ISO 9001 Standards Quality Management System

Implementation of ISO 9000 affects the entire organization right from the start. If pursued with total dedication, it results in ‘cultural transition’ to an atmosphere of continuous improvement.
The process of implementing ISO 9000 depends on:
???? a. The sophistication of your existing quality program,
???? b. The size of your organization, and
???? c. The complexity of your process.

The 14 essential steps, briefly described below, are to be followed through in order to implement ISO 9000 quality management system successfully.
Step 1: Top management commitment
Step 2: Establish implementation team
Step 3. Start ISO 9000 awareness programs
Step 4: Provide Training
Step 5. Conduct initial status survey
Step 6: Create a documented implementation plan
Step 7. Develop quality management system documentation
Step 8: Document control
Step 9. Implementation
Step 10. Internal quality audit
Step 11. Management review
Step 12. Pre-assessment audit
Step 13. Certification and registration
Step 14: Continual Improvement

How To Write ISO 9001 Standards Procedures?

How To Write ISO 9001 Standards Procedures?

Step 1
Place the following sub sections into your procedure:
Purpose, Scope, Definitions, Associated Documentation, Responsibility/Authority, Procedure, Record Retention and Attachments. Leave blank spaces between each to add the required information.
Step 2
First, start with the Purpose Section. Describe the reason why the procedure exists. If we use the purchasing procedure as an example the Purpose might read:
“This procedure defines the process for obtaining raw materials and supplies for XYZ Company and the matter with which the requirements of these purchases are flowed down to XYZ Company’s suppliers.”
Step 3
ScopeNext, define the scope of the document. This is to what extent the process will reach within the company. For example:
“This procedure shall include all purchases directly used in the manufacture or processing of XYZ Company’s product.”
Step 4
Next make a list of terms and definitions. These should not be common terms that anyone reading the document should already know; but, should be technical terms that pertain to the procedure or common terms that may have added meaning to the company. For example:
“Supplier – XYZ Company defines a supplier as an approved company that supplies items used to produce and/or manufacture our product. This term does not include companies that supply general office product not used to produce or process XYZ Company’s products.”
In this example the common term supplier has added meaning to XYZ Company that could differ from another company’s definition of supplier. To avoid confusion a definition of the term is listed in the definitions section of the ISO 9001 procedure.
Step 5
Define the supporting document that are needed to create a complete process. If you product calls out t use only approved suppliers it may be nice to reference the supplier management procedure and the approved supplier list; because, they will be needed to complete the purchasing process.
Step 6
Now define the responsibilities and authorities. This is similar to a job description where as it defines the person that will manage and/or carry out the tasks described in the procedure. For example:
“The purchasing manager will be responsible for managing this procedure and coordinating purchases. Managing shall include the implementation and enforcement of this procedure throughout XYZ Company.”
Step 7
Define the procedure. This is the bulk of the procedure and is where the company will define the actual process. This can be detailed or simply call out what work inspection are to be used at each step of the purchasing process. It is important that all the elements of the quality standard that pertain to the procedure are defined in this part of the document. This section is usually broken into subsections. In our “Purchasing Procedure” example this might include “General procedures”, “Purchasing Components and Raw Materials” and “Purchasing Outside Services”. Usually some kind of outline method is used to layout this section.
Step 8
Next is the record retention section. This usually defines the method of controlling records related to this process. Where they will be kept, How long they will be kept, in what type of media for which they will be stored.
Step 9
Finally, the attachments section of the procedure will be defined. This will be references to other procedures, external information sources or other media used to supplement that procedure itself.

How To Write ISO 9001 Standards Procedures?

How To Write ISO 9001 Standards Procedures?

