E n v i ro n m e n t a l

Management

A quick guide to

ISO 14001
S Y S T E M S
M A N A G E M E N T
E N V I R O N M E N TA L
CONTENTS
• WHAT IS AN EMS AND WHAT IS ISO 14001?
• WHY IMPLEMENT AN EMS THAT MEETS ISO 14001?
• ISO 14001 MODEL
• ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
• PLANNING
• IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION
• CHECKING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION
• MANAGEMENT REVIEW
• WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF REGISTRATION TO ISO 14001?
• ISO 14001. JUST ONE OF A SUITE OF STANDARDS
• HOW BSI CAN HELP?

WHAT IS AN EMS AND WHAT IS ISO 14001?

An Environmental Management System (EMS)

is a framework that allows an organisation to
consistently control its significant impacts on
the environment, reduce the risk of
potentially costly pollution incidents, ensure
compliance with environmental legislation
and continually improve its business
operations.

ISO 14001 is an internationally accepted

standard that defines the requirements for
establishing, implementing and operating an
Environmental Management System.

The standard recognises that organisations

can be concerned about both their own
profitability and managing environmental
impacts. ISO 14001 integrates these two
motives and provides a refreshingly workable
methodology to achieve an effective
Environmental Management System.

It's not just a 'paper' standard - it demands

the commitment of your whole organisation.
If the environment benefits and your profits
are enhanced, stakeholders see the rewards.
WHY IMPLEMENT AN EMS THAT MEETS ISO 14001?

An EMS assists organisations in • Improve internal communications

identifying the environmental interests and morale - often leading to sound
of its stakeholders, such as, customers, environmental solutions suggested
shareholders, employees, local by staff, who are the ultimate
residents, regulators, local authority, owners of the business processes.
etc. • Ensure that the organisation is better
placed to avoid future fines and
ISO 14001 provides an organisation
penalties from not meeting
with a structured approach to
environmental legislation.
planning, implementing and managing
an EMS. • Reduce insurance costs through
demonstrating better risk
Operating an effective EMS can: management.
• Provide cost savings through the • Lead to a better public perception of
reduction of waste and more the organisation and you could also
efficient use of natural resources gain a competitive advantage,
(electricity, water, gas and fuels). leading to improved sales
opportunities.
• Tighten production processes,
yielding better efficiency and • Lead to better community awareness
reduction in the risk of incidents. of the impact of your activities on
the local residents (noise, smell, dust,
vibration, etc.).
ISO 14001 MODEL

ISO 14001 MODEL

CURRENT
SITUATION

CONTINUAL
IMPROVEMENT

MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL
REVIEW POLICY

CHECKING AND
PLANNING
CORRECTIVE ACTION

IMPLEMENTATION
& OPERATION

Before you can implement an EMS, • What environmental consideration

you must understand what you is given to the design of our
currently know about your products/services and the
environmental impacts and purchasing of raw materials?
performance. First look at your • What do our neighbours think of
current activities, products and us?
services, processes and their impact on
the environment. This will provide a
baseline from which progress can be ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
measured.
ISO 14001 requires you to produce a
The type of questions you might want policy statement that communicates
to ask are: your environmental values to
stakeholders. It is your contract with
• What are our waste streams?
the environment. You must deliver
• What regulations and legal environmental performance that is
requirements do we have to meet? consistent with this statement.
• How much energy do we use?
PLANNING
Risk Assessment

An initial review will enable you to identify

how you currently interact with the
environment. You should then conduct an
Environmental Risk Assessment to determine
which are your significant issues.

Operational Control

From the Risk Assessment you will have

identified the significant impacts that need to
be monitored and managed. These could
include:

• Waste streams
• Air emissions
• Use of energy
• Discharge to water systems
• Storage of chemicals

Objectives, Targets and Management

Programmes

Your environmental policy has committed you

to improve on your environmental
performance. You will need to set specific,
measurable and timely objectives and targets.
These targets and objectives should be based
on the significant issues identified in the Risk “YOUR
Assessment. For example:
ENVIRONMENTAL
• To reduce energy consumption per unit of
production by 10% in the next 12 months POLICY HAS
• To reduce the number of skips sent to
landfills by 25% in the next 18 months COMMITTED YOU TO
The Objectives are achieved through the IMPROVE ON YOUR
implementation of Management Programmes.
Management Programmes are plans that ENVIRONMENTAL
define what will be done, who will do what
and by when. PERFORMANCE.”
IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION

To implement and operate an effective EMS,

you will need to:

• Define the roles, responsibilities and

authorities of staff with regard to the
environment, including the appointment of
a management representative to act as a
project manager.

• Describe how the management system is

structured (commonly achieved through the
publication of an environmental manual)
and develop the necessary environmental
procedures.

• Establish, maintain and test a process for

dealing with emergency situations and
accidents.

Also, ensure that:

• Appropriate training is provided and people

with key roles are competent.

• There is effective internal and external

communication.

• Environmental management system

documentation is controlled so that current
versions are in use and obsolete documents
are removed.

• The issues, detailed in Operational Control,

are being properly managed, including the
development of appropriate procedures
and the maintenance of records.

I M P L E M E N TAT I O N
CHECKING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

You will need a process for monitoring and

measuring your EMS. This process will give you the
confidence that you are in control of your
significant environmental impacts and provide a
mechanism to determine your progress towards
achieving the environmental objectives.

Procedures are required for the handling and

investigation of problems in order to eliminate the
actual or potential cause.

Environmental audits and records are required to

give you confidence that the EMS is working
effectively and that you are in control.

” YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR

SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACTS”
MANAGEMENT REVIEW

Top management will need to

meet periodically to ensure that
the EMS is still effective. This
will include a review of your
environmental policy and
performance against the
environmental objectives.
Consideration will need to be
given to changes to the policy
and future environmental
objectives, in light of audit
results.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF
REGISTRATION TO ISO 14001?

Registration to ISO 14001 provides confidence

for your stakeholders. It proves your EMS
meets a recognised standard shown to deliver
environmental improvement consistent with
your environmental policy.

Other benefits include:

• The use of a recognised registration mark.

• Potential differentiation in the marketplace.
• Expanding opportunities when organisations
require their suppliers to be registered.

“ PROVIDES CONFIDENCE
FOR YOUR
STAKEHOLDERS”
ISO 14001. JUST ONE OF A SUITE OF STANDARDS

Standards are becoming A FAMILY OF STANDARDS

increasingly compatible and the
latest management philosophy BSI Management Systems can integrate
is to integrate all of the ISO 14001 assessment visits with:
applicable standards into a
single management system. An
integrated management system
can be audited and assessed ISO 9001:2000
through BSI's Integrated
Assessment Service (IAS). Quality Management

OHSAS 18001
Occupational Health and Safety
Management

BS 7799-2:2002
Information Security Management

ISO/TS 16949
Automotive Quality Management

CMSAS 86:2000
Complaints Management
HOW BSI CAN HELP?

Training

BSI Management Systems offer a complete range of

training courses for EMS and related areas, including
introduction, understanding, implementing and
auditor courses. For more information on BSI training
courses, please visit:
www.bsi-global.com/Training/Environ/index.xalter

Registration

For further information on ISO 14001 registration and

how we can guide you through the process, please visit
our website:
www.bsi-global.com/environment

For all enquiries relating to

ISO 14001,please contact
+44 (0)20 8996 7720.
E n v i r o n m e n t a l M a n a g e m e n t S y s t e m s

GROUP HEADQUARTERS

BSI

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TEL: +44 (0)20 8996 7720

Management
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www.bsi-global.com/emea
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