Advantages and Procedures in Implementing ISO 14001

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By Jerry Hirsch, PhD

Organizations of all types are increasingly concerned about achieving and demonstrating sound environmental practices by controlling the impact of their activities, products or services on the environment. International standards have been developed to provide organizations with the elements of an effective environmental management system that can be integrated with other management activities. ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies the requirements of an environmental management system (EMS).

The overall aim of the ISO 14001 standard is to support environmental protection in balance with socio-economic needs. ISO 14001 applies to all organizations, not just laboratories, which have an impact on the environment. The standard is well recognized in Europe and parts of Asia, and is gradually gaining acceptance in Canada and the United States.

ISO 14001 does not establish absolute requirements. It is a process standard that describes the framework requirements of an EMS, with each organization then developing its own EMS to meet its specific operational and legal requirements. Success in implementing ISO 14001 depends on commitments from all levels and functions in the organization.

SECTION 3 OF ISO 14001 PROVIDES A NUMBER OF DEFINITIONS, INCLUDING:
Environment is defined as the surroundings in which an organization operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, humans and their interrelation.

An environmental aspect is any element of an organization’s activities, products and services that can interact with the environment. This may be the use of electricity, generation of noise or the release of chemicals. Other examples of environmental aspects include waste generation, waste water and storm-sewer discharge, point source and fugitive air emissions, water use operations, chemical use operations, vehicle exhaust emissions such as carbon monoxide and use of natural resources.

Environmental impacts include any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, caused by an organization’s activities that result from an environmental aspect such as air pollution, contamination of a waterway, use of a renewable resource or an unsuitable working environment. Examples of environmental impacts include effects on contamination levels, air and water, landscape and natural beauty, plants and animals, habitat and biological diversity, soil erosion, forest resources, marine resources and wetlands or wilderness.

An environmental management system is the part of the overall management system that includes organizational structure, planning, responsibilities, practices, procedures and resources for developing, implementing and reviewing the environmental policy. Objectives are the overall environmental goals arising from environmental policy. Targets are the detailed performance requirements that are auditable, detailed and measurable; therefore, they must contain a time frame and usually a numerical target (amounts, percentages, resources required). Short-term targets are usually completed in one year or less. Actions are the actual specific steps that are to be taken to achieve the targets. There may be numerous actions for each target.

SECTION 4 OF ISO 14001 LISTS ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING:
Environmental Policy

Develop a statement of the organization’s commitment to the environment. Use this policy as a framework for planning and action.
Planning Requirements
Environmental aspects: identify environmental attributes of your activities, services and products. Identify those that could have significant impacts on the environment.
Legal and other requirements: identify and ensure access to relevant laws and regulations (and other requirements to which your organization adheres)
Objectives and targets: establish environmental goals for your organization, in line with your policy, environmental impacts, views of interested parties and other factors
Environmental management program: plan actions to achieve objectives and targets
Implementation and Operation Requirements
Structure and responsibility: establish roles and responsibilities and provide resources
Training, awareness and competence: ensure that employees are trained and capable of carrying out their environmental responsibilities
Communication: establish processes for internal and external communications on environmental management issues
EMS documentation: maintain information on your EMS and related documents
Document control: ensure effective management of procedures and other system documents
Operational control: identify, plan and manage your operations and activities in line with your policy, objectives and targets
Emergency preparedness and response: identify potential emergencies and develop procedures for preventing and responding to them
Checking and Corrective Action Requirements
Monitoring and measurement: monitor key activities and track performance
Nonconformance and corrective and preventive action: identify and correct problems and prevent recurrences
Records: keep adequate records of EMS performance
EMS audit: periodically verify that your EMS is operating as intended
Management Review Requirements
Periodically review the EMS with an eye to continual improvement. Senior management shall review the EMS at defined intervals to ensure its continuing suitability and effectiveness, and document this review
BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING ISO 14001
A key benefit of a working EMS is that ISO 14001 certification provides evidence of due diligence when environmental incidents do occur. Other advantages include an improved corporate image among the public and regulators as well as special interest groups, and the enhanced ability to show compliance to legislation.