Step 1
Place the following sub sections into your procedure:
Purpose, Scope, Definitions, Associated Documentation, Responsibility/Authority, Procedure, Record Retention and Attachments. Leave blank spaces between each to add the required information.
Step 2
First, start with the Purpose Section. Describe the reason why the procedure exists. If we use the purchasing procedure as an example the Purpose might read:
“This procedure defines the process for obtaining raw materials and supplies for XYZ Company and the matter with which the requirements of these purchases are flowed down to XYZ Company’s suppliers.”
Step 3
ScopeNext, define the scope of the document. This is to what extent the process will reach within the company. For example:
“This procedure shall include all purchases directly used in the manufacture or processing of XYZ Company’s product.”
Step 4
Next make a list of terms and definitions. These should not be common terms that anyone reading the document should already know; but, should be technical terms that pertain to the procedure or common terms that may have added meaning to the company. For example:
“Supplier – XYZ Company defines a supplier as an approved company that supplies items used to produce and/or manufacture our product. This term does not include companies that supply general office product not used to produce or process XYZ Company’s products.”
In this example the common term supplier has added meaning to XYZ Company that could differ from another company’s definition of supplier. To avoid confusion a definition of the term is listed in the definitions section of the ISO 9001 procedure.
Step 5
Define the supporting document that are needed to create a complete process. If you product calls out t use only approved suppliers it may be nice to reference the supplier management procedure and the approved supplier list; because, they will be needed to complete the purchasing process.
Step 6
Now define the responsibilities and authorities. This is similar to a job description where as it defines the person that will manage and/or carry out the tasks described in the procedure. For example:
“The purchasing manager will be responsible for managing this procedure and coordinating purchases. Managing shall include the implementation and enforcement of this procedure throughout XYZ Company.”
Step 7
Define the procedure. This is the bulk of the procedure and is where the company will define the actual process. This can be detailed or simply call out what work inspection are to be used at each step of the purchasing process. It is important that all the elements of the quality standard that pertain to the procedure are defined in this part of the document. This section is usually broken into subsections. In our “Purchasing Procedure” example this might include “General procedures”, “Purchasing Components and Raw Materials” and “Purchasing Outside Services”. Usually some kind of outline method is used to layout this section.
Step 8
Next is the record retention section. This usually defines the method of controlling records related to this process. Where they will be kept, How long they will be kept, in what type of media for which they will be stored.
Step 9
Finally, the attachments section of the procedure will be defined. This will be references to other procedures, external information sources or other media used to supplement that procedure itself.

Standards Certification In Business

In our business we often need to describe our policy and practice regarding quality of service, responsibility towards environment and employees health to our clients. There are three set standards i.e. ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 accepted globally.

ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised Quality Management Standard for all types of organisations. It’s all about managing your processes and continually improving the way you do things. It doesn’t require you to change any of your operating procedures or do anything that isn’t good practice. It simply asks you to “Say what you do, and do what you say”.

ISO 9001 is by far the world’s most established quality framework, currently being used by over ¾ million organizations in 161 countries, and sets the standard not only for quality management systems, but management systems in general.

Having ISO 9001 certification demonstrates that your organisation is well managed, knows where it is going and has a plan to get there. Also, having a plan means you are far more likely to succeed.

Certification to the ISO 14001 Standard demonstrates your ‘Green’ credentials to the world at large and your customers in particular. It gives them the confidence to know that behind the certificate there is an organisation that is aware of its environmental responsibilities and is doing everything it can to minimise any adverse impact.

ISO 14001 standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to:

• implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system
• assure itself of its conformance with its own stated environmental policy (those policy commitments

• of course must be made)
• demonstrate conformance
• ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations
• seek certification of its environmental management system by an external third party organization
• make a self-determination of conformance

OHSAS18001 sets out the requirements for an Occupational Health & safety Management system that enables organisations to control physical, work related risk, protect employees’ health and improve business performance. It requires the creation of a relevant Management System and has been developed to promote best practice in this field.

Obtaining OHSAS 18001 demonstrates that you have:

· procedures for risk assessment, risk control and hazard identification

· structured health and safety training and required competences

· emergency procedures and response mechanisms

· formal communication channels for disseminating health and safety information

· performance measures and improvement plans

Achieving ISO compliance and certification can take significant amounts of time but should prove valuable for companies interested in successful global networking and high levels of customer satisfaction.

Standards Certification In Business

In our business we often need to describe our policy and practice regarding quality of service, responsibility towards environment and employees health to our clients. There are three set standards i.e. ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 accepted globally.

ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised Quality Management Standard for all types of organisations. It’s all about managing your processes and continually improving the way you do things. It doesn’t require you to change any of your operating procedures or do anything that isn’t good practice. It simply asks you to “Say what you do, and do what you say”.

ISO 9001 is by far the world’s most established quality framework, currently being used by over ¾ million organizations in 161 countries, and sets the standard not only for quality management systems, but management systems in general.

Having ISO 9001 certification demonstrates that your organisation is well managed, knows where it is going and has a plan to get there. Also, having a plan means you are far more likely to succeed.

