If you’re not sure what is required to achieve ISO 14001 certification, our comprehensive guide below includes useful information about the documentation you’ll need to prepare for the Environmental Management System (EMS) standard.
What Documents Do You Need for ISO 14001?
To comply with ISO 14001, your organisation must provide documented evidence that your Environmental Management System (EMS) adheres to established standards. While the standard specifies what types of documentation are necessary, it allows flexibility in the methods you employ to operate and record your environmental management activities. The primary purpose of the documentation is to verify that effective environmental processes are in place, and to confirm that your organisation is collectively progressing towards your environmental targets, aiding in the achievement of practical and achievable environmental objectives.
Scope of the Environmental Management System
The scope defines the operational range and boundaries of your EMS, including which processes, locations, departments, or divisions are included. It also details the products and services your organisation offers and their geographical distribution, whether that be regionally, across the UK, throughout Europe, or globally. Typically, the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System encompasses the whole organisation, although there may be instances where certain areas are exempt from the EMS, requiring a more tailored scope.
Environmental Policy
The environmental policy outlines your organisation’s commitment to managing its impact on the environment and adhering to legal obligations. This policy explicitly commits to pollution prevention and the continual enhancement of environmental performance.
Evaluation of Environmental Risks and Opportunities
This evaluation identifies and acknowledges potential environmental risks and opportunities that may arise during operations, including abnormal and emergency situations. It should reflect a commitment to adopt changes and make environmental enhancements. The standard does not dictate a specific risk assessment method; however, your approach should be risk-oriented, and you must be able to discuss your methodology and provide related documents, such as strategic or operational plans.
Evaluation of Environmental Aspects
Environmental aspects are defined as operations that affect the environment, such as energy usage, waste production, and emissions. Identifying these aspects involves assessing their environmental impact and prioritising them using a risk scoring system. The method for scoring is flexible, provided it adequately assesses the likelihood and potential severity of impacts. This evaluation process should be periodically revisited to reflect any changes in your organisation’s operations.
Environmental Objectives and Plans for Achieving Them
Your organisation should employ data-driven objectives, making use of outcomes from the environmental aspects’ “risk” scoring to determine which activities require monitoring. Objectives should, where feasible, be quantifiable. Examples include tracking monthly electricity usage in kilowatt-hour (kWh), documenting monthly waste tonnages, and recording business miles and costs saved by utilising video conferencing. The purpose of these objectives is to generate data that assists the management team to make informed environmental decisions, which can also help justify investments in more efficient assets.
After installing new assets, the collected data can help prove whether the predicted improvements have been achieved. Additionally, if your business has historical data on production output and utility consumption, objectives can be developed to calculate efficiencies, such as the number of products per kWh consumed.
If considering investments in solar PV, battery electric delivery vans, LED lighting, or new motors and pumps, focus objectives on gathering real-world data to support these business cases.
Ownership and Monitoring of Objectives
Clearly define who is responsible for each objective and establish methods for monitoring progress. Identify any specialised equipment or services required and set a timeline for achievement.
Operational Control Procedures
The ISO 14001 standard mandates that appropriate operational controls are implemented to manage environmental aspects, ensuring that both legal requirements and environmental objectives are met. Documentation will often be needed to ensure that operational controls meet all legal and compliance obligations and support the assessment and achievement of environmental objectives. Control may also be needed to clearly define internal, external, and outsourced processes, and cover any training needs, implementation, and reviews. For facilities with specific needs such as bulk oil storage tanks or effluent treatment plants, controls are needed for operations like filling, decanting, and spill cleanup.
Procedure for Emergency Preparedness and Response
Develop processes to identify and respond to environmental emergencies efficiently, ensuring that any environmental impact is kept to a minimum. These procedures should be tested regularly, and all relevant parties should receive the necessary training. Common emergencies to plan for include; power loss, fires, floods, and chemical spills.
This structured approach will help you to achieve ISO 14001 compliance and enhance your organisation’s overall environmental performance.
List of Interested Parties, Legal, and Other Requirements
Interested parties are essential to your business, influencing your organisation’s environmental impact. The needs and expectations of these parties must be incorporated into your management system.
Requirements of interested parties: These can range from legal to business obligations. It’s crucial to document these requirements to align your EMS planning accordingly. Once these requirements are documented, strategies can be devised to meet these obligations with minimal disruption to your environmental goals.
Examples of interested parties: This might include a customer who expects goods to be delivered using a Battery Electric Vehicle, or a local community that opposes proposed major construction works.
As the needs of interested parties can evolve, it’s important to periodically review these parties and integrate any changes into your EMS.
Competence Records
Implementing an EMS often necessitates new practices and might require additional training. Keeping detailed records of training and competence levels within your organisation aids in tracking necessary upskilling and demonstrates that all members are environmentally responsible.
Evidence of Communication
Ensuring awareness within your organisation about the EMS and related obligations is crucial.
Internal communications: Methods like emails, meetings, bulletin boards, or Intranet announcements are used to inform your team about environmental objectives, their expected contributions, and responsibilities.
External communications: Communications such as emails, meetings, letters, and contracts detail your expectations from suppliers, or how you intend to meet your environmental obligations towards third parties.
Monitoring Performance Information
A key benefit of ISO 14001 is its focus on continual improvement. Monitoring the performance and effectiveness of your EMS is essential. You must maintain records of these evaluations and ensure that your organisation has defined what to measure, how, and when, to maintain appropriate process control.
Compliance Obligations Record
Awareness of legal environmental requirements is vital. Routine evaluations must be conducted to confirm these requirements, with regular reviews to ensure this information remains current. Records should also include any obligations to other parties.
Internal Audit Programme and Results
Internal audits assess the effectiveness of your EMS and overall environmental performance, aiding in demonstrating compliance with established processes.
Records should include details of the regular audit programme and any issues or improvement opportunities identified.
Management Review Results
Senior management should regularly review the EMS to ensure its effectiveness, with documented results of these reviews.
Nonconformities and Corrective Action
Your organisation must document any non-conformities in your environmental processes and operations, and the actions taken to address these. The records should include:
- Details of the non-conformity
- Containment actions taken
- Details of investigations into the root causes
- Actions to prevent any opportunities for re-occurrence and to reduce risk
- Responsibilities for completing actions, timescales and current status
Are You Ready for ISO 14001 Certification?
Whether your organisation is fully prepared or just starting, the first step towards ISO 14001 certification is an audit. An auditor will review your existing documentation and identify areas for improvement. This process isn’t a race; it’s about implementing an effective EMS that genuinely aids your organisation in achieving its environmental goals.
For more information about this environmental management standard and starting your certification journey, consider exploring a beginner’s guide to ISO 14001. This will provide you with a detailed understanding of the process and requirements.
