ISO 14001 is the only standard through which a company can achieve certification. There are two options currently available:
- Self-Declaration. This is the process of declaring that your company has an environmental management system (EMS) that meets the standard.
- Third Party Certification. You may have an independent third party audit your EMS to the ISO 14001 standard. This third party (registrar) should be accredited by a recognized ISO body (such as ANSI or RAB, in the United States).
Many companies achieve certification using a phased approach. These phases consist of:
- Phase 1: Perform a Baseline Audit and Gap Analysis
- A gap analysis compares your existing EMS to the ISO 14001 standard through the performance of a baseline conformance audit of your facility. This audit consists of document review, onsite interviews, and a report to management that details requirements for implementation.
- Phase 2: ISO 14001 EMS Implementation
- Using the Gap Analysis, and the ISO 14001 specification standard and appropriate related guidance standards, modify your existing EMS to conform to ISO 14001.
- Phase 3: Self-Declare Conformance to ISO 14001
- You declare that your EMS conforms to ISO 14001 without third-party registration.
- Phase 4: Register to ISO 14001
- This provides a third party audit of your system by a certified registrar. The audit report details major and minor non-conformities with the standard and recommends corrective action to meet the standard. the Registrar certifies your conformance to ISO 14001
The benefits to this approach include:
- Controlled implementation costs
- Timely employee training
- Internal testing of your system
For more information, contact SCS Engineers.
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