Certification to the ISO 14001 Standard demonstrates your ‘Green’ credentials to the world at large and your customers in particular. It gives them the confidence to know that behind the certificate there is an organisation that is aware of its environmental responsibilities and is doing everything it can to minimise any adverse impact.

ISO 14001 standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to:

• implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system
• assure itself of its conformance with its own stated environmental policy (those policy commitments

• of course must be made)
• demonstrate conformance
• ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations
• seek certification of its environmental management system by an external third party organization
• make a self-determination of conformance

OHSAS18001 sets out the requirements for an Occupational Health & safety Management system that enables organisations to control physical, work related risk, protect employees’ health and improve business performance. It requires the creation of a relevant Management System and has been developed to promote best practice in this field.

Obtaining OHSAS 18001 demonstrates that you have:

· procedures for risk assessment, risk control and hazard identification

· structured health and safety training and required competences

· emergency procedures and response mechanisms

· formal communication channels for disseminating health and safety information

· performance measures and improvement plans

Achieving ISO compliance and certification can take significant amounts of time but should prove valuable for companies interested in successful global networking and high levels of customer satisfaction.

ISO 9000 Standards Document Control System

ISO 9000 Standards Document Control System
The ISO 9000 Standards requires that a documented procedure be established to define the controls needed.

This requirement means that the methods for performing the various activities required to control different types of documents should be defined and documented.

Although the ISO 9000 standards implies that a single procedure is required, should you choose to produce several different procedures for handling the different types of documents it is doubtful that any auditor would deem this noncompliant. Where this might be questionable is in cases where there is no logical reason for such differences and where merging the procedures and settling on a best practice would improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Documents are recorded information and the purpose of the document control process is to firstly ensure the appropriate information is available where needed and secondly to prevent the inadvertent use of invalid
information. At each stage of the process are activities to be performed that may require documented procedures in order to ensure consistency and predictability. Procedures may not be necessary for each stage in the process.

ISO 9000 Standards Document Control System

ISO 9000 Standards Document Control System
The ISO 9000 Standards requires that a documented procedure be established to define the controls needed.

This requirement means that the methods for performing the various activities required to control different types of documents should be defined and documented.

Although the ISO 9000 standards implies that a single procedure is required, should you choose to produce several different procedures for handling the different types of documents it is doubtful that any auditor would deem this noncompliant. Where this might be questionable is in cases where there is no logical reason for such differences and where merging the procedures and settling on a best practice would improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Documents are recorded information and the purpose of the document control process is to firstly ensure the appropriate information is available where needed and secondly to prevent the inadvertent use of invalid
information. At each stage of the process are activities to be performed that may require documented procedures in order to ensure consistency and predictability. Procedures may not be necessary for each stage in the process.

How To Implement ISO 9001 Standards Using Template & Softwares

There are few ways of implementing the ISO 9000 in a particular organization. One of the easy way is hiring a ISO 9000 consultant in a turn key project basis. This definitely will incur cost. However, some of the organization will appoiint an employee to start up the ISO 9000, by learning thru seminar, preparing the ISO 9000 Quality Manual, Procedure & Form by using some of the ISO 9000 Template sell at internet. Some of the provider such as http://www.iso-consults.com & http://www.quality-template.com are providing such services.

Normally, the template provide will provides the ISO 9000 Quality Manual Template, Standand Procedure & also sample form for the ISO 9000 implementation. One of the provider likehttp://www.e-wia.com give a very complete set of the ISO 9000 Templates, which will help an organization to implement the ISO 9000 easily.

There are also some ISO 9000 Softwares which helps the organization in the ISO 9000 implementation. Some of the ISO 9000 Software are listed below:

a. Document Control Software – Software which Helps the organization to keep track & control of the ISO 9000 Documents.

b. Audit Control Software – Software which helps the organization to keep track of internal & external audit events.

c. Training Record Management Software – Software which helps the organization to keep track of Training records in a system.

d. Calibration Software – Software to maintain the calibration records for tool & machinery.

More Sites on ISO 9001 Standards Template & Softwares are as below:

http://www.iso9001store.com

http://www.iso14000store.com

ISO 14001 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AUDIT

In order to be in conformance with this provision of ISO 14001 an organization must be able to answer the overall question: “How does the organization conduct environmental audits of the EMS?”. In order to answer that question four specific tasks must be addressed under the Management System Audit section of the standard.

