How to Obtain ISO 14001 Certification
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides worldwide guidelines for implementing effective corporate management practices. The ISO's 14001:2004 standards dictate requirements for effectively implementing a system for environmental management. The document does not provide criteria for your business' environmental performance. Rather, it describes a set of specific guidelines for systematically identifying, controlling, documenting and improving your company's impact on the environment. Once your company has implemented an environmental management system that conforms to ISO 14001 guidelines, then you'll need to seek certification from an organization that is licensed by your country's accrediting body.
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Instructions
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Purchase a copy of the ISO 14001:2004 environmental management system requirements document (see Resources). The document can be purchased from the ISO's website for a cost of 106 Swiss Francs, which translates to $107.67 (USD) as of September 2010.
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Develop and document an environmental management system for your company. The system will be used to define and manage environmental aspects of your company's policies. The system must specify processes, procedures and practices that will be used to identify and control environmental performance. It must also indicate who is responsible for these functions.
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Create an environmental policy statement. The purpose of this statement is to emphasize your organization's commitment to environmental impact management and to provide a framework for the specifics of your company's environmental management system.
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Identify and document the environmental impacts of your organization's business practices. Environmental impacts are the aspects of your business that significantly affect the environment and that your company can work to improve or control.
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Implement procedures to identify and deal with any environmentally-related legal requirements that are specific to your industry.
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Establish goals for your company's environmental performance. You should also produce a plan for executing and maintaining the targeted goals.
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Establish a plan for dealing with environmental emergencies. The plan should discuss potential emergencies and plans for responding to those emergencies.
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Establish procedures for auditing and monitoring your environmental management system. Perform periodic audits to ensure that your system is functioning properly.
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Provide your company with the resources that are necessary to successfully implement your environmental management system. You'll need to hire employees to perform system-critical functions, educate existing employees regarding the policy and how it will affect their job performance and develop and disseminate communication procedures that ensure that your environmental management practices run smoothly.
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Document all aspects of your environmental management system. The documentation should include information on all environmental goals and the procedures your company has enacted to fulfill those goals. It should also include procedures for maintaining control over critical environmental operations.
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Contact a licensed local accrediting agency to schedule an examination for certification. If you live in the United States or Canada, then contact an accreditor who is certified by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (see Resources). If you live in a different country, contact your country's accrediting body for information on scheduling a certification examination.
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References
Resources
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