TABLE OF CONTENTS In this chapter we take a general look at the content of ISO 14001 and its requirements. The detailed study of the requirements and how to put them into practice comes in Chapters 6, 7 and 8.
ISO 14001 is not an isolated standard. It is part of a family of supporting standards, details of which are included in this chapter.
Finally, there is a comparison of the structure of ISO 14001 and ISO 9001: 2000, where it becomes apparent that there are considerable similarities, particularly in the way that the different management systems are controlled. This gives an opportunity for organisations that are already registered to ISO 9001 to integrate their quality and environmental systems.
The following synopsis of ISO 14001 gives a quick understanding of the range of standard's requirements. It is no substitute for looking at the full text of the standard. Your assessor will expect you to have a copy and you should purchase one. Standards are obtainable in the UK from the British Standards Institution. The address for sales is given in Appendix D.
The requirements for environmental management systems are set out in Clause 4 of the Standard under six main headings:
4.1 General requirements
4.2 Environmental policy
4.3 Planning
4.4 Implementation and operations
4.5 Checking and corrective action
4.6 Management review
These are then when necessary divided into sub-clauses.
There must be a documented environmental management system (EMS) that meets all the following requirements.