First, the organization must develop a program and related procedures that define an audit plan of the environmental management system. In addition the program must define frequency of the audit process. Second, the procedures must specify the methodology of the audit process, including the qualifications of the auditors. Third, the audit reports must be submitted to top management. Fourth, the audit reports must provide recommendations directed at correcting any reported nonconformance that was discovered in the audit process.

The audit process discussed in this section of the standard is directed at internal audits. The standard is silent on the frequency issue. Generally accepted practice with a mature ISO 14001system is a total audit of the system once a year. In the implementation phase of anenvironmental management system a more frequent audit process might be appropriate. In addition any part of the environmental management system that has been previously determined to be in nonconformance should be audited with an increased frequency. The methodology of the audit process required by the standard requires two distinct steps:

A. determine whether the environmental management system conforms to the requirements of ISO 14001, and
B. that the system has been managed as described in the Environmental Policy statement, the Environmental Objectives and Targets, and the related work descriptions and procedures.

It is critical that an audit report that relates a nonconformance be forwarded to top management promptly. The internal audit staff must be competent with respect to the requirements of ISO 14001.

INTEGRATING THE NATURAL STEP ELEMENTS INTO ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

In 1988, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert began the process of developing the principles and objectives that have become known as The Natural Step.

Robert convened a group of over 100 Swedish scientists and asked them to develop a vision for a sustainable society based on the scientific principles. The Natural Step framework (Robert, 1991) was the result of this effort and is becoming widely recognized.

In this framework, there are four underlying principles or conditions and four guiding objectives.

These system conditions are:

Nature should not be subject to systematically increasing concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust;

Nature should not be subject to increasing concentrations of substances produced by society;

Nature should not be subject to systematically increasing degradation by physical means; and

People should not be subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.

These conditions can be converted to four objectives that are more easily understood:

Eliminate our community’s contribution to fossil fuel dependency and to the wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals;

Eliminate our community’s contribution to dependency upon persistent chemicals and the wasteful use of synthetic substances;

Eliminate our community’s contribution to encroachment upon nature; and Meet human needs fairly and efficiently.

To apply The Natural Step, Boisvert et al. (1999) recommend an A-B-C-D approach: Awareness, Baseline Analysis, Compelling Vision, and Down to Action. Kent County chose to align its program with The Natural Step because of its simplicity and scientific basis.

An environmental management system (EMS) is a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce the environmental impacts from its operations and increase efficiency. It helps the organization to systematically manage its environmental “footprint.” Alternatively, according to the ISO definition (ISO, 2004) an EMS is “a part of an organization’s management system used to develop and implement its environmental policy and manage its environmental aspects.” It is built upon the concept of continuous improvement and follows a four element Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. The EMS is an evolving process and is consistently modified to accommodate new information, changing circumstances and changes in organization priorities.

The critical components of each of the four elements are:

Planning, includes identifying environmental aspects and establishing goals [Plan];

Implementing, includes training and operational controls [Do];

Checking, includes monitoring and corrective action [Check]; and

Reviewing, includes progress reviews and acting to make needed changes to the EMS [Act].

There are a variety of reasons that an organization may develop and implement an EMS. The reasons are many and varied and often depend upon the type of organization. A business with international offices has different reasons than a public agency to develop and implement an EMS. Table 1 provides a list of the most common of these reasons.

Some disadvantages to developing and implementing an EMS relate to the costs associated with development of the program and include:

An investment of internal resources, including staff/employee time;

Costs for training of personnel;

Costs associated with hiring consulting assistance, if needed; and

Costs for technical resources to analyze environmental impacts and improvement options, if needed.

Critical factors that assure the success of any management system include:

Commitment from senior management;

Designated staff including a Core team to act as a cheerleader and a representative trained in the program;

Involvement of all employees in the covered fenceline;

Dedicated resources;

A link to the overall strategic planning of the organization;

Sufficient time to develop and implement the program;

Proper follow through on the checking and acting components; and

A willingness to make the cultural shift required for the program to succeed.

The ISO 14001 guidance lists 17 elements, shown in Table 2, as the foundation of an EMS.

