14001 Environmental Management System

ISO 14001 - Enviromental Management System

ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS). It provides a framework that an organization can follow, rather than establishing environmental performance requirements.,
Part of the ISO 14000 family of standards on environmental management, ISO 14001 is a voluntary standard that organizations can certify to Integrating it with other management systems standards in accomplishing organizational goals.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines an environmental management system as “part of the management system used to manage environmental aspects, fulfill compliance obligations, and address risks and opportunities.” The framework in the ISO 14001 standard can be used within a plan-do-check-act.
Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) is a concern that all companies have to manage. Awareness of safe working environment is more prevalent than ever, and interest in protecting the environment is a key issue for consumers.
ISO 14001 can demonstrate to clients that a company has taken steps to determine and address its environmental risks and opportunities, compliance obligations, and other issues to improve environmental impacts.

What are the benefits of ISO 14001?

1. LEGAL COMPLIANCE
Getting ISO 14001 certified ensures you are Meeting legal requirements and improving the organization’s environmental performance & keeping up to date with legal regulations. Fines and bad press can devastate companies that don’t comply with regulations, so this ensures that you keep ahead of the game.

2. INCREASED REPUTATION WITH CUSTOMERS
More and more consumers are ‘going green’, with half of digital consumers saying environmental concerns impact their purchasing decisions. Getting ISO 14001 certified displays to your customer that you have an active commitment to reducing your environmental impact.

3. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
With the above in mind, the ISO 14001 certification can help set you apart from competitors, or help you keep up if they are already certified. This also holds true if your organisation is bidding for tender. With more and more businesses getting ISO 14001 certified (8,178 certificates were issued in 2018 in the United Kingdom alone), it’s important that your organisation doesn’t fall behind.

4. REDUCE WASTE
The standard aims to reduce the amount of waste that organisations are producing. From the unnecessary running of machinery to a lack of training causing excess materials to be left, the standard aims to identify and mitigate all waste. By using more renewable energy sources and energy saving processes your company becomes more efficient as a result.

5. REDUCE COSTS
Naturally an increase in efficiency will lead to reduced costs of running your business. The cost of waste management should go down, just as the need for the processing and removal of waste will be lessened.

6. REDUCE INSURANCE COST
Some companies might find that getting certified in ISO 14001 will reduce insurance premiums. The certification proves your organisation is performing strong due diligence in managing their environmental impact, which means there is less chance of you being found liable of environmental negligence.