Although it is not required, many organizations that use the ISO 14001:2015 standard to develop their Environmental Management System (EMS) will consider getting the system certified through an audit by a certification authority. The certification audit occurs once you have completed your whole implementation, as indicated in the article List of ISO 14001 implementation processes. Because understanding the certification process can make planning much easier, this post will look at how the ISO 14001 certification process works and what actions you must take.
What are the ISO 14001 Certification, Its Steps and Its Requirements?
Once your EMS is in place, certification requires that you have a certification organization send auditors to assess your processes and ensure that they fulfil the standards of the ISO 14001 standard. They will give a certificate confirming that your company's EMS meets the requirements when they certify that it does.
Unless your company only wants a certificate to hang on the wall (which is not recommended), finding the right certification body will be an important part of ensuring that your EMS provides real improvements and benefits for your organization. Here are three critical steps for a successful ISO 14001 certification procedure.
Choosing the Best Certifying Body. Given the importance of ISO 14001 certification auditors in analysing your EMS, selecting the correct certification body might be the difference between having auditors who are knowledgeable in your business and those who are not. It is critical to review the list of other companies that have been certified by this certifying organization; this list should be easily accessible. The top auditors can assist you in identifying flaws and making adjustments that will make your EMS truly useful to you.
Stage 1 ISO 14001 Documentation Audit: In this audit, the ISO 14001 Auditor will review the ISO 14001 documentation that you created. First, they check your ISO 14001 documentation meets the requirements of ISO 14001. At the end of the audit, they will issue a report identifying any non-conformities in the documentation, such as inconsistencies between documents that could be problematic, missing required documents or records, and other points where the documentation does not meet ISO 14001. You can utilise this audit to receive some recommendations on best practices for documentation and improvements if you employ the correct certification body.
Stage 2 ISO 14001 Certification Audit: In this audit, the ISO 14001 certification auditors will come and audit all of your ISO 14001 processes. They will ensure that the processes in your businesses meet the requirements of ISO 14001 and the management system. This audit activity will examine each process, evaluate the anticipated arrangements for that process, and then assess what is happening in the process. To collect data, they will interview employees, watch activities, and evaluate records and documents.
Once the auditors have validated that everything is going as planned and that ISO 14001 is being met, or that any non-conformances identified have been corrected, they will provide a certification confirming that your EMS satisfies ISO 14001. The certification body chosen while employing this certificate can influence how well this news is perceived by interested parties. Your certification will be widely accepted if you choose a recognised certifying body that is authorised in your field.
It is vital to understand that the initial accreditation is merely the beginning. The certification process will be repeated at least yearly to guarantee that the EMS is maintained and improved throughout time. This cycle (usually lasting three years) will include surveillance audits as well as comprehensive re-certification audits in which they will repeat the ISO 14001 audit of the entire management system. The cycle is continued indefinitely, making EMS certification a continual effort to improve your EMS processes.
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