Several documents and publications cover the various elements of an EMS in detail. One of these is the US EPA publication “Achieving Environmental Excellence: An Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Handbook for Wastewater Utilities,”

Monitoring and Measurement In ISO 14001 Standards

Monitoring and Measurement In ISO 14001 Standards

The Monitoring and Measurement section contains two requirements:

1) Measurement and monitoring of environmental performance associated with operations that can have a significant impact on the environment; and

2) Calibration and maintenance of equipment used for environmental monitoring and measurement.

Monitoring and Measuring of Performance — This section calls for a“procedure to monitor and measure… key characteristics of… operations that can have a significant impact on the environment.”

Note that the section does not specifically require the organization to monitor and measure the significant environmental impacts of its products or services. As a practical matter, however, organizations should establish measurements over all environmental aspects that they determine are significant irrespective of whether the impacts relate to an activity, product, or service.

This section also requires the documentation“of information to monitor performance, applicable operational controls, and… environmental objectives and targets.” §4.6,

Management Review, requires that environmental performance and achievement of objectives and targets become inputs into the Management Review (sub-sections c & d).

Calibration and Maintenance — The requirement of having a calibration system is to ensure that measurements are reliable and accurate. A calibration system may be developed following these steps:

· Identification of measurements to be made;

· Identification of equipment, instruments, hardware and software to be used;

· Identification of the testing methods to be used;

· Determination of the accuracy and precision required or desired;

· Definition of calibration procedures;

· Use of the system;

· Establishment of records;

· If equipment is found to be out of calibration, corrective action; and

· Improvement of the system as necessary.

ISO 14001 Standards Certification

ISO 14001 Standards Certification

ISO 14001 sets out a system that can be audited and certified. In many cases, it is the issue of certification that is critical or controversial and is at the heart of the discussion about the trade implications.

Certification means that a qualified body (an “accredited certifier”) has inspected the EMS system that has been put in place and has made a formal declaration that the system is consistent with the requirements of ISO 14001.

The standard allows for “self-certification,” a declaration by an enterprise that it conforms to ISO 14001. There is considerable skepticism as to whether this approach would be widely accepted, especially when certification has legal or commercial consequences. At the same time, obtaining certification can entail significant costs, and there are issues relating to the international acceptance

of national certification that may make it particularly difficult for companies in some countries to achieve credible certification at a reasonable cost. For firms concerned about having certification that carries real credibility, the costs of bringing in international auditors are typically quite high, partly because the number of internationally recognized firms of certifiers is limited at present.2

The issue of accreditation of certifiers is becoming increasingly important as the demand increases.

Countries that have adopted ISO 14001 as a national standard can accredit qualified companies as certifiers, and this will satisfy national legal or contractual requirements. However, the fundamental purpose of ISO is to achieve consistency internationally. If certificates from certain countries or agencies are not fully accepted or are regarded as “second class,” the goal will not have been achieved. It is probable that the international marketplace will eventually put a

real commercial value on high-quality certificates, but this level of sophistication and discrimination has not yet been achieved. It is essential to the ultimate success of the whole system that there be a mechanism to ensure that certification in any one country has credibility and acceptability elsewhere.

The ISO has outlined procedures for accreditation and certification (Guides 61 and 62), and a formal body, QSAR, has been established to operationalize the process. At the same time, a number of established national accreditation bodies

heavily involved in ISO have set up the informal International Accreditation Forum (IAF) to examine mechanisms for achieving international reciprocity through multilateral agreements (MLAs). However, these systems are in the early

stages, and many enterprises continue to use the established international certifiers, even at additional cost, because of lack of confidence in the acceptability of local certifiers.

Given the variability in the design of individual EMS and the substantial costs of the ISO 14000 certification process, there is a growing tendency for large companies that are implementing EMS approaches to pause before taking this

last step. After implementing an EMS and confirming that the enterprise is broadly in conformance with ISO 14001, it is becoming routine to carry out a “gap analysis” to determine exactly what further actions would be required to achieve

certification and to examine the benefits and costs of bringing in third-party certifiers.

ISO 14001 Standards Certification

ISO 14001 Standards sets out a system that can be audited and certified. In many cases, it is the issue of certification that is critical or controversial and is at the heart of the discussion about the trade implications.

Certification means that a qualified body (an “accredited certifier”) has inspected the EMS system that has been put in place and has made a formal declaration that the system is consistent with the requirements of ISO 14001 Standards.

