Global warming, ozone depletion, pollution and extinction of numerous species of animals. These are just a few of the environmental issues that the world faces, in the name of development. As responsible corporate citizens, companies can play their part in preserving our natural environment for our next generation by implementing ISO 14001 :2004 Standards – Environmental Management System .

So, what is ISO 14001 :2004 Standards – Environmental Management System ?  What is the requirement of the ISO 14001 standards?  What is the content of Environmental Management System ?  What are the steps in implementing ISO 14001:204 Standards – Environmental Management System?  You will find the answers in this “ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System” DVD.

The “ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System” DVD will elaborate in details on:

1. Introduction to ISO 14001:2004 Standards – Environmental Management System.
2. The history & origin of the standards.
3. Requirement of ISO 14001:2004 Standards.
4. Contents Of ISO 14001:2004 Standards.
5. ISO 14001:2004 Implementation Steps & Checklist.

No matter how simple or complex the business, each can benefit from the implementation of a management system based on ISO 14001:2004. This international standard has as its focus the prevention of pollution, accomplished by a teamwork approach to identifying those aspects of the organizations processes that have the potential for harming the environment and the development of ways to reduce or prevent this harm.

In the process, many organizations have found ways to reduce costs by elimination of scrap, changes to their waste disposal processes or reduced use of natural resources. It is the application of the system approach that has proven to be successful. And, once the system is in place, it is logical and beneficial to have that system certified and registered. This provides added assurance that the management system remains effective and also provides public recognition to numerous stakeholders that your organization is committed to the prevention of pollution.

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Evaluation vs. Audit – The difference between an evaluation and audit can only be determined by looking outside of ISO 14001. Consulting a dictionary reveals that an evaluation involves a determination of value or worth and that an audit is an examination of accounts done by persons appointed for the purpose. A better definition `is the more specific ISO 19011:2002, Guidelines for Quality and/or Environmental Management Systems Auditing, which defines an audit as a “systematic, independent, and documented process for obtaining audit evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which the audit criteria are fulfilled.” Many organizations do not have a system for evaluating regulatory compliance other than their own records and the inspections of regulatory officials. This lack of a verification system can be a risky way to operate. Reports of enforcement actions and consent agreements show that many organizations are blindsided by rogue employees who violate rules and falsify documents to cover up environmental misdeeds. Although ISO 14001 does not prescribe a specific approach to evaluation of regulatory compliance, organizations should consider methods for going beyond verification of records by collecting and evaluating physical evidence.

Refer http://www.e-wia.com for more information on ISO 14001 Standards.

The standard requires the organization to continually improve the effectiveness of the quality management system in accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001 and to implement action necessary to achieve planned results andcontinual improvement of the identified processes.

ISO 9000 defines continual improvement as a recurring activity to increase the ability to fulfil requirements. As the organization’s objectives are its requirements, continually improving the effectiveness of the management system means continually increasing the ability of the organization to fulfil its objectives.

This requirement responds to the Continual Improvement principle. If the management system is enabling the organization to accomplish its objectives when that is its purpose, why improve? The need for improvement arises out of a need to become more effective at what you do, more efficient in the utilization of resources so that the organization becomes best in its class. The purpose of measuring process performance is to establish whether or not the objectives are being achieved and if not to take action on the difference. If the performance targets are being achieved, opportunities may well exist to raise standards and increase efficiency and effectiveness.

If the performance of a process parameter is currently meeting the standard that has been established, there are several improvement actions you can take:
Raise the standard e.g. if the norm for the sales ratio of orders won to all orders bid is 60%, an improvement programme could be developed for raising the standard to 75% or higher
Increase efficiency e.g. if the time to process an order is within limits, identify and eliminate wasted resources Increase effectiveness e.g. if you bid against all customer requests, by only bidding for those you know you can win you improve your hit rate

You can call all these actions improvement actions because they clearly improve performance. However, we need to distinguish between being better at what we do now and doing new things. Some may argue that improving efficiency is being better at what we do now, and so it is – but if in order to improve efficiency we have to be innovative we are truly reaching new standards. Forty years ago, supervisors in industry would cut an eraser in half in the name of efficiency rather than hand out two erasers. Clearly this was a lack of trust disguised as efficiency improvement and it had quite the opposite effect. In fact they were not only increasing waste but also creating a hostile environment.

Each of the improvement actions is dealt with later in the book and the subject of continual improvement addressed again under Quality planning in Chapter 5. There are several steps to undertaking continual improvement (Juran, J. M., 1995)12 .
1 Determine current performance
2 Establish the need for change
3 Obtain commitment and define the improvement objectives
4 Organize diagnostic resources
5 Carry out research and analysis to discover the cause of current
performance
6 Define and test solutions that will accomplish the improvement
objectives
7 Product improvement plans which specify how and by whom the changes
will be implemented
8 Identify and overcome any resistance to change
9 Implement the change10 Put in place controls to hold new levels of performance and repeat step one.

