Third Party Certification of ISO 14001 Standards

A recognised international accredited EMS standard such as ISO 14001 is a positive message that can be easily conveyed and recognised by customers, suppliers, staff, investors, local authorities and other regulators.

However a company does not necessarily require third part certification for its EMS. A company EMS is a system designed to best meet the specific requirements of that particular company.

Third party certification does provide a useful support or framework within which to develop an EMS. By achieving an internationally recognised EMS standard, a company demonstrates an ongoing commitment to external stakeholders to manage its environmental impacts in a responsible manner. If a company decides not to develop an EMS that meets an accredited standard, the framework provided by these standards may still be useful as a starting point to developing an effective EMS tailored to the specific requirements of a company.

The International Standards Organisation (ISO) international accredited standard for environmental management, the ISO

14001, is the most widely used and accepted EMS standard. This standard is voluntary, certifiable and is accepted by

stakeholders across the world as the preferred model for environmental management.

The European Union recognises ISO 14001 which is considered a stepping stone for the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). EMAS is a management tool for companies to evaluate, report and improve their environmental performance, incorporating the ISO14001 environmental management system. Participation in EMAS is voluntary.

Basic Steps in Environmental Management System

Basic Steps in Environmental Management System

1. Preparation

- Consult and involve all staff at an early stage. This may include discussion and training sessions on environmental issues to encourage involvement and better awareness and understanding.

- Identify staff with knowledge/expertise/understanding of environmental issues within the company.

- Assign responsibility to one member of staff or a team.

- Identify external expertise and support e.g. Enterprise Ireland provide funding towards meeting the costs of hiring an external consultant to assist in the installation of an EMS.

- Identify environmental objectives to be achieved.

- Develop an environmental action plan to achieve these environmental objectives.

2. Identifying the Environmental Impacts

Before a company can begin to better manage its environmental impacts it must first identify and quantify the issues. An environmental audit will help identify the key environmental impacts of company activities. This may include:

- Raw materials used, e.g. use of nonrenewable resources and hazardous chemicals.

- The production process, e.g. waste generated, air, noise and water emissions.

- Distribution of goods e.g. fossil fuels used in transport of raw materials and final product.

- Use of final products, e.g. what packaging is necessary.

- End of life, e.g. collection, recycling and disposal.

As you undertake your environmental audit you should also consider:

- Your environmental legal obligations

- Market and financial pressures for improving environmental performance, e.g. have any of your competitors achieved certification to the international EMS standard ISO 14001?

3. Opportunities to prevent and minimise environmental impacts

Set realistic objectives and targets for improving your environmental performance as part of an action plan.

Kindly go to http://www.iso9001store.com for more information.

Implementing ISO 9001 Standards

Implementing ISO 9001 standards

If you have your own business and now you are looking for ISO 9001 certification for quality standards for business to make your business products more reliable to the customers. To be in the market for any business, it needs quality and for quality any business needs to follow quality standards, so ISO 9001 Standards developed many quality standards as per different -different business areas.

ISO 9001 Standards is a generic quality standard and can be applied to any organization but before applying it, a process starts with pre-assessment audits and passes through on-going maintenance. The process of implementing ISO 9001 includes identifying, collecting and organizing the information required for certification.

For implementing ISO 9001 standards, any organization needs to hire a consultant because detailed knowledge of ISO standards is essential before successfully applying it. A consultant will analyze your organization structure, your products and their standards and will make a complete plan as per ISO standards for your organization.To hire a consultant is easiest way because they have complete knowledge of ISO standards and they perform various activities like provides class room training to your business employee about ISO 9000 standards

An ISO consultant performs the various activities and explains the course objectives :

• understand the purpose of ISO 9000: 2005, ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 9004: 2000, ISO 19011: 2002 etc. standards and their interrelationship

• describe the purpose of Quality Management Systems and 8 Quality Management Principles

• Interpret the ISO 9001: 2008 in the context of audit

•Plan and conduct an audit in accordance with guidelines as per ISO 19011: 2002, gather objective evidence via various methods and determine conformity to the requirements of Quality Management Systems

• Develop understanding of Roles & Responsibilities of Lead Auditors

Hiring a Consultant is a better and easiest way to implement ISO in your organization.

How To Meet Quality Standards With ISO 9001 Standards

In today’s hectic business environment, it is vital that we are all on the same page, right? But how do we know if we meet those standards? Business owners and executives can avoid the uncertainty, and that’s where ISO 9001 certification comes in.

Standardizing Quality Systems

The ISO, or International Organization for Standardization, was established in 1947 to develop international standards for
everything from electronics to management systems. Having over 13,000 standards currently in place, ISO has created the auditing and certification process known as ISO 9001. This began the drive toward quality standards.

Improving Customer Satisfaction

Companies choose to implement ISO 9001 and get certified because many customers and industries require it. By keeping customers happy, they can increase sales and profitability for their business. And if an area of the company’s program appears to be too bureaucratic and non-value-adding, then it might also be an area for continuous improvement efforts.

Enhancing Company Performance

Both customers and industries alike use ISO certification as a way to evaluate and audit their suppliers and products. Through an independent verification process, customers can gain assurance of their suppliers’ products. And as a supplier becomes certified, the testing requirement is waved, which saves the company both
time and money.