The standard allows for “self-certification,” a declaration by an enterprise that it conforms toISO 14001 Standards. There is considerable skepticism as to whether this approach would be widely accepted, especially when certification has legal or commercial consequences. At the same time, obtaining certification can entail significant costs, and there are issues relating to the international acceptance

of national certification that may make it particularly difficult for companies in some countries to achieve credible certification at a reasonable cost. For firms concerned about having certification that carries real credibility, the costs of bringing in international auditors are typically quite high, partly because the number of internationally recognized firms of certifiers is limited at present.2

The issue of accreditation of certifiers is becoming increasingly important as the demand increases.

Countries that have adopted ISO 14001 Standards as a national standard can accredit qualified companies as certifiers, and this will satisfy national legal or contractual requirements. However, the fundamental purpose of ISO is to achieve consistency internationally. If certificates from certain countries or agencies are not fully accepted or are regarded as “second class,” the goal will not have been achieved. It is probable that the international marketplace will eventually put a

real commercial value on high-quality certificates, but this level of sophistication and discrimination has not yet been achieved. It is essential to the ultimate success of the whole system that there be a mechanism to ensure that certification in any one country has credibility and acceptability elsewhere.

The ISO has outlined procedures for accreditation and certification (Guides 61 and 62), and a formal body, QSAR, has been established to operationalize the process. At the same time, a number of established national accreditation bodies

heavily involved in ISO have set up the informal International Accreditation Forum (IAF) to examine mechanisms for achieving international reciprocity through multilateral agreements (MLAs). However, these systems are in the early

stages, and many enterprises continue to use the established international certifiers, even at additional cost, because of lack of confidence in the acceptability of local certifiers.

Given the variability in the design of individual EMS and the substantial costs of the ISO 14000 certification process, there is a growing tendency for large companies that are implementing EMS approaches to pause before taking this

last step. After implementing an EMS and confirming that the enterprise is broadly in conformance with ISO 14001 Standards, it is becoming routine to carry out a “gap analysis” to determine exactly what further actions would be required to achieve

certification and to examine the benefits and costs of bringing in third-party certifiers.

What Is Environmental Management System?

What Is ISO 14001 Environmental Management System?

ISO 14000 is primarily concerned with Environmental Management. In plain language, this means what the organization does to minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities.

Improving the environmental performance of corporations is one way of limiting environmental damage. Environmental management systems (EMS’s), such as ISO 14001, provide a framework for organizations that wish to effectively manage their environmental affairs. Implementing an EMS that conforms to the ISO 14001 standard may help businesses integrate environmental values into their operations.

An EMS can be described as a program of continuous environmental improvement that follows a defined sequence of steps drawn from established project management practice and routinely applied in business management. In simple terms these steps are as follows:
• Review the environmental consequences of the operations.
• Define a set of policies and objectives for environmental performance.
• Establish an action plan to achieve the objectives.
• Monitor performance against these objectives.
• Report the results appropriately.
• Review the system and the outcomes and strive for continuous improvement.
Not every system will present these steps in exactly the same way, but the basic principles are clear and easily understandable.

The ISO 14000 series is a series of standards for different aspects of environmental management. A number of these standards relating to environmental management systems have been adopted formally by the members of the ISO, while others are in different stages of preparation.

ISO 14000 is a group of standards covering the following areas:
•Environmental Management Systems (14001,14002, 14004)
•Environmental Auditing (14010, 14011, 14012)
•Evaluation of Environmental Performance (14031)
•Environmental Labeling (14020, 14021, 14022, 14023, 14024, 14025)
•Life-Cycle Assessment (14040, 14041,14042, 14043)

History Of ISO 14001 Standards

The ISO 14000 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. The environmental field has
seen a steady growth of national and regional standards.
The British Standards Institution has BS 7750, the Canadian Standards Association has environmental management,
auditing, eco-labeling and other standards, the European Union has all of these plus the eco-management and audit
requlations, and many other countries (e.g. USA, Germany and Japan) have introduced eco-labeling programs.
After the rapid acceptance of ISO 9000, and the increase of environmental standards around the world, 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:
· Promote a common approach to environmental
· management similar to quality management
· Enhance organizations’ ability to attain and measure improvements in environmental performance; and
· Facilitate trade and remove trade barriers.

In 1992, SAGE’s recommendations created a new committee, TC 207, for international environmental management standards. The committee, and its subcommittees include representatives from industry, standards organizations, government and environmental organizations from many countries.
ISO 14004 and ISO 14001—were published in September and October 1996, respectively. The ISO 14000 family
consists of standards and guidelines relating to environmental management systems and supporting standards, terminology and specific tools, such as auditing.
Essentially, the standards are concerned with what an organization does to minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities: either during production or disposal, either by pollution or by depleting natural resources.

