Straight forward, cost effective ISO 14001 Implementation!
Interested in achieving accreditation to ISO 14001 but concerned about the costs and the hastle?
Qualtec have been involved in assisting companies implement management systems for the past 15 years and have helped over 200 companies achieve various accreditations. In 99% of cases, they achieve accreditation first time.
Their approach is simple and cost effective. They produce a documented Environmental Management System that reflects your current system and that meets the requirements of ISO 14001.
You only pay based on results.
We charge a fixed fee of 1,000 euro for the Environmental Review.
We charge a fixed fee of 1,000 euro for the production of the Documented Environmental Management System.
We then charge a fixed fee of 1,000 euro for carrying out of an internal audit of your documented Environmental Management System.
The final fee of 1,000 euro is payable when you achieve 14001 accreditation!
We will liaise with the different auditing bodies and ensure that you get the most competitive quotation for your audit. This will save you thousands!!!
What is ISO 14000 ?
ISO 14000 Standard provides organisations with the elements of an effective environmental management system which can be integrated with other management systems to assist organisations in achieving environmental and economic goals. This Standard, like other International Standards, is not intended to be used to create non-tariff trade barriers or to change an organisation’s legal obligations.
The standard helps an organisation to
- establish an environmental policy
- identify the relevant environmental issues,
- identify the relevant legislative requirements,
- set environmental targets,
- establish a structure to achieve these targets,
- be able to monitor these targets on an ongoing basis.
The Standard is applicable to all sizes and types of organisations. Demonstration of successful implementation of this standard can be used by an organisation to assure interested parties that an appropriate environmental management system is in place. The overall aim of the standard is to support environmental
Why should your company implement an Environmental Management System ?
- It will assist your company in meeting regulatory requirements.
- It will assist your company attain planning permission, if required.
- It will enhance your company’s green image.
- It is an excellent marketing tool.
- Certification may become a prerequisite for tendering to EU public bodies.
- It will increase your company’s vendor rating and it may become a requirement to do business with blue chip companies.
- It will help avoid pollution incidents which could result in large fines.
- It will increase efficiency through reduction of waste.will reduce costs associated with consumer audits.
- It will enhance your company’s ability to bid for contracts (protection or increase of market share).
- It may reduce your insurance premium.
How does Qualtec approach the implementation of ISO 14001?
The implementation of ISO 14001 can be broken down into a number of phases.
Phase I Environmental Review
This involves:
- an identification of legislative and regulatory requirements,
- an evaluation and registration of significant environmental issues,
- an examination of all existing management practices and procedures,
- an assessment of feedback from the investigation of previous incidences and non-compliance with legislation and regulations or existing policies & procedures,
- the establishment of an Environmental Policy and management commitment.
It is important that the project is driven from the top down. It is also important that senior management “buy” into the project and that they are committed to its implementation. They must clearly define the company’s Environmental Policy. This must include a commitment to continuous improvement, prevention of pollution and compliance with legislation and regulations. It must state what the company’s customers expect. It is important that the company’s Environmental Policy clearly details specific objectives and quantifiable targets so that staff members and all other interested parties can understand it. The subsequent Environmental Management System will be designed in the context of the Environmental Policy.
Phase II Documentation
It is a requirement of the ISO 14001 Standard that the company has a Documented Environmental System, explaining how the company meets the requirements of the standard and the Register of Regulations.
The first phase of the Implementation Plan is to agree and document the proposed Environmental System. The Documented Environmental System will be in the form of manuals. To produce these manuals, our consultant will have to visit your company once a week to talk to the relevant people responsible for different areas of the company. It is important that procedures are agreed directly with the people responsible for implementing them. All procedures will be agreed through consensus and there will be no extra paperwork added nor any change in procedures that cannot be justified on the basis of added value to the company. It is expected that any changes in procedures will be implemented throughout the documentation phase.
Phase III Environmental Audits and implementation
Once the Environmental System has been agreed and documented, the Environmental Audits phase can commence. The consultant will formally go through every procedure in the same way as the external auditor will in order to ensure that company personnel are operating in accordance with the agreed procedures. Any non-compliance will be recorded. The consultant will meet with the person responsible for the area where the non- compliance arose, to investigate why the procedure is not being complied with and to agree corrective action. The reason may very well be that the procedure is impractical and, if this is case, the procedure must be amended. However, if it is agreed that the procedure is correct, practical and necessary, agreement must be sought on when the procedure will be implemented. These procedures will be reviewed within a month to assess the effectiveness of the implementation.
Phase IV Accreditation audit
Once the audits have been “closed out” to the satisfaction of the consultant, the company is then ready for a formal audit by an external auditing body. Qualtec’s consultant will advise the company regarding the different auditing bodies. The Documented Environmental System will be sent to the chosen auditing body for approval. Once satisfied with the manuals, the auditing body will visit the company to verify through audits that the company is following the procedures outlined in the manuals. The company will be approved to ISO 14001 when the company outline how it intends to correct any problems found during the audit.
