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14001:2015 Outline of the Summaries and How it will Affect You

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ISO 14001:2015, one of the most widely used standards in the world is being updated. The updated version is expected to be released at the end of the 2015 and although the updates are presently only in the DIS Stage, the proposed changes are substantial and will affect all companies and persons who want to maintain compliance with the updated Standard.

 

Why is ISO 14001 being revised?

All ISO Standards are reviewed every five years to establish if a revision is required to keep it current and relevant for the marketplace. The future ISO 14001:2015 will respond to latest trends and ensure it is compatible with other Management system Standards such as ISO 9001.

 

What will be the main changes to the Standard?

The main changes that we expect to see in the final version of the updated 14001:2015 Standard are:

  • Strategic Environmental Management - There is an increased prominence of Environmental Management within the organisation's strategic planning process. A new requirement to understand the organisations' context has been incorporated to identify and leverage opportunities for the benefit of both the organisation and the environment.
  • Leadership - To ensure the success of the system, a new clause has been added that assigns specific responsibilities for those in leadership roles to promote Environmental Management within the organisation.
  • Protecting the Environment - The expectation on organisations has been expanded to commit to proactive initiatives to protect the Environment from harm and degradation, consistent with the context of the organisation.
  • Environmental Performance - There is a shift in emphasis with regard to continual improvement, from improving the management system to improving Environmental Performance.
  • Lifecycle Thinking - In addition to the current requirement to manage environmental aspects associated with procured goods and service, organisations will need to extend its control and influence to the environmental impacts associated with product use and end-of-life treatment or disposal.
  • Communication - The development of a communications strategy with equal emphasis on external and internal communications has been added. This includes a requirement on communicating consistent and reliable information, and establishing mechanisms for persons working under the organisation's control to make suggestions on improving the Environmental Management System.
  • The DIS links the Annex SL structure and the ISO 14001 PDCA model.

 

I am Certified to ISO 14001:2004. What does this mean for me?

Organisations are granted a three-year transition period after the revision has been published to migrate their Environmental Management System to the new edition of the Standard.

After this transition period, companies that opt for third party certification will have to seek certification to the new version of the Standard. The former version, ISO 14001:2004, and any certification to it, will be out of date.

 

Will I need to update by Management System?

At present the final changes to the updated Standard are not confirmed but based on the amount of proposed changes in the DIS version, it is likely that your Management System will require some updating to ensure its compliance against the new version. Ferriby Marine strongly suggest conducting a Gap Analysis of your existing Systems once the final version of the Standard is published to highlight any alterations that might need to be completed before 3rd Party Certification is considered. Ferriby Marine can assist your firm with the Gap Analysis and alterations to ensure your continued compliance is maintained, with as little effort as possible.

 

Will I need to attend additional training?

All presently trained auditors in the existing Standard 14001:2004 will need to upgrade their qualifications by completing the ISO 14001:2015 transition course which will be available for completion in 3Q of 2015. For more details about Training Courses on the updated Standard please contact us.

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