Elements Of ISO 14001 Environmental Management System

Elements Of ISO 14001 Environmental Management System

ISO/DIS 14001 is one of a series of emerging international environmental management standards aimed at promoting
continual improvement in company environmental performance through the adoption and implementation of an environmental management system. The (draft) standard specifies the core elements of an EMS, but contains only those elements that may be objectively audited for certification or self-declaration purposes. A companion guidance standard, ISO/DIS 14004 includes examples, descrïptions and options that aid in the implementation of an EMS and in integrating the EMS into overall management practices. It is not intended for use by certification/registration bodies.

ISO/DIS 14001 defines an overall environmental management system , closely modeled on the ISO 9000 quality systems standard , and covers the following key elements:

· Establishment of an appropriate environmental policy that is documented and communicated to employees and made available to the public, and which includes a commitment to continual improvement and pollution prevention, regulatory compliance and a framework for setting objectives;
· A planning phase that covers the identification of the environmental aspects of the organization’s activities, identification and access to legal requirements, establishment and documentation of objectives and targets consistent with the policy, and establishment of a program for achieving said targets and objectives (including the designation of responsible individuals, necessary means and timeframes);
· Implementation and operation of the EMS including the definition, documentation and communication of roles and responsibilities, provision of appropriate training, assurance of adequate internal and external communication, written management system documentation as well as appropriate document control procedures, documented procedures for operational controls, and documented and communicated emergency response procedures;
· Checking and corrective action procedures, including procedures for regular monitoring and measurement of key characteristics of the operations and activities, procedures for dealing with situations of non-conformity, specific record maintenance procedures and procedures for auditing the performance of the EMS;
· Periodic management reviews of the overall EMS to ensure its suitability, adequacy and effectiveness in light of changing circumstances.

The EMS as outlined in ISO 14001 provides a structured process for the achievement of continual improvement, the rate and extent of which is determined by the organization in light of economic and other circumstances. Although some improvement in environmental performance can be expected due to the adoption of a systematic approach, it should be understood that the EMS is a tool which enables the organization to achieve and systematically control the level of environmental performance that it sets itself. The establishment of an EMS will not, in itself, necessarily result in an immediate reduction of adverse environmental impact. Indeed, care needs to be taken that the mere establishment of an EMS does not lull the organization into a false sense of security. But effectively used, an EMS should enable an organization to improve its environmental performance and avoid or reduce adverse environmental impacts over time.

Environmental Policy In iSO 14001 Standard

Environmental Policy In ISO 14001 Standard

The company or organisation must write an environmental policy

statement which is relevant to the business activities and approved by

top management. Their full commitment is essential if environmental

management is to work. The ISO 14001 Standard clearly sets out

what to cover in the policy. Often a one page document is sufficient.

Produce a first issue and expect to amend it several times before

assessment and registration as knowledge grows in the company.

ISO 14000 Standards Video

ISO 14001 Standards Audit

ISO 14001:2004 emphasizes the continuous improvement of an environmental management system (EMS). The standard specifies requirements for an environmental management system to enable an organization to develop and implement a policy and objectives which take into account legal requirements and information about significant environmental aspects. The certification process ensures the conformance of your EMS against the international standard, as well as any organizational specific requirements that have been identified.

The ISO 14001 Standards audit consist of 2 stage registration audit process followed by surveillanceaudits, and ultimately a recertification audit. ISO 14001 Audits include on-site assessments of documents, data, records, activity and personnel. Process audit trails are followed by interviews of personnel responsible for the tasks and reviewing associated activity and records of occurrence. The audit trail will follow interactions between processes as well as the details of the process itself. Following are the stages of the audit process.

Pre-assessmentRegistration Audit – Stage 2Audit Findings• A review of action taken on nonconformities identified during the previous audit• A review of the continued effectiveness of the management system in its entiretyThe continued applicability to the scope of registration

The pre-assessment audit is an optional activity, outside of the registration process, it is highly encourages that any organization to undertake to evaluate the readiness to undergo the two stage registration process. That would optimally occur prior to the stage 1 and 2 audits.

