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ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is an international EMS standard and forms part
of the ISO 1400 series of quality standards relating to environmental
management developed by the International Standards Organisation.
Since publication in 1996 ISO 14001 has superseded the British
standards EMS (BS7750) and is strongly supported by the DETR
for use in business.
ISO 14001 is a voluntary scheme that can be applied to all
types of organisation and specifies the requirements for an
EMS that an organisation must meet if it is to achieve certification.
The standard commits organisations to continual improvement
and compliance with applicable legislation and regulations
but does not establish absolute requirements for environmental
performance. The environmental performance of your organisation
can be evaluated by implementing ISO
14031 in addition to ISO 14001.
The extent to which organisations activities are covered
by the standard is up to the company to decide but limiting
coverage may provide other companies with a competitive edge.
In the UK certification for compliance is carried out by
external (third party) certifiers who are accredited under
a scheme run by UKAS
and certification is usually achievable in 12 - 18 months.
ISO 14001 is made up of 5 main elements
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An Environmental Policy
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Planning
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Implementation and Operation
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Checking and Corrective Actions
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Management Review
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Getting Started
ISO 14001 documentation "Environmental
management systems - Specifications with guidance for use"
is available to order online from bsonline.techindex.co.uk
and costs £33 to members and £66 for non-members
NCEDR:
ISO 14001 Guidance Manual is available to download
in PDF format and will assist organisations in the development
of an Environmental Management System (EMS) that is consistent
with the ISO 14001 Standard, achieves EMS Registration, and
improves the overall environmental performance of the organisation.
Because each organisation is different, NCEDR has created
a document that is specific enough to set up and implement
an EMS but general enough to allow the flexibility for addressing
unique characteristics.
Software packages are available to enable you to set
up and EMS following the ISO 14001 system (e.g. ISO
14001 Timesaver CD)
Outside consultants offer complete ISO 14001 system
development packages (e.g. EMS
(GB) Ltd)
How is ISO 14001 related to EMAS?
EMAS goes beyond the requirements of ISO 14001 in the areas
of environmental performance improvements, provision for legal
compliance and environmental performance reporting
Of 140 EMAS registered sites sampled in
1998, 47% were also ISO 14001 certified (source:
"An Assessment of the Implementation of EMAS in Member
States")
Organisations certified under ISO 14001 are able to
use the standard to meet most of the requirements for registration
to EMAS
Links to further information
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Quality
Network: International Standard ISO 1400
Quality
Network: Comparison of ISO 14001, EMAS and BS7750 Requirements
Frequently
Asked questions
Envirowise
Ref. Note 012 Environmental Management Systems: How To Write
An Environmental Policy
Envirowise
Ref. Note 013 Environmental Management Systems: How To Compile
A Register of Legislation
Envirowise
Ref. Note 015 Environmental Management Systems: How To Assess
Significance Of Environmental Effects
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