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About ISO 14001:2015-Environmental Management System

🟢➤ ISO 14001:2015 is an international standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS), developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to help organizations manage their environmental responsibilities systematically. 🔵➤ It is applicable to organizations of all types and sizes, across various industries and sectors, and is adaptable to different environmental, cultural, and regulatory contexts. 🟡 ➤The 2015 version adopts the High-Level Structure (Annex SL), making it easier to integrate with other ISO standards like ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems). 🟠➤ It emphasizes risk-based thinking and incorporates a life cycle perspective, encouraging organizations to consider environmental impacts at every stage — from raw materials to disposal. 🔴 ➤Top management leadership is crucial under ISO 14001:2015, ensuring that environmental management is aligned with the organization’s strategic direction. 🟣 ➤The core elements of the EMS include an environmental policy, planning for aspects and compliance, setting objectives, and evaluating performance through monitoring, audits, and reviews. 🟤➤ Organizations benefit through improved regulatory compliance, reduced environmental impact, increased efficiency, cost savings, and an enhanced corporate image. ⚪➤ While certification is voluntary, many organizations choose to become certified to show their commitment to sustainability and gain stakeholder trust.

Main Highlights

Environmental Management System (EMS): Provides a structured framework for managing environmental responsibilities. High-Level Structure (Annex SL): Uses a common structure and language shared with other ISO standards (e.g. ISO 9001), enabling easier integration. Risk-Based Thinking: Focuses on identifying and addressing environmental risks and opportunities as part of the planning process. Life Cycle Perspective: Encourages organizations to consider environmental aspects from product/service design to end-of-life disposal. Leadership and Commitment: Requires active involvement of top management in setting environmental policy and ensuring its implementation. Performance Evaluation: Emphasizes monitoring, measuring, and evaluating environmental performance to ensure continual improvement. Legal and Compliance Obligations: Organizations must identify and comply with relevant environmental laws, regulations, and other requirements. Objectives and Planning to Achieve Them: Sets environmental objectives aligned with the organization’s strategic direction. Continual Improvement: Requires ongoing efforts to enhance the EMS and overall environmental performance. Communication and Awareness: Promotes both internal and external communication, including stakeholder engagement and transparency. Engagement of People: Involves employees at all levels and builds environmental awareness and competence. Documented Information: Specifies the need for maintaining appropriate documentation and records to support the EMS.

Brief about the ISO standard

→ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized standard that outlines the requirements for establishing and maintaining an effective Environmental Management System (EMS). →It helps organizations of all types and sizes systematically manage their environmental responsibilities, with the goal of minimizing negative impacts on the environment, ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and promoting continual improvement. →ISO 14001 follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and focuses on areas such as resource efficiency, waste reduction, pollution prevention, and environmental performance monitoring. →By implementing ISO 14001, organizations not only improve their environmental footprint but also enhance operational efficiency, reduce risks, and demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability to stakeholders, regulators, and the public.

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    Boosts the company/organizations reputation, impression and engagement with the client and the respective authorities.

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    The above standard can continuously promote and improve employee ethics that could also create a positive awareness within the organization and society.

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    Compliance to Environmental Legislations and management of with Environmental Risks with compliance to the environmental regulations.

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    Improving cost control through materials and energy, cost savings in waste, recycling and consumption that can be used in other beneficial technology/activity.

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    The standard is mainly focused on reducing environmental incidents which results to avoid the damages of the company’s reputation, and reduced the liability etc.

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    Implementing an Environmental Management System is a systematic way to discover and control the effects your company has on the environment.

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    The company which is an ISO 14001:2004 certified can generate further business through tenders with larger companies which requires contractors to be an ISO 14001:2004 certified.

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    Implementing an Environmental Management System is a systematic way to discover and control the effects your company has on the environment

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    The focus of the standard is to demonstrate and validate the organization’s concerns and commitment for improving the environment.

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    To increase every employee’s engagement in the knowledge that they are working in an environmentally friendly organization.

