The requirements for securing an ISO 14001 certification
If your business organisation is looking to secure an ISO 14001 certification they would need to have an effective environmental management system in place. An organisation needs to have documented evidence which shows that their environmental management system would be able to meet the required standard which is mentioned in the ISO certification. The requirements which are needed are mentioned clearly in the standard, but it is by no means dictated in what way a business would be able to record the evidence so that it is accepted.
For any organisation looking to secure the certification it is necessary that the documentation should be able to provide an evidence that there is a proper environmental process which is in place and the fact the whole organisation is working towards the environmental objectives.
The environmental management system is normally applied to the whole organisation however there are instances where it might be impossible for the business to fall under the scope of the management system. Such instances should also be mentioned in the documentation along with the evidence of why it is difficult to implement the management system to that particular area.
The environmental policy to obtain the ISO 14001 certification
The environmental policy should be able to mention the organisations goal for operating in a manner which is completely environmental friendly. Plus any sort of legal regulations which would help prevent the pollution and improve the energy efficiency of the organisation should be in place. In other words the document should be able to demonstrate that an organisation is committed to reducing its environmental impact and they are ready to carry out any sort of action which would help them achieve this goal.
In order to make sure that the environmental management system would be effective it is important to know what part of the business has an environmental impact. This could include all of the following:
- Using energy resources such as water and ensuring that it is used in Environmental friendly manner and is recycled as well
- Making use of recycled materials
- Any part of the organisation which could lead to harmful emissions in the form of smoke or fumes
- Disposal of waste materials which also includes the disposal of waste water
- Reducing the potential for any sorts of leaks or spills into the rivers or the air
When a company has identified these environmental issues they also need to determine what are its impact on the environment. This is done with the help of a risk scoring system which would provide a detailed analysis and significance of the environmental impact the company or the organisation has.
There are certain methods which can help a company identify what potential impact it has however the company should also plan some environmental objectives which can help them lessen their carbon footprint. This could be something as simple as reducing the energy use by 10 to 15% in the next two years however a company should also be able to demonstrate how they will go about achieving these goals.