Everyone is impacted by the state of our environment, and when it is endangered, it takes everyone to work together to bring about substantial change. This comprises businesses, both big and small; those are based in a community and create jobs for its residents. Businesses can demonstrate their dedication to their employees, the community they serve, and the environment as a whole by becoming certified to the ISO 14001:2015 standard. Discover the requirements for ISO 14001 by reading on.
What exactly does ISO 14001:2015 mean?
Organizations can develop a framework of practices and procedures to support their environmental performance goals and adhere to regulatory requirements with the use of an environmental management system (EMS) built on the ISO 14001:2015 standard. It can assist businesses in forging strong bonds with their customers and the neighbourhood. No matter the size of your organization, ISO 14001:2015 in Sri Lanka can be customized to meet your demands, but it must take into account all governmental regulations and environmental standards that are relevant to your scope of activity.
What Do Customers Understand by ISO 14001:2015 Standard?
One of the biggest difficulties for businesses is preventing disasters and unfavorable environmental outcomes, or at the very least reducing their risk. An organization that seeks ISO 14001 Certification acknowledges this and shows its customer that it cares enough about the environment and it take steps to minimise its impact. Stronger customer relationships and favorable public relations may result from this. Additionally, it helps boost customer loyalty and bring in new customers. In addition to these advantages, ISO 14001:2015 certification may result in cost savings for a business by lowering liability costs, decreasing insurance rates, and decreasing possible incidents through organized procedures. An organization may decide to pass all or a portion of these savings on to its customers.
How Can a Distribution Company Obtain ISO 14001:2015 Certification?
A business must have in place an EMS that complies with the requirements of the ISO 14001:2015 standard before thinking about ISO 14001:2015 certification. A distributor must detail its environmental strategy, including long-term objectives, starting with the regulatory requirements for its industry and how they relate to developing an EMS. The methods and procedures it needs to use to operate within the parameters of the environment must also be mapped out. As a business develops its EMS, documentation and precise record keeping are vital. This includes a time frame in which the company must function with its newly established EMS in place to gather the necessary information for certification.
What Are the Requirements of ISO 14001: 2015?
The seven core sections of the ISO 14001 Standard lay out the most crucial requirements for a business to obtain ISO 14001:2015 Certification. Here is a quick guide to these important areas, along with details on the requirements:
Context — to determine internal/external concerns, needs & expectation of the interested parties, and the extent of the EMS necessary for ISO 14001:2015 Certification, a process is needed.
Leadership — this describes leadership’s obligations and commitment to putting an EMS in place. This covers the requirements provided in ISO 14001:2015 standard for establishing the system’s overall environmental policy, environmental objectives, and the assignment of roles, responsibilities, and authorities.
Planning — it is necessary to have a written plan in place for current activities, risks, opportunities, and objectives. It is also necessary to evaluate how the company practices connect with the environment and legal environment.
Support – Proof that management has made resources available, such as ISO 14001:2015 competency training, developing communication channels, and document control procedures.
Operation: The selection of the type of operational control method(s) which generally depends upon the nature of the operations, risks and opportunities, significant environmental aspects, and compliance obligations is on the liberty of the organization. Similarly, it is the responsibility of the organization to be prepared and to respond to emergency situations in a manner appropriate to its particular needs.
Performance Evaluation: Monitoring and measurement to evaluate the overall performance of the environmental management system should also take into account apart from the progress on environmental objectives the significant environmental aspects, compliance obligations, and operational controls. Internal audits and management are the tools to do so.
Improvement – The organization should consider the results from analysis and evaluation of environmental performance, evaluation of compliance, internal audits, and management review when taking action to improve.
Ascent ASSOCIATES can assist you with a certification if your business is not currently ISO 14001:2015 certified. The Ascent ASSOCIATES Quality Assessments Division strives to offer top-notch customer service and will work with your company to streamline the certification procedure.