ISO 9000 defines a quality manual as a document
specifying the quality management system of an organi-
zation. It is therefore not intended that the
manual be a response to the requirements of
ISO 9001. As the top-level document describing
the management system it is a system description
describing how the organization is managed.
Countless quality manuals produced to satisfy ISO 9000 :2008, were no
more than 20 sections that paraphrased the requirements of the standard.
Such documentation adds no value. They are of no use to managers, staff or
auditors. Often thought to be useful to customers, organizations would gain
no more confidence from customers than would be obtained from their
registration certificate.

This requirement responds to the System Approach Principle.
A description of the management system is necessary as a means of showing
how all the processes are interconnected and how they collectively deliver the
business outputs. It has several uses as :
a means to communicate the vision, values, mission, policies and objectives
of the organization
a means of showing how the system has been designed
a means of showing linkages between processes
a means of showing who does what
an aid to training new people
a tool in the analysis of potential improvements
a means of demonstrating compliance with external standards and regulations

When formulating the policies, objectives and identifying the processes to
achieve them, the manual provides a convenient vehicle for containing such
information. If left as separate pieces of information, it may be more difficult to
see the linkages.
The requirement provides the framework for the manual. Its content may
therefore include the following:
1 Introduction
(a) Purpose (of the manual)
(b) Scope (of the manual)
(c) Applicability (of the manual)
(d) Definitions (of terms used in the manual)
2 Business overview
(a) Nature of the business/organization – its scope of activity, its products
and services
(b) The organization’s interested parties (customers, employees, regulators,
shareholders, suppliers, owners etc.)
(c) The context diagram showing the organization relative to its external
environment
(d) Vision, values
(e) Mission
3 Organization
(a) Function descriptions
(b) Organization chart
(c) Locations with scope of activity
4 Business processes
(a) The system model showing the key business processes and how they are
interconnected
(b) System performance indicators and method of measurement
(c) Business planning process description
(d) Resource management process description
(e) Marketing process description
(f) Product/service generation processes description
(g) Sales process description
(h) Order fulfilment process description
5 Function matrix (Relationship of functions to processes)
6 Location matrix (Relationship of locations to processes)
7 Requirement deployment matrices
(a) ISO 9001 compliance matrix
(b) ISO 14001 compliance matrix
(c) Regulation compliance matrices (FDA, Environment, Health, Safety,
CAA etc.)
8 Approvals (List of current product, process and system approvals)

In addition to the economic costs of energy to an organization, energy can impose environmental and societal costs by depleting resources and contributing to problems such as climate change.

The development and deployment of technologies for new energy sources and renewable sources can take time.
Individual organizations cannot control energy prices, government policies or the global economy, but they can improve the way they manage energy in the here and now. Improved energy performance can provide rapid benefits for an organization by maximizing the use of its energy sources and energy-related assets, thus reducing both energy cost and consumption. The organization will also make positive contributions toward reducing depletion of energy resources and mitigating worldwide effects of energy use, such as global warming.

ISO 50001 is based on the management system model that is already understood and implemented by organizations worldwide. It can make a positive difference for organizations of all types in the very near future, while supporting longer term efforts for improved energy technologies.

ISO 50001 will provide public and private sector organizations with management strategies to increase energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve energy performance.

The ISO 50001:2011 standard is intended to provide organizations with a recognized framework for integrating energy performance into their management practices.

Multinational organizations will have access to a single, harmonized standard for implementation across the organization with a logical and consistent methodology for identifying and implementing improvements.

The standard is intended to accomplish the following :
• Assist organizations in making better use of their existing energyconsuming assets
• Create transparency and facilitate communication on the management of energy resources
• Promote energy management best practices and reinforce good energy management behaviours
• Assist facilities in evaluating and prioritizing the implementation of new energy-efficient technologies
• Provide a framework for promoting energy efficiency throughout the supply chain
• Facilitate energy management improvements for greenhouse gas emission reduction projects
• Allow integration with other organizational management systems such as environmental, and health and safety

A company can maintain a relationship with customers, as well as get increased business through complying to the ISO 900 standards or becoming certified. This comes from satisfying customer demands, the desire for European business, and to advertise.

The Introduction to ISO 9001:2008 DVD covers 3 major areas, which will help companies in the process of implementing ISO 9000 Standards. It consists of:

First, to describe some basic information on ISO 9000 Standards. It will specifically refer to ISO 9001:2008 Standards. The video will explained on topic like what is ISO 9000 Standards, The origin, history & evolution, Series of ISO 9000, version & certification in ISO 9000 Standards.

Then, the DVD will go into the introduction on quality management. It will explained on topics like what is quality, quality characteristic, quality management, Quality Management Principles, ISO 9000 vs. Quality, what is Quality Management System & etc.

