list of mandatory documents for iso 14001

What documents are required for ISO 14001 certification?

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Many people are curious about the documentation needed in the most recent version of ISO 14001. So, in this Edarasystems article, in addition to listing the obligatory documents, we’ll also give you a list of the documents required for ISO 14001 certification the most frequently.

What is ISO 14001 certification? Environmental Management System

More than 21,000 standards have been released by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), each of which helps organisations in improving their management in a particular area. ISO 14001 is concerned with managing environmental performance. The standard offers a list of recommendations that might assist a company in creating a formal framework known as an Environmental Management System (EMS). This EMS aids top management and business owners in analysing how their organisation interacts with the environment and then suggests corrective actions that can minimize the effects of these interactions. Therefore, the organisation manages its resources, energy use, and carbon footprint in addition to being able to improve its environmental performance.

 iso 14001:2015 requirements checklist

What is the ISO 14001 certification process?

To highlight the importance of documents, let’s quickly go over the certification process. This will help you understand why it is important that you take your time creating your documentation. In essence, an external auditor from a recognised certification body will visit your business to make sure that your activities adhere to ISO 14001. The documents make up a large portion of this audit. The ISO 14001 audit is actually separated into two stages, during which the auditor does a basic evaluation of your documentation (stage 1). The goal of the desktop review, which is a component of the audit, is to identify non-conformance. Documents are emphasised by ISO because they provide a foundation for knowledge sharing and serve as proof of all the effort you have done to create your management system. As a result, your documentation demonstrates that you spent time and effort creating an EMS that is compliant. Therefore, if you want to achieve ISO 14001 certification, documentation should be regarded seriously.

Mandatory documents and records required by ISO 14001:2015

Here is a list of documents that you would have to produce if you wish to be compliant with ISO 14001:

  • Scope of your EMS as per clause 4.3.
  • Environmental policy as per clause 5.2.
  • Risks and opportunities addressed and a process developed to mitigate these risks, as per clause 6.1.1.
  • Criteria for evaluation of important/significant environmental aspects, as per clause 6.1.2.
  • Environmental aspects that are associated with environmental impacts, as per clause 6.1.2.
  • List of significant environmental aspects as per clause 6.1.2.
  • Compliance obligation documents, as per clause 6.1.3.
  • Environmental objectives and plans for achieving them, as per clause 6.2.
  • Operational control, as per clause 8.1.
  • Emergency preparedness and response plans, as per clause 8.2.

In order to implement ISO 14001, you have to collect all documents required for the ISO 14001 certification process.

 iso 14001:2015 audit checklist

Additionally, there are certain mandatory records that you need to produce. Here, it is essential to mention that documents are different from records, as they are modifiable. This means that at any point in the future, you can modify or improve your documents per your changing policies. However, reports remain stagnant as their only purpose is to serve as evidence of your actions. In other words, records are a snapshot of the actions that you have taken to achieve compliance in the past.

The list of mandatory records you would have to produce if you wish to be ISO 14001 compliant are:

  • Records of your personnel’s training, skills, experience and qualification, as per clause 7.2.
  • Evidence of communication channels, as per clause 7.4.
  • Monitoring and measuring results, as per clause 9.1.1.
  • Evidence of compliance evaluation results, as per clause 9.1.2.
  • Evidence of compliance revaluation results as per clause 9.1.2.
  • Internal audit program and the exact steps you took, as per clause 9.2.
  • Results of internal audits, as per clause 9.2.
  • The exact steps of the management review and its results, as per clause 9.3.
  • Results of all the corrective actions you implemented to achieve compliance and address non-conformities, as per clause 10.2.

If you need detailed information about ISO 14001 definition, read Edara Systems different blogs related to this certification. You can find useful information in these blog posts.

 iso 14001 documentation toolkit

Non-mandatory documents for ISO 14001

For the implementation of an ISO 14001-compliant EMS, many documents are optional but necessary. The numerous benefits of ISO 14001 make it worthwhile to spend some time gathering thedocuments required for iso 14001 certification. Despite the fact that these documents are not necessary, experts believe that they will aid in the management and execution of the EMS. These consist of:

  • Procedure for identifying the context of the organisation and expectations of interested parties, as per clauses 4.1 and 4.2.
  • Procedure for identifying and evaluating environmental aspects and risks, as per clauses 6.1.1 and 6.1.2.
  • Competence, training and awareness procedure as per clauses 7.2 and 7.3.
  • Procedure for communication and development of communication channels, as per clause 7.4.
  • Procedure for documents and records control, as per clause 7.5.
  • Procedure that will be utilised for internal audits, as per clause 9.2.
  • Procedure that will be utilised for management reviews, as per clause 9.3.
  • Procedure for management of non-conformities, as per clause 10.2.

If you need any information about ISO 14001 certification cost, contact Edara Systems consultants.

documents required for iso 45001 certification

Get ISO 14001 certified with Edara Systems

To demonstrate that your certification complies with the ISO 14001 standard, you must add a few mandatory documents required for iso 14001 certification. However, business owners frequently use the list of optional documents stated above to design their EMS effectively. Expert ISO consultants congregate at Edara Systems to assist businesses in easily obtaining ISO certification and meeting the ISO 14001 2015 requirements. Simply fill out the pop-up form on this page to get in touch with us if you need assistance.

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