ISO 14001 Certification
Summary
Welcome to our area devoted to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard. This page provides an overview of ISO 14001 with separate sections covering its history, what certification costs and the benefits.
ISO 14001 is for all organisations large or small and covers
all sectors, including charities and the voluntary sector.
It will help you to be more environmentally friendly, show
you how to measure your consumption and reduce waste.
Indeed, once you see how you can effectively reduce, re-use
and recycle, you will benefit by making tangible cost
savings, reduce your environment impact and enhance your
environmental credentials. ISO 14001 is also a proven
business winner with most certified organisations qualifying
for more tenders and winning more orders!
We have over 40 years experience in the assessment industry
and are
UKAS accredited. Our customers also benefit
from our Fixed Fee Guarantee; you are guaranteed
certification within the agreed budget no matter how many
audits are required. In addition, we make all of our
customers a
Price Match Promise; if you can find a
cheaper like-for-like quote within 14-days, we’ll match it
and give you a 10% discount from your next audit.
Once underway, your Assessor will undertake a gap-analysis (known as a Stage 1 Audit) and you will receive a report outlining any non-conformities that are identified. Where appropriate, we can also provide you with good-practice examples and guides, as well as training in the standard.
Get a Quote
To receive your fixed price ISO 14001 quotation, please use the Online Quotation Form or call 0800 404 7007.
Benefits
Most organisations want ISO 14001 certification to qualify for a tender or to achieve preferred supplier status: typically for a Local Authority or for a supply chain requirement. However, whoever you decide to choose as your Certification Body, make sure they are UKAS accredited. It could prove a costly mistake if you don’t.
There are many benefits to achieving ISO 14001
certification, including:
Better management of environmental risks, now and in the future
Increased access to new customers and business partners
Demonstration of legal and regulatory compliance
Potential for reduced public liability insurance costs
Overall cost savings: in terms of consumption, waste and recycling
In addition, ISO 14001 is designed to be compatible with
other management system standards such as
ISO 9001
(Quality), OHSAS
18001 (Health and Safety) and
ISO 27001 (Information
Security). All or any combination of these complementary
standards can be integrated seamlessly. They share many
principles, so choosing an integrated management system can
provide you with outstanding value for money.
If you would like an integrated management system,
comprising all or a combination of ISO management standards,
simply let us know your requirements and we'll provide you
with a fixed price
quotation.
Get a Quote
To receive your fixed price ISO 14001 quotation, please use the Online Quotation Form or call 0800 404 7007.
Process
STEP 1: Preparation
Realistically, if you are new to the ISO 14001 standard you are going to need some guidance and we have a range of off-the-shelf good practice guides on our website which are free of charge. When you're ready, we’ll discuss your requirements with you and provide you with a Fixed Price quotation so you can budget accurately. Your quotation will be based on factors like what you do, how many locations you operate from and how many people you employ (if any). To get the ball rolling, simply call us on 0800 404 7007 or email us an enquiry.
STEP 2: Application
Once you decide to go-ahead, we'll assign a Lead Assessor to
you. He or she will be your principal contact throughout the
registration process and beyond. They will build up detailed
knowledge of your business and will be able to answer any
questions you may have.
STEP 3: Pre-Audit Assessment (known as Stage 1)
Your Lead Assessor will visit you to explain the standard
and undertake a conformity evaluation of your current
arrangements for environmental management. You will then
receive a detailed report including all required actions.
Together, you will then determine the appropriate timetable
for your Audit Assessment.
STEP 4: Audit Assessment (known as Stage 2)
Once you are ready for your formal Audit Assessment, your
Lead Assessor will make the required arrangements for you.
On completion, you will be informed of the Auditor's
recommendation before he or she leaves your premises.
STEP 5: Registration & Certificate
Following the Auditor's recommendation, your registration will be reviewed and if approved your certification will be confirmed. Soon after, your certificate of conformity to the ISO 14001 standard will be issued and sent to you.
STEP 6: Continual Assessment
Having achieved certification, you will want to maintain
your registration and your Lead Assessor will remain on hand
to undertake the required annual reviews to ensure you
continue to meet the requirements of ISO 14001.
Get a Quote
To receive your fixed price ISO 14001 quotation, please use the Online Quotation Form or call 0800 404 7007.
Costs
We work with clients from the very large to the very small and even if you are a ‘one man band’, we can help you!
Your quotation will be based on factors like what you do, how many locations you operate from and how many people you employ (if any).
We provide all of our clients with a Fixed Fee quotation because we know that day rates have a habit of going over budget and we believe in being transparent.
All of our quotes are inclusive. We won’t charge you extra for travel, registration fees or for your certificate (unlike many others). The only thing to add is VAT.
In addition, we make all of our customers a Price Match Promise; if you can find a cheaper like-for-like quote within 14-days, we’ll match it and give you a 10% discount from your next surveillance.
Get a Quote
To receive your fixed price ISO 14001 quotation, please use the Online Quotation Form or call 0800 404 7007.
History
ISO 14001 is in fact a series of international standards on environmental management. It provides a framework for the development of an environmental management system and the supporting audit programme.
The ISO 14001 series emerged primarily as a result of the Uruguay round of the GATT negotiations and the Rio Summit on the Environment held in 1992. While GATT concentrates on the need to reduce non-tariff barriers to trade, the Rio Summit generated a commitment to protection of the environment across the world.
After the rapid acceptance of ISO 9000, and the increase of environmental standards around the world, the International Standards Organisation (ISO) assessed the need for international environmental management standards. They formed the Strategic Advisory Group on the Environment (SAGE) in 1991, to consider whether such standards could serve to:
Promote a common approach to environmental management similar to quality management;
Enhance organisations' ability to attain and measure improvements in environmental performance; and
Facilitate trade and remove trade barriers.
In 1992, SAGE's recommendations created a new committee, TC 207, for international environmental management standards. This committee and its sub-committees included representatives from industry, standards organisations, government and environmental organisations from many countries. What developed was a series of ISO 14000 standards designed to cover:
Environmental management systems
Environmental auditing
Environmental performance evaluation
Environmental labelling
Life-cycle assessment
Environmental aspects in product standards
ISO 14001 was first published as a standard in 1996 and it specifies the actual requirements for an environmental management system. It applies to those environmental aspects over which an organisation has control and where it can be expected to have an influence.
ISO 14001 is often seen as the corner-stone standard of the ISO 14000 series. It specifies a framework of control for an Environmental Management System (EMS) and is the only ISO 14000 standard against which it is currently possible to be certified by an external certification body. However, it does not in itself state specific environmental performance criteria.
This standard is applicable to any organisation that wishes to:
Implement, maintain and improve an EMS
Assure itself of its conformance with its own stated environmental policy
Demonstrate conformance
Ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations
Seek certification of its EMS by an authorised external certification body
Make a self-determination of conformance
Other standards in the series are actually guidelines, many to help an organisation achieve registration to ISO 14001. These include the following:
ISO 14004 provides guidance on development and implementation of an EMS
ISO 14010 provides general principles of environmental auditing (now superseded by ISO 19011)
ISO 14011 provides specific guidance on auditing an environmental management system (also superseded)
ISO 14012 provides guidance on qualification criteria for auditors and lead auditors (also superseded)
ISO 14013/5 provides an audit program review and assessment material.
ISO 14020+ covers labelling issues
ISO 14030+ provides guidance on performance targets & monitoring within an EMS
ISO 14040+ covers life cycle issues
Get a Quote
To receive your fixed price ISO 14001 quotation, please use the Online Quotation Form or call 0800 404 7007.