Finally, the DVD will technically highlight the requirement of Quality Management System in ISO 9001:2008. It also going through in details the steps in implementing Quality Management System in ISO 9001:2008.

Read more on ISO 9001 Standards at http://www.iso-9001-store.com

Read more on ISO 14001 Standards at http://www.iso-9001-store.com

Step 1: Select an activity or process. (The selected activity or process should be large enough for meaningful
examination and small enough to be sufficiently understood.)

Step 2: Identify environmental aspects of the activity product or service. (Identify as many environmental aspects
as possible associated with the selected activity or process.)

Step 3: Identify environmental impacts. (Identify as many actual and potential, positive and negative,
environmental impacts as possible associated with each identified aspect.)

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Were air emissions, posshible ground and surface water contamintation, landfill issues, use of natural resources, raw materials and energy considered as well as community issues such as noise, traffic and odor?

Are current, planned and modified activities considered? Look for potential aspects that have not been taken into consideration and ask why they were not considered. How are significant environmental aspects determined?

Does the decision making process take into consideration inputs and outputs, normal and abnormal operating conditions, start ups and shut downs, actual influences, potential influences and potential emergency situations, as well as those that are beneficial to the environment?
Does the decision making process take into consideration the amount of control and influence the organization has over its aspects? Look for procedures.

How/when are aspects reviewed and maintained; changes to processes, changes to regulations, introduction of new raw materials?

Does the documentation reflect this change?

Legal and other requirements ? Has the organization established, implemented and do they maintain a procedure(s) to identify and have access to the applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes, related to its environmental aspects and determined how these requirements apply to its environmental aspects?

What is the procedure regarding this requirement? How does the organization know what regulations and requirements they may be subject to? Do they subscribe to industry newsletters or websites? Do they have a third party environmental service monitor regulations for them and alert them as to any changes?

Is there a list of applicable rules and regulations?

Who is responsible for keeping this information updated and current?

Does the list include any voluntary standards?

How does the organization ensure it is complying with these regulations?

Speak with people in the organization to determine if they are aware of any regulations.

Did the organization consider national, international, state and local rules and regulations?

Does the organization have any agreements with public authorities, or with customers?

Do they subscribe to any voluntary guidelines or industry practices such as Responsible Care?

What process does the organization have for reviewing requirements to make sure they are current in the face of changing processes and business requirements?

Do regulations include such things as Federal Title V or Synthetic Minor, State Emissions Inventory and Permit Fee Program, Regulated Toxic Air Pollutants ENV-A 1400, SARA Title III Toxic chemical releases, SARA Title II Tier II report, Federal EPA clean water act, National Pollution Discharge Elimination systems (NPDES) and Storm water program permit?.

Check the organization’s objective and targets to determine if requirements are included. Was the selection of significant aspects based partially on applicable legal requirements and other requirements?

Objectives, targets and programs ? Are the objectives and targets measurable, where practical, and consistent with the environmental policy, including the co mmitments to prevention of pollution, to compliance with applicable legal requirements and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes, and to continual improvement?

How does the organization develop objectives and targets? Who is responsible for developing them? What types of things were taken into consideration during development? Were reducing the creation of waste, reducing the release of specific elements to the air, reducing ground water contamination, reducing use of raw materials by reducing rework and scrap, taken into consideration? Was promoting awareness within

the organization and the surrounding community considered?

Do the objectives and targets reflect the vision of the EMS policy? Are they consistent with the policy?

Do they include commitments to the prevention of pollution and compliance with applicable rules, requirements and

regulations?

Have measurable targets been defined? If not, why not?

Are targets both short and long term?

What factors does the organization consider in setting objectives and targets? How are significant impacts considered? Are legal and other requirements, available technology, financial, operational and business requirements considered? Were interested parties involved in the development of objectives? If so, how?

How were objectives developed? Who participated in their development?

Has the organization established, implemented and does it maintain a program(s) for achieving its objectives and targets, including designation of responsibility for achieving objectives and targets at each relevant function and level of the organization and the means and time-frame by which they are to be achieved?

What plans have been developed to achieve objectives and targets? Do plans include responsibility for achieving the objectives and targets? Do plans reflect objectives and targets at lower levels of the organization? Does the plan include its own targets and timelines for reaching them?

Look at plans. Is there one for every objective and target? What happens when something doesn’t go

according to plan? Is corrective action taken?

How is management kept informed of the progress towards the targets?

How are employees informed of the progress towards the targets?

Look for graphs, information in newsletters, meeting minutes, and posters.

How does the organization plan to achieve objectives and targets?

Have responsibilities been defined?

Have time lines been defined?

How is progress monitored? Is it measurable?

Read more on ISO 14001 Standards at http://www.iso14000store.com