Developing Best Practices

Employed as a “Best Practices” model, ISO 9001 utilizes the philosophy of the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” continuous improvement cycle to achieve requirements. This process approach centers around eight quality management principles used by management as a guide toward improving performance and identifying the main elements
needed in a good quality system:

1. Customer Focus
2. Leadership
3. Involvement of People
4. Process Approach
5. Systems Approach to Management
6. Continuous improvement
7. Factual Approach to Decision-Making
8. Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationship

Building Stable Processes

ISO 9001 policies, procedures and forms can provide employers, managers and employees with a systematic and consistent approach to implementing policies, plans, procedures and work routines. Instead of building their own policies and procedures from scratch, some companies prefer to hire professional writers that have already prepared a set of written policies and procedures to help on the way to certification.

Auditing a Company System

In the certification process, an independent registrar will perform an on-site audit of a company’s operations to verify that it complies with the ISO standard. If the business complies, then that company will be registered as ISO 9001 compliant.

Meeting Company and Customer Needs

On the way to certification, a business can meet its ISO needs by:

= Using well-defined processes and procedures to build stable processes
= Training in the audit and certification process
= Continuously improving with ISO 9001 standards

Noticing the Difference

With complete procedures manuals for ISO 9001 Quality Management System, required HR procedures, and an ISO training class, a template like an ISO 9001 Quality Manager Procedures Manual Series can help a business on its way to ISO 9001 certification.
Sometimes the effort can be very great, but companies typically notice a remarkable difference in efficiency and effectiveness after the first year.

Document Control System in Manufacturing Industry

Document Control System In Manufacturing Industry

Many traditional paper documents would be generated in a manufacturing business as in the examples listed below:

• Statutory documents such as licenses, records and reports
• Transactional documents such as purchase and sales invoices, shipping documents and cash vouchers
• Production related documents such as operations manuals, specification sheets, production and maintenance schedules, machine production reports, material handling documents, store bin cards and gate passes

• Management reports where the recipient prefer printed paper documents to computer screen views
• Business documents such as correspondence, contracts, brochures and reference materials

However, in a modern system, the majority of documents would be generated as computer documents, and remain as such. Different kinds of databases like financial accounts, inventory records and different kinds of analyses are examples. The core functions outlined in the previous section would each produce a continuing flow of voluminous documents.

In addition to providing management information, document management systems also do the following:

• Ensure that only authorized persons are able to access sensitive documents
• Minimize the danger of damage and loss of important documents

• Preserve the documents as long as needed by statute or for management purposes

Environment Policy In ISO 14001:2004

Environment Policy In ISO 14001:2004

To develop a successful and effective EMS, five key tasks that must be undertaken by management:
a. Select an EMS Coordinator
The selection of an EMS Coordinator is crucial to the success of your EMS. This person will be responsible for developing and implementing the environmental policy and the EMS. Great care must be taken to ensure that the person chosen is well qualified to handle the responsibilities associated with the EMS.
b. Perform a gap analysis
A gap analysis determines the differences, or gaps, between one system and another. Not only will this analysis identify the gaps, but it also should etermine the size of the gaps. These findings will lead to recommendations, project plans, and the identification of necessary resources for filling the gaps.

c. Prepare a budget, and obtain the appropriate resources
After conducting a gap analysis, the EMS Coordinator will develop a budget that covers the necessary resources to complete an EMS that conforms with ISO 14001. For some organizations, this may mean establishing a budget for the entire process; other organizations may only need to update certain portions of their existing management system.

ISO 14001 Section 4.4.1 requires top management to provide the essential resources to implement, control, and manage the EMS.

d. Select an EMS Team
Top management and the EMS Coordinator may consider creating an EMS Team to assist in developing and implementing the system. This decision should be based on the size of the organization or facility that will be implementing the EMS.

This team should consist of key individuals from various divisions, departments, and operating work areas within the organization who are familiar with the facility, the various processes, and its environmental requirements. Diversity among team members will bring together a pool of expertise and ideas from which to develop and implement the EMS.

e. Develop an environmental policy
The environmental policy is an essential part of an organization’s EMS. The environmental policy must establish the overall direction of the organization in terms of its commitment to environmental responsibility. A policy should also set the foundation and framework for meeting the environmental objectives and targets for the organization.

The ISO 14001 standard establishes certain requirements that an organization’s environmental policy must meet. If your organization already has an environmental policy, review this section to ensure it meets the ISO 14001 requirements.

The first requirement is that top management must establish and define the environmental policy. Note that ISO 14001 does not specifically state that top management must write the policy, only that it be committed to the policy and ensure its implementation.

These actions are essential in constructing a firm foundation for an effective EMS.

ENVIRONMENTAL and HEALTH & SAFETY COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST

Self-Audit Procedures

The following checklist should be used as an aid in reviewing your facility’s compliance with industry environmental and health & safety regulations and requirements.

Additional Information: This checklist is based on the current laws and regulations as of the date of publication. Regulations frequently change.

Therefore, you should review current laws and regulations for any recent changes in the requirements. Some of the items you should check include:

Additional Requirements: In addition to recent changes in the requirements, you should also consider additional Cal/OSHA standards that might apply to your facility.

These might include any of the following:

Employer postings; ergonomics; process safety management; use of asbestos, formaldehyde, or lead containing substances; blood borne

pathogens; welding operations; use of compressed air and gases; boiler operations; use of power tools, hoists and grinding equipment; spray coating; elevated platforms; aisle way, ramp, door and exit requirements; fire sprinkler requirements; and seismic requirements.

Legal Authority : The compliance requirements provided on the following pages are taken from the respective laws and regulations, as indicated in the references column. In addition to the statutory and regulatory requirements, some compliance items that reflect improved and accepted management practices have been included. These management practices have been included because of their overall industry acceptance and their potential to reduce environmental risk and improve compliance.