Unlike the Stage 1 and Stage 2 activities you have full discretion as to which areas the preassessment should focus on and for the length of the pre-assessment. This activity allows your organization to become familiar with the audit process and helps prepare your employees for the registration assessment.

The auditor conducting the pre-assessment will typically return to the organization for the assessment. Similar to a ‘true’ audit, the end result of the pre-assessment will be a documented report identifying findings observed during the audit and a closing meeting to discuss the issues.

The pre-assessment activity allows you to correct any issues prior to beginning the registration process.

Assessment

New requirements for certification bodies have changed the registration process. Registration is now conducted in two distinct visits- Stage One and Stage Two- each of which has defined requirements that are outlined below.

Registration Audit – Stage 1

The stage 1 audit, conducted at your facility, is primarily performed for planning and determining the readiness of an organization to undergo a stage 2 registration audit. It also facilitates communicating any needs and expectations to the organization. Activities performed at a stage 1 audit include:

• Conducting a documentation review – This review determines if the organization’s EMS documentation adequately covers all the requirements of the ISO standard

• A review of the aspects and impacts and their significance and an evaluation of the facility(s) site specific conditions

• A review of your organizations non-conformance, preventive and corrective action system • An overview of applicable regulations

• Interviewing your organization’s personnel to assess their general readiness to undertake a stage 2 audit

• Confirming the applicability of the scope of the organization’s EMS

• Obtaining evidence that internal audits and management reviews are being planned and performed

• Providing focus for the planning of the stage 2 audit

If during the stage 1 audit any nonconformities are identified, the auditor will request a corrective action response (see Corrective Action Response).

The objective of the Stage 2 on-site audit is to assess your organizations’ adherence to your own policies, objectives, and procedures and to ascertain conformance to the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard. To accomplish this, the audit will address the implementation of all the elements of the standard. Review of documentation and records to support the implementation is an expected part of the assessment process. If non-conformances or opportunities for improvement are identified they will be documented in a report which will be presented to the organization during the closing meeting. The report will include the auditor’s recommendation regarding registration.

Any deviation from procedures or requirements of the standard will be identified as an audit finding, which will be documented in the audit report. The auditor will draw your attention to non-conformities as they arise so there will be no “surprises” at the closing meeting. Findings are categorized into three categories defined as follows:

• A major non-conformity relates to the absence or total breakdown of a required process or a number of minor non-conformities listed against similar areas. A major non-conformity at the Registration Audit – Stage 2 would defer recommendation for registration until that major has been closed.

• A minor non-conformity is an observed lapse in your systems ability to meet the requirements of the standard or your internal systems, while the overall process remains in tact.

• An observation or opportunity for improvement relates to a matter about which the Auditor is concerned but which cannot be clearly stated as a non-conformity. Observations also indicate trends which may result in a future non-conformity.

Corrective Action Response

ISO 14001 Standards requires corrective action responses from all Registration Audits. Once certification is achieved, dependant upon the extent and nature of the findings, your organization may be required to submit a corrective action plan, detailing your intent to correct the non conformity.

The auditor may also recommend that your organization submit objective evidence to support the to verify closure may be required.

It is recommended that all non-conformities are addressed within your internal corrective action system. Typically, opportunities for improvement would be addressed as preventive actions by your organization.

closure of the finding. In certain circumstances such as a major non conformity an on site activity

Surveillance Audits

Company shall conduct Surveillance Audits on an annual or semi-annual basis. The purpose of the Surveillance Audit is to ensure that the EMS continues to conform to both the organizations’ and the ISO 14001 requirements. Certain processes will be reviewed at each surveillance including:

• Internal audits and management review

• Customer and interested parties communications

• Effectiveness of the management system in achieving defined objectives

• The progress of planned continual improvement activities

• Continuing operational control

• A review of any changes made by the organization which may have impact on the registration

• Use of accreditation and certification body logos provided to the organization upon registration

• objectives, targets and programs

• evaluation of compliance

Re-assessment Audits

The accreditation body requires that a recertification audit be carried out every three years. The purpose of the recertification audit is to confirm the continued conformity and effectiveness of the management system as a whole, and its continued relevance and applicability for the scope of activity.

Recertification audits review the performance of the EMS over the registration period, and include a review of previous surveillance audit records. The recertification audit includes the following:

• The continued relevancy of the organization’s policy and objectives

• The continued effective interaction between the processes of the management system

• A review of internal audits, management reviews, document changes during this certification period