What Is Environmental ISO 14001?

Given the rate of environmental damage that comes as a result of the pollutants that come from the different organizations and industries, the International Standard Organization set up a standard that all organizations that are concerned about how their activities interfere with the environment can use to establish and improve an environmental management system. That is the basis of ISO 14001.

ISO 14001 is the international standard for developing and improving an environmental management system. It basically offers a framework that each and every organization can tailor to suit the organization’s needs regarding environmental management. This standard and its certification is a symbol of the organization’s commitment to conserving the environment by doing the following:

Reduce the processes and activities that negatively impact on the environment
Provides solid evidence that an organization is continuously committed to environmental management
Meeting the environmental regulations that are set by the government or other stakeholders

Just to mention, ISO 14001 is a generic standard, meaning that it does not apply to any particular industry. Any organization or a business enterprise in any sector can develop and implement an environmental management system according to the ISO 14001 standards provided that you have an objective of reducing or eliminating the effect that your organization has on the environment.

It is also a voluntary process that many people have used to comply with very many different legislations that protect the environment from damage by pollutants from industries and organizations. You choose to comply or not to comply, but you have all the reasons to comply with these international standards for the benefits of your organization.

What is ISO 14001 all about?

The main function of this standard is to provide a framework for different organizations to be actively involved in environmental conservation by developing an effective management system that is meant to control the processes that release pollutants to the environment. To develop an environmental management system, an organization is expected to do the following:

Develop policies and plans as well as outlining the procedures and controls that reduce the effect that an organization has on the environment.
Set achievable objectives that are according to the legislation put in place by the government and other environmentalists.
Train the staff, enhance communication and documentation of all the controls that are put in place to implement the environmental system.
Planning for any uncertainties and apply appropriate prevention measures
Actively involved in the review to identify all the risks and their impacts on the environment.
Continuously monitor and measure the results
Proper record-keeping of all the measured results for record and auditing purposes.

ISO 14001 outlines the standards of carrying out any of the above exercises to have an effective environmental management system your organization needs.

What are the benefits of ISO 14001?

This is an international standard that is not only for the Americans. Everyone from across the globe is expected to implement these standards and consequently get certification for conformities for their own good. No one is going to gain from it apart from you. We said earlier that ISO 14001 is generic. So, it applies to you.

Implementing an environmental management system according to the ISO 14001 standards comes with very many benefits that we will not discuss in detail in this sector. Instead, we are going to only mention a few of them. By getting ISO 14001 certification, you conform to the standards and will consequently get recognized by the United States Department of Environment. Apart from the recognition, you will automatically comply with the regulations set to preserve the environment.

Conserving your environment is the last thing that you can do as we all depend on the environment either directly or indirectly. For the future generation, we have the responsibility to protect the natural resources that the environment has given us so that they also come to enjoy the same. Without environmental regulations, the world would have already been an unbearable place for all of us. As one of the key benefits, ISO 14001 helps you in conserving your environment.

The background of ISO 14001

As we have already mentioned, ISO 14001 is one of the standards established and published by the international standard organization. This is an international body that is made up of many different countries across the world. It is responsible for setting internal standards that control very many sectors through the establishment of these standards that are widely accepted.

ISO 14001 is one of the ISOP 14000 series that are meant to control all the activities that impact the environment and enhances the safety and well-being of everyone. If you comply with these standards, then you get certified for ISO 14001 compliance and not the family of 14000 standards.

To establish an environmental management system and get certified, you will have to fulfill these steps according to the ISO 14001 standards:

Establish the environmental policies
Do proper planning or company review to identify all the activities and processes
Set objectives and targets
Set resources to be used
Create awareness through training
Enhance communication both internally and externally
Document all procedures and record all the results
Have operational control
Plan for emergencies
Monitor the performance and do measurements
Check for any non-conformities
Conduct auditing and management reviews
Plan for continuous improvement and deploy corrective measures

Getting certified for ISO 14001

We have a dedicated post that will help you in understanding everything that you need to know everything on getting ISO 14001 certification for your organization. Maybe, we only need to mention here that the certification is done by a third-party organization. But before you call for the certification, conduct internal auditing to ensure that you comply with the standard as any non-conformities will cost you.

You may be wondering where you can turn to for certification. We, at ISO-Pros, are here to help you get the certification that you need. We are just what you need to get this useful certification. Just contact us to have our experts work with you towards it.