Increasing Popularity of Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001)
On September 21, 1999, Ford Motor Company announced that it will require suppliers to certify at least one manufacturing site to the ISO 14001 Standard by the end of 2001.
Interested in ISO 14001 registration? You are not alone. A steadily growing roster of companies and organizations have already registered to implement ISO 14001 environmental management systems (EMS).
Who in the industry is doing this? The greatest percentage is in the Electronics Industry as illustrated below:
Remember, ISO 14001 is a voluntary program that offers an organized framework for the guidance of corporate environmental management systems. The ISO 14001 standard represents a fundamentally unique approach to environmental management in that it is primarily market driven. The five general components of ISO 14001 are shown below.
Does an ISO 14001 EMS offer constructive benefits for your company or is this just another layer of bureaucracy? Although there is still room for debate on this question, several potential benefits do exist for a successful EMS. Decreased regulatory scrutiny, reduced risk, compliance assurance, and improved public image are some of the main reasons that companies seek ISO 14001 certification. For your individual company, a successful EMS may provide cost savings by reducing program overlap. Also, as awareness of the ISO 14001 standard increases, the market forces become a factor. Essentially, ISO Registration can become a requirement for doing business.
Normally, implementation of an ISO 14001 EMS is essentially a three step process that requires about one year to complete. The first step, "gaps analysis", compares your companies existing environmental management program to the ISO 14001 standard. The second step is the implementation of ISO 14001 EMS requirements. The third step involves a third party assessment or audit of your completed EMS.
To prepare for ISO 14001 your company may consider attending ANSI or Technical Advisory Group (TAG) conferences, participating in state or trade association information exchanges, joining information providers such as Project 14000, and contacting experienced consultants. Although some companies can implement an ISO 14001 EMS using only internal resources, most benefit from the combined input of an outside consultant and internal resources to implement an effective EMS.
For More Information
| Organization |
Contact |
| ANSI |
(212) 624-4900 |
| ASTM |
(215) 299-5487 |
| Project 14000 |
(203) 778-6114 |
| CEEM Information
Service |
(800) 745-5565 |
| OMNI Professional |
(800) 951-7625 |
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