ISO 14001 certification facilitates implementation of a vision for a sustainable environment, and demonstrates an organization’s commitment to an environmentally friendly culture. Certification should also improve the organization’s health and safety environment and increase staff morale by demonstrating management’s environmental concerns.

It is possible to use existing management systems as a framework to build an ISO 14001 system — for example by using existing plans to refine strategies, set objectives and goals, and assess performance. ISO 14001 also requires development of systems for ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement. Implementation of ISO 14001 also facilitates operational control and improves management control on technical and environmental issues. Certification promotes high standards of accountability, and involves all levels in the organization through the setting of objectives and targets.

An effective EMS should control costs due to increased efficiency of resource utilization, and result in possible decreases in waste management costs as well as reductions in fines or emergency payments for improvements demanded by a regulator or a client.

ISO 14001 Preliminary Implemen-tation Strategies

Envision the impact of ISO 14001 certification
Brainstorm and list benefits, and identify costs
Build on existing management systems
Form a network within the organization and with professional contacts
Identify interested staff that would like to contribute to the process
Communicate advantages and keep all staff informed
IMPLEMENTING ISO 14001: GETTING STARTED
An early step should be to purchase the ISO 14001 Tool Kit and reated information. This tool kit includes:
ISO 14001 EMS policy manual
ISO 14001 procedures
detailed implementation guide
forms and templates to help manage the process
comprehensive audit plan and checklist
detailed ISO 14001 training presentationb
Another useful item to purchase is ISO 14004, entitled General Guidelines on Principles, Systems and Supporting Techniques. One more essential resource is the new ISO 19011 entitled Guidelines for Quality and Environmental Management Systems Auditing. (ISO 19011: 2000 has replaced ISO 14010, ISO 14011 and ISO 14012, plus all parts of the quality management system auditing standard ISO 10011 and several BS EN 30011 standards). Getting started must also include obtaining senior management commitment, establishing an EMS project leader and a committee to start the process as well as providing ISO information and training to key staff.
Developing an Environmental Management Plan

Establish an ISO 14001 implementation committee
Identify environmental impacts of everything you do
Set initial environmental objectives and targets
Develop an environmental mission statement
Do an on-site review and a GAP analysis
Communicate regularly with staff
Develop a draft environmental management plan
Write a quality manual
Set up internal audit systems using ISO 19011:2002
Establish systems for ongoing assessment and continuous improvement
Hire a registrar (who will eventually provide certification)
Work with the registrar for a pre-assessment audit
Work with the registrar for a certification audit
CONCLUSIONS
ISO 14001 is the most widely recognized international standard for environmental management systems. Certification to ISO 14001 is a visual commitment to protecting the environment for our children and the future. In addition to international recognition, many companies realize operational benefits by implementing an ISO 14001 system. Implemen-tation of ISO 14001 should result in both a competitive and an economic advantage. ISO 14001 requires users to identify the environmental aspects of their operations, determine which ones are most significant and build management programs with specific performance objectives.

In summary, certification to ISO 14001 may be said to involve three stages:

Getting started: determining what’s required
Developing an EMS and assessing the EMS quality manual against the requirements of ISO 14001
Conducting a certification audit to verify EMS implementation
Organizations interested in obtaining ISO 14001 certification can facilitate the implementation process by using an independent environmental/quality consultant to:
provide orientation and training
do an initial organizational review and a GAP analysis
assist the local committee to develop an EMS and quality manual
recommend an approved ISO 14001 registrar to assess compliance
ISO 19011 offers guidelines for quality and environmental systems auditing including
principles of EMS auditing
guidance on managing audit programs
guidance on conducting internal and external audits
advice on the competence and evaluation of auditors
Senior management has the responsibility to fund and encourage policy and program development, and foster an attitude of continuous improvement. Senior management is made aware of issues through a quality officer and by conducting regular management reviews. Jerry Hirsch, PhD is director of JH TechRight Consulting, providing advice on quality systems, laboratory accreditation, natural health products, food safety and technical pro-jects. Hirsch retired in 2001 from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Burnaby Food Laboratory. Prior to the formation of CFIA, he was chief of the Burnaby Health Canada Food/Drug Laboratory. He is a member of the B.C. Functional Food and Nutraceutical Network, B.C. Food Technologists, and AOAC International.