ISO 14001 Environmental Management System

Guidance Management Consulting provides training and qualification services for institutions and companies to obtain the Environmental Management System Certificate – ISO 14001, which is an international standard provided to institutions in various sectors to proactively control their environmental impact through commitment to pollution prevention, legal compliance, and continuous improvement of operations that may affect the environment positively or negatively. The Environmental Management System Certification according to ISO 14001 also helps institutions demonstrate their ongoing commitment to developing their environmental performance in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This standard has undergone a comprehensive reformulation to ensure that its goals and objectives support the changing needs of our contemporary world and the volume of pollution today, which is seeing a growing awareness of environmental concerns and sustainability.

Environmental Management System – ISO 14001

ISO 14001 Environmental Management System is an international standard that specifies the requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS). It was developed by the International Organization for Standardization to help organizations assess and manage their environmental impacts, especially industrial ones. The primary objective of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System is to support environmental protection and pollution prevention in parallel with the economic needs of the Saudi market.

ISO 14001:2004 is tied to the Environmental Management System, which provides a framework for managing environmental responsibilities to become more efficient and integrated into the work environment. The Environmental Management System is based on specifications that define the mechanism for obtaining advanced environmental performance committed to continuous improvement and compliance with legislation. The standard has been comprehensively reviewed and updated to ensure that it supports the changing regulatory needs of our contemporary world and reflects the complex environment in which companies operate.

The latest Environmental Management System Specification ISO 14001:2015 version

It focuses on enhancing environmental performance and environmental management incorporation into the organization’s strategic plans. It is suitable for all organizations regardless of their size and sector. The technical experts at Guidance Consulting & Training have formed part of the ISO Technical Committee according to the latest update of ISO 14001:2015, thus can provide deep insights into the requirements of the standard and the rationale behind it, which is implemented in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia according to international standards.

Benefits of Implementing ISO 14001

Benefits at the internal level:

• Improve overall environmental performance, to more effectively manage the environmental aspects of your business activities by taking into account both (environmental protection – pollution reduction – and social and economic needs).
• Works to provide a framework for using pollution prevention practices to meet the objectives of the EMS.
• Works to increase efficiency and save potential costs when managing environmental obligations.
• Encourages providing a range of predictions and consistency in managing environmental obligations.
• Targeting scarce resources to manage the environment more effectively.
• Enhancing the organization’s position in the eyes of external stakeholders, which will be reflected in improving its reputation
• Ensuring compliance with environmental legislation and reducing the risk of potential penalties and litigation.
• Demonstrating high levels of environmental compliance when bidding for international contracts or expanding locally to accommodate new business.
• Preventing incidents such as pollution releases, clean-up costs, non-compliance with legislation, and subsequent litigation.

Competitive benefits:

• Increased operational output and thus increased sales.
• Reduced downtime through more careful monitoring and maintenance.
• Improved the extent of utilization of work outputs.
• Converting waste into forms of Business Value.
• Reduced energy and material consumption.
• Savings from a safer working environment.
• Reduced emissions, flows, waste handling, transportation, and disposal costs.
• Financial improvement and savings.

ISO 14001 follows the Annex SL framework, the high-level structure of modern ISO standards. The Annex SL framework structure ensures consistency and compatibility between different management system standards and allows for direct and harmonious implementation of multiple standards (integrated management systems). ISO 14001 integrates seamlessly with all new and revised ISO management system standards, such as ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 27001.

Scope of ISO 14001 application

ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System can be applied to any organization that is concerned with one or all of the following:

• Energy transformation
• A cleaner environment
• Compliance with pollution control norms
• Conformity with international standards
• Global Acceptance
• Environmentally related emergencies

Examples of sectors that ISO 14001 can be applied to

Entities/companies operating in the following sectors:

• Manufacturing
• Processing
• Food and beverage-related services
• Oil and gas
• Construction and building
• Manufacturing of packaging materials

ISO 14001 Requirements

• Clause 0 to 3: Introduction, scope and references, terms and definitions
• Clause 4: Organizational context
• Clause 5: Leadership and Commitment
• Clause 6: Planning the Quality Management System
• Item 7: Support and Resource Management
• Item 8: Planning and Control of Operations
• Item 9: Performance Evaluation
• Item 10: Development Procedures

Difference between ISO 9001 and ISO 14001

ISO 14001 is the globally recognized standard for environmental management systems, while ISO 9001 is the standard for a business’s quality management system. Both ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 follow the Annex SL framework and can be easily integrated.

How to Obtain Environmental Management System Certification – ISO 14001

Guidance Consulting and Training provides services to qualify institutions and individuals to meet the Kingdom’s requirements for international specifications and standards regarding the international standard ISO 14001 for environmental management systems. Accordingly, any institution wishing to upgrade its level and obtain the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification must first verify the internal work system, review and audit to verify the entire system, what it meets and what it lacks, and a process that can be provided in two cases: remote auditing and on-site auditing to provide unparalleled insight and experience. Using secure and remote technology, we can set a fast and flexible way to maintain your audit schedule help reduce travel carbon footprint, and reduce health and safety risks for people working in hazardous locations or hard-to-reach areas. The results are consistent with on-site audits, so the integrity of the audit and its steps for qualification and obtaining the accredited certificate remain completely identical.

Obtaining the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification requires steps, from internal training for the team to prepare for the external audit. This includes implementing and continuously improving the environmental management system following the requirements of ISO 14001 for its latest version in line with the standards and specifications in the Kingdom.

Generally, the procedure includes determining the organization’s environmental impact, the desired goals and objectives, implementing policies and procedures to achieve these goals, and continuous improvement, verification, and review.

Services provided by Guidance Consulting Office on ISO 14001

Our certification and training services are provided on-site, remotely, or in a combination of both modes – allowing you to design your service model to suit your organization’s quality management needs.

• Training: Get a better and more in-depth understanding of ISO 14001 through training courses designed to suit different levels of experience and learning styles.
• Gap Analysis: An optional service whereby one of our expert auditors helps you identify weaknesses or non-conformities before your official ISO 14001 audit.
• Certification: This two-stage process makes a clear statement about your capabilities. Certification helps you build and maintain trust with your stakeholders, win new business, and increase your investments.
• Integrated Audits: If your organization has an integrated management system approach, you can benefit from an integrated audit and monitoring program, a low-cost auditing method customized to fit the scale of your organization.

Guidance for Consulting and Training

We have the knowledge and experience to help institutions and individuals comply with the requirements of the Saudi Standards and Quality Organization, the Food and Drug Authority, and other entities that impose legal and mandatory requirements in the Saudi market.

To qualify your facility, train its personnel and fulfill the required documents to implement the quality and ISO systems.