Brixton Assessment Certification Methodology

 

 

 

 

STEP 1: Application & Contract (Phase 1)

 Purpose:

The organization formally begins the certification process by applying to a certification body (CB).

Activities:

  • Submission of the application form with organization details.
  • Discussion of the scope of certification (i.e., what part of the business or what standard is being applied for).
  • Review of the organization's readiness.
  • The certification body issues a quotation or proposal.
  • Signing of a contract that outlines terms, conditions, audit plan, and costs.

Outcome:

  • A legally binding agreement between the organization and certification body.
  • Audit process planning starts.

STEP 2: Pre-Audit (Optional) (Phase 2)

Purpose:

To evaluate the organization’s current system and readiness before the formal certification audit.

Activities:

  • A Pre Audit is performed to identify missing elements in the management system
  • Evaluation of documentation, processes, and compliance with the chosen standard (e.g., ISO 9001).
  • Feedback is provided but no certificate is issued at this stage.

Outcome:

  • Organization receives a preliminary assessment report.
  • Identifies areas for improvement before the actual certification audit.
  • Optional, but recommended for first-time applicants.

STEP 3: Certification Audit (Phase 3)

Purpose:

To conduct a formal, in-depth audit to verify compliance with the applicable standard.

Activities:

  • Conducted in two stages:
    • Stage 1 Audit: Review of documentation, processes, and readiness.
    • Stage 2 Audit: On-site audit of actual implementation.
  • Auditors assess:
    • Policy and objectives
    • Risk assessments
    • Employee competence
    • Records and evidence of compliance
  • If non-conformities are found, Corrective Actions (CA) must be taken.

 Outcome:

  • Audit report with findings.
  • If all requirements are met (or after CAs are addressed), the process proceeds to certification.

STEP 4: Certificate Issue (Phase 4)

Purpose:

To grant official certification once the organization has passed the audit.

Activities:

  • Review of audit report by the certification body.
  • Verification of implemented corrective actions (if any).
  • Issuance of the Certificate of Conformance, valid for typically 3 years.

Outcome:

  • The organization becomes certified to the chosen standard.
  • Public recognition, enhanced credibility, and business opportunities.

STEP 5: Surveillance Audit (Phase 5)

Purpose:

To ensure ongoing compliance with the standard during the certificate’s validity period.

Activities:

  • Surveillance audits are conducted at least once a year.
  • Partial audit of processes and systems.
  • Review of continual improvement, internal audits, management reviews, and corrective actions.

Outcome:

  • If compliant, the certificate remains valid.
  • If issues are found, Corrective Actions (CA) must be taken.

STEP 6: Re-Certification Audit (Phase 6)

Purpose:

To renew the certification before its expiration (usually every 3 years).

Activities:

  • A full system audit is performed, similar to the initial certification audit.
  • Review of system performance over the previous cycle.
  • Evaluation of effectiveness and continual improvement.

Outcome:

  • A new certificate is issued for the next cycle if the audit is successful.
  • If major non-conformities are found, certification may be suspended or withdrawn.

Corrective Action (CA) – Throughout the Process

  • Applicable in Steps 3, 4, 5, and 6.
  • If non-conformities are identified during any audit, the organization must:
    • Investigate the root cause.
    • Implement corrective actions.
    • Provide evidence of resolution.
  • Certification body verifies effectiveness of corrective actions before moving to the next step.

Certification Details

 

BAS is a versatile ISO certification body, with various industrial expertise and strong exposures in the field of Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental, Service Management and Information Security Management. We provide reliable services in the UK, Middle East, India and Other countries.

 

We at BAS with our veteran assessors provide you with certification which provides value for your management system. Many clients around the world have greatly benefited through our exemplary service. 

 

The following are the steps in this phase we do as part of certification

 

Contract signature

BAS representative sends out an application which is a questionnaire to the organization which is the applicant for the Certification.

Once BAS receives the filled in application, the BAS representative sends an official quote to the applicant for approval.

