How to Obtain the ISO 14001 Certification with Asset Panda

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As a responsible company, you want to do everything you can to improve the environment around you. After all, we all have to live in the environment. Why not improve it?

There are specific certifications that can show your shareholders, clients, and investors that you’re serious about protecting and enriching the environment. One of those is the ISO 14001 certification.

What is the ISO 14001 Certification?

The ISO 14001 certification is an international standard of specific requirements for an environmental management system (EMS). Instead of establishing performance requirements, it creates a framework for organizations to follow. 

When companies follow these guidelines, system outputs should have a minimal negative impact on the environment. They are also created to improve environmental performance. The certification does not provide information on how to accomplish outlined standards. 

The certification was created by The International Organization for Standardization (ISO). They did so to specify EMS requirements to help accomplish organizational goals. 

Over 300,000 organizations in approximately 171 countries have achieved the ISO 14001 certification. 3,800 of those organizations are in the US. 

What is an EMS?

Before you can understand the specific requirements for certification, you need to know how an EMS works. 

An EMS establishes a set of processes that allow an organization to increase operating efficiency and cut down on environmental impacts. The system focuses on reducing the organization’s ecological footprint. An EMS addresses risks and opportunities by managing environmental aspects and fulfilling related compliance requirements. 

In fact, using an EMS can help you stay in compliance with the ISO 14001 standard. Creating and carrying out an EMS will help you implement your organization’s environmental policies and remain in line with government regulations. 

An EMS helps you identify resources you can use to meet commitments such as:

  • Reducing negative environmental impacts caused by products
  • Increasing positive effects of activities and services offered
  • Identifying sustainable development strategies

The primary aspects of an EMS include

  1. Establishing core processes and identifying outputs. 
  2. Identifying significant environmental aspects of those processes and recorded impacts. 
  3. Creating key supporting processes necessary to maintain legal requirements,  check employee competency, and create sustainable infrastructure. Your processes should also be designed to record and communicate related information, and monitor environmental performance.
  4. Implementing vital system supporting processes, like document control, internal auditing, and record control.

What Are the Requirements for Obtaining It?

There are several specific requirements when it comes to getting the ISO 14001 certification. 

  1. Organizations have to identify all of their environmental legal obligations. They also have to be familiar with the related regulations and laws. 
  2. The policy created under the EMS has to comply with any applicable regulations and laws. Organizations must do more than say they will make an effort. They have to demonstrate commitment to keeping these environmental regulations and laws. 
  3. Organizations must evaluate their compliance regularly. This can take the form of monitoring activities or conducting a comprehensive compliance audit. Organizations must correct failures and prevent them from happening again.
  4. Organizations must make environmental management more prominent in their strategic direction.
  5. Companies must find ways to be proactive in protecting the environment and finding sustainable practices for their facility operations.
  6. Environmental aspects must be part of life-cycle planning. 

How Asset Panda Can Help You Receive the ISO 14001 Certification

Achieving the ISO 14001 certification is complicated. Several factors go into it, and trying to meet it without a plan might prevent you from meeting the requirements. 

Asset Panda’s platform is a great way to support EMS processes and audit functionality. Our customizable software will help you check performance standards during each quarter. For example, you'll have an easier time tracking documents, records, and warranties to collect data that will help you see what regulations you’re meeting, and what areas need a little help. Furthermore, we created our platform to be a great centralized resource. You can track ongoing legal requirements and set up notifications to remind you when you need to contact environmental agencies. 

Our platform can make it easier to identify the necessary legal requirements. Additionally, enabling asset tracking regularly to monitor their status can help you ensure compliance. 

Updating equipment status and records to meet environmental standards is a great way to eliminate inefficiency in your work processes. Your company will benefit from faster alerts to notify you of non-compliant equipment, services, or actions. These alerts will help you correct these issues and prevent them from happening again in the future. 

By:

Mel Van De Graaff

Mel creates research driven content for companies in the health and wellness field, and specializes in creating action driven blog posts for Mental Health and Self Help topics as well as creating white papers and case studies.

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