chances of hazardous work conditions.

• Improving compliance with legal requirements.
  Companies hope that implementing ISO 14000 will bring more favorable treatment from regulatory agencies if their audits find any violations. A business’s expectation is reduced monitoring, less severe penalties for environmental law violations. It regulatory agencies have responded by amending local environmental laws to provide such benefits to ISO 14000 or above certified companies.
• Increased profitability, competitiveness and sustainability.
  Implementing ISO 14000 can influence purchase decisions for a significant percentage of people. This can be a company’s new customers. It implementation can pull investors to the company. An increasing number of private investors, investment companies, etc. prefer environmentally responsible businesses for association.

Obtaining ISO 14000 certificate

1. Assessment by the certification body.
   The entire process can take anywhere between 3 months to 2 years, hence independent certification auditors often carry out their own assessment first. It is mainly aimed to review the company’s existing environmental management system, identify scope of improvement, and increase their readiness for the final ISO 14000 certification audit.

2. Collection of the required documentation from the organization.
   It is important for the company to not only record the areas of influence of environmental policy but also its objectives and plans. Thorough documentation of policy’s training, communication, planning, process monitoring, among other records is also unmemorable.

3. Certification body audit:
   After the required documentation is compiled with the certifying body, they communicate the date of onsite visit to the organization under review. During these, external auditors access if data shown in reports exists in reality.It is normal for auditors to interview staff members to check if all reported information meets standard’s requirements.

4. Organization decision on non-compliance:
   Non-conformance are often identified during certification audits. They are classified as minor and major.
   Inconsistent record maintenance and incorrect existing processes come under minor non-conformance and should be addressed within 60 days.
   But major non-conformists to any ISO 14000 clause, such as lack of evidence of corrective actions, missing processes, etc. can lead to repeat of complete certification process.

5. Certification by a certification body for an organization:
   After non-conformists are addressed, and the corrective actions used are documented properly, upon which the certifying body concludes that the organization meets ISO 14000 standards, the relevant certification is issued which is valid for 3 years.
   

How to be ISO 14001 certified

1. Prepare and plan well.
   Diligent planning and preparation by any organization that aspires to be ISO-certified. The efforts towards certification should avoid duplication so as to maximize time and money. Invest resources to review operational procedures and audit all data and documentation.

2. Review the ISO 14001:2015 Standard.
   All concerned entities, including C-suite, internal auditors, managers, etc. should be appropriately trained on the process of complete ISO 14000 certification procedure. Scope of EMS and its procedures gets defined in this stage as the employees become more aware of the ISO standards.

3. Training.
   Employees will be more motivated to participate in the certification process if they realize how their goals are aligned with those the company wants to achieve after it is certified. Knowledge of processes involved to improve EMS is also vital.

4. Perform internal audits.
   The best way to be ready for certification is mock audits. As non-conformance detected in such audits are corrected and documented, every next audit will bring the company closer to conformance with all ISO standards.

5. Get Certified.
   Associate with a recognized third-party certification body to assess EMS process and its adherence with ISO 14001:2015 standards.

~ Spondon Jyoti Dutta

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