 

Pre-audit (optional):

Gap analysis and diagnosis of your systems current position against requirements of the standard - A pre-certification audit is a high level evaluation indicating where your company currently stands in compliance with specific standards before the main certification audit. 

 

Audit Stage 1- Initial Visit: to verify the establishment and implementation of the basic structure of your Management System

 

BAS will carry out a Document review Assessment of the client�s Management System according to the requirements of  Standard in order to establish to what extent the System addresses the requirements of the standard and if a subsequent Initial Assessment for Accredited Certificate is likely to result in successful certification at an early stage, by which usually companies take the necessary corrective/preventive actions as appropriate and prior to the Initial Assessment. The Pre-audit should not be considered as a Consultancy Service

 

Audit Stage 2 - Certification audit (certificate issued after successful certification audit)

 

The principal purpose of the Initial Assessment is to audit the Company�s Management Systems for compliance with the the standard. Please note that Initial Assessment is the obligatory service.   In this phase if there are any opportunities for improvements identified BAS auditors would report them in the interest of the organization.  

 

Surveillance audits to follow the continual improvement

 

It is also an obligatory service; BAS will perform Surveillance Visit approximately after every year i.e. a total of 3 Surveillance Visits will be performed every year during the 3 years validation period of the Certificate. Such routine surveillance Visits are performed to ensure the continuous compliance of your Management System to the requirements of  Standards.

 

Re-certification after 3 years through full audit or continual assessment.

What we do?

  • BAS can assist your organization to acquire any relevant ISO certifications in UAE which is well-known internationally. It will generate additional business opportunities, exhibit the organizations compliance and commitment to the best-practices in any industries in order to be more competitive in today�s market.
  • We at BAS with our veteran assessors provide you with certification which provides value for your management system. Many clients around the world have greatly benefited through our exemplary service.
  • When you choose BAS as your certification partner you stand to gain monetarily in your business by our straight forward assessment. The overall aim of certification is to give confidence to all parties that a management system fulfills specified requirements. The value of certification is the degree of public confidence and trust that is established by an Impartial and competent assessment by a third party. 
  • With BAS, you will have the capability to deliver on the promises you make � this helps you to enhance your     reputation, creates confidence in your capabilities, substantiates claims and differentiates your     organization; 
  • With BAS,  Obtains the full tangible benefits and value of your management systems � this helps you to     link assessment system benefits to financial performance or improvements in effectiveness     and efficiency that help drive your business forward in  measurable and verifiable ways; and develops your capability to better manage a range of non-financial risks. 
  • As an integral part of this process, BAS will evaluate the relevance of the quality objectives against the analysis of stakeholder expectations and strategic goals of the company. We will assess the capability of the management system in controlling the defined processes. We will assess the effectiveness of the management decision making in respect to this data and, on the basis of this assessment, we will help senior management identify any changes required to support continual improvement. 
  • Providing more opportunities for improvements than just performing a compliance audit against the standards requirements.  
  • Understand the local culture and working patterns of the clients will facilitate better communication and understanding between BAS and the clients.
  • BAS possesses resources who have the knowledge and skills of multiple standards such as ISO 20000, ISO 27001, SKEA for eg., in Abu Dhabi for Business Excellence programs etc.,. This greatly helps the clients to have better inputs as the standards can be applied in an integrated way and the auditors can provide a holistic feedback. 
  • BAS has offices around the world and the auditors  have access to the knowledge from all around the global parts which will be helpful to the clients as they can have a better understanding and more practical suggestions from BAS auditors.
  • BAS location advantage within the Emirates on the following: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain, Sharja, Ajman, Ras Al Kaimah and Fujairah (We have successfully completed many and different projects locally and also internationally).
  • BAS strongly promotes and implements the facilitations on the relevant Management System not only for the sake of certification but to really make a difference in the processes and procedures that will be implemented throughout any organization.
  • BAS consist of some project members which are also EFQM International Assessors this can add value to the assignment as Abu Dhabi government is highly recommending Organizational Excellence program across Abu Dhabi Emirate (and UAE).