ISO 14000 joins ISO 9000 as the second family of process standards developed by ISO.  Adoption of ISO 9000 has skyrocketed.  When comparing the two series of process standards, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has declared, "ISO's 14000-series Environmental Management Standards are expected to have a significant impact on trade in the same way that ISO 9000-series Quality Management standards have." This is reflected in a poll commissioned by Dun & Bradstreet, revealing already a third of all organizations currently certified under ISO 9000 also intend to seek ISO 14000 Certification.

It would be shortsighted to view the ISO 14000 series as merely a tool to achieve compliance, and those who insist on doing so will incur the costs of implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) without reaping the full benefits carried with ISO 14000 Certification. The regulated and regulating communities must seek a broader view, far beyond compliance as the measure of an organization's environmental achievement - all the way to enjoying the benefits of "environmental economics." Compliance, of course, will lose none of its importance in an organization's operations. On the contrary, compliance will gain in status - assessment, monitoring, control, and documentation - as an organization strives to conform to its ever-dynamic, living EMS. Moreover, those companies who have not yet developed an agenda-oriented strategic plan for Environmental Compliance and Protection have a formidable challenge to become ISO 14000 Certified. It is no secret that strategic planning in the environmental management field lags far beyond strategic planning in revenue generating business operations.

THE CHALLENGES OF ACHIEVING ISO 14000 CERTIFICATION

THE VARIOUS STANDARDS OF THE ISO 14000 SERIES

COMPARING ISO 14000 TO OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS & PROGRAMS

SURVEY OF ISO 14000 ELEMENTS IN THE SERIES

The first series of requirements begins with the environmental policy - the foundation of the system. The second part establishes the EMS and the necessary operational mechanisms. The third part mandates the reviews to ensure EMS conformance with the requirements of the EMS. The fourth requires a commitment to continual improvement of the EMS. This is called the PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT Cycle.

Click below for more in-depth ISO information

  ISO 14004 Standard - "Environmental Management Systems --General Guidelines on Principles, Systems, and Supporting Techniques,"  

ISO 14010 - 14012 - "Guidelines for Environmental Auditing." 

 ISO 14010: "Guidelines for Environmental Auditing --General Principles of Environmental Auditing"  

ISO 14011/1: "Guidelines for Environmental Auditing --Audit Procedures -- Auditing of EMSs" 

ISO 14012: "Guidelines for Environmental Auditing --Qualification Criteria for Environmental Auditors"  

ISO 14020 - 14024 Labeling Standards - ISO 14020: Environmental Labeling 

ISO 14021: Terms & Definitions for Self-Declaration Environmental Claims  

ISO 14022: Symbols  

ISO 14023: Testing and Verification Methodologies 

ISO 14024: Guide for Certification Procedures  

ISO 14031 - Evaluation of Environmental Performance  

ISO 14040 - Life-Cycle Assessment Standards  

ISO 14060 - Product Standard-Development Guide  

THE ISO 14000 CERTIFICATION PROCESS
It is widely understood that the steps in the ISO 14001 Certification will mirror those of the model set by the ISO 9000 quality system certification. The 7-step process is as follows:

Click below to view the ISO 14000 Certification Process

LAUNCHING ISO 14000 FOR SUCCESS IN CERTIFICATION GOALS
Getting a good launch toward ISO 14000 Certification is vital. Here are some of the most important issues for starting and building momentum toward Certification. A. Get commitment and support from Sr. Management; B. Select a "Certification Team" Steering Committee who will, in turn, select and train key managers and make audit assignments; C. Select committee members to participate in ISO 14000 Implementation, Gap Assessments, Detailed Work Plans to Close the Gap, Document Control, Corrective / Preventive Action, and EMS Audits.

ISO 18001
Occupational Health and Safety
Management Systems- (OHSMS)

VANGUARD ENVIRONMENTAL, INC.

Introduction

This Occupational Health  and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) specifications and the accompanying OHSAS 18002, Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001, have been developed in response to urgent customer demand for a recognizable occupational health and safety management systems standard against which their management systems can be assessed and certified.  

OHSAS 18001 has been developed to be compatible with the ISO 9001 (Quality) and ISO 14001 (Environmental) management systems standards, in order to facilitate the integration of quality, environmental, and occupational health and safety management systems by organizations, should they wish to do so.

Compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Management System does not of itself confer immunity from legal obligations.

1   Scope 

This Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) specification gives requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, to enable organizations to control its OH&S risks and improve performance. It does not state specific OH&S performance criteria, nor does it give detailed specifications for the design of a management system.  

This OHSAS specification is applicable to any organization that wishes to: 

a)      establish an OH&S management system to eliminate or minimize risk to employees and other interested parties who may be exposed to OH&S risks associated with its activities;

b)      implement, maintain and continually improve an OH&S management system;

c)      assure itself of its conformance with its stated OH&S policy;

d)      demonstrate such conformance to others;

e)      seek certification/ registration of its OH&S management system by an external organization; or

f)        make a self-determination and declaration of conformance with  this OHSAS specification.

All the requirements in this OHSAS specification are intended to be incorporated into any OH&S management system. The extent of the application will depend on such factors as the OH&S policy of the organization, the nature of its activities and the risks and complexity of its operations.  

This OHSAS specification is intended to address occupational health and safety rather than product and service safety.

2   Reference publications 

OHSAS 18002:1999, Guidelines for the implementation of OHSAS 18001.
BS 8800:1996, Guide to occupational health and safety management systems.  

3   Terms and definitions 

For the purposes of this OHSAS specification the following terms and definitions apply. 

3.1

accident - undesired event giving rise to death, ill health, injury, damage or other loss 

3.2

audit - Systematic examination to determine whether activities and related results conform to planned arrangements and whether these arrangements are implemented effectively and are suitable for achieving the organization’s policy and objectives (see 3.9)

3.3

continual improvement - process of enhancing the OH&S management system, to achieve improvements in overall occupational health and safety performances, in line with the organization’s OH&S policy  
NOTE   The process need not take place in all areas of activity simultaneously.  

3.4

hazard - source or situation with a potential for harm in terms of injury or ill health, damage to property, damage to the workplace environment, or a combination of these

3.5

hazard identification - process of recognizing that a hazard (see 3.4) exists and defining its characteristics 

3.6

incident (or near miss) - event that gave rise to an accident or had the potential to lead to an accident
NOTE    An incident where no ill health, injury, damage, or other loss occurs is also referred to as a “near miss.” The term “incident” also includes “near misses.”

 3.7

interested parties - individual or group concerned with or affected by the OH&S performance of an organization 

3.8

non-conformance - any deviation from work standards, practices, procedures, regulations, management system performance etc. that could either directly or indirectly lead to injury or illness, property damage, damage to the workplace environment, or a combination of these 

3.9

objectives - goals, in terms of OH&S performance, that an organization sets itself to achieve 

3.10

occupational health and safety - conditions and factors that affect the well-being of employees, temporary workers, contractor personnel, visitors and any other person in the workplace 

3.11

OH&S management system (OHSMS) - part of the overall management system that facilitates the management of the OH&S risks associated with the business of the organization. This includes the organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the organization’s OH&S policy 

3.12

organization - company, operation, firm, enterprise, institution or association, or part thereof, whether incorporated or not, public or private, that has its own functions and administration
NOTE  For organizations  with more than one operating unit, a single operating unit may be defined as an organization.

3.13

performance - measurable results of the OH&S management system, related to the organization’s control of health and safety risks, based on its OH&S policy and objectives
NOTE   Performance measurement includes measurement of H&S management activities and results.

3.14

risk - combination of the likelihood and consequence(s) of a specified hazardous event occurring 

3.15

risk assessment - overall process of estimating the magnitude of risk and deciding whether or not the risk is tolerable 

3.16

safety - freedom from unacceptable risk of harm [ ISO/IEC Guide 2] 

3.17

tolerable risk - risk that has been reduced to a level that can be endured by the organization having regard to its legal obligations and its own OH&S policy

4.1    General Requirements

The organization shall establish and maintain an OH&S management system, the elements for which are set out in clause 4.

There shall be an occupational health and safety policy authorized by the organization’s top management, which clearly states overall health and safety objectives and a commitment to improving health and safety performance.

That policy shall:

A)    be appropriate to the nature and scale of the organization’s OH&S risks;

B)     include a commitment to continual improvement;

C)    include a commitment to at least comply with current applicable OH&S legislation and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes;

D)    be documented, implemented and maintained;

E)     be communicated to all employees with the intent that employees are made aware of their individual OH&S obligations;

F)     be available to interested parties; and

G)    be reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains relevant and appropriate to the organization

4.3.1        Planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control 

The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for the ongoing identification of hazards, the assessment of risks, and the implementation of necessary control measures. These shall include:

-         routine and non-routine activities;

-         activities of all personnel having access to the workplace ( including subcontractors and visitors);

-         facilities at the workplace, whether provided by the organization or others.

The organization shall ensure that the results of these assessments and the effects of these controls are considered when setting its OH&S objectives. The organization shall document and keep this information up to date.  

The organization’s methodology for hazard identification and risk assessment shall:

-         be defined with respect to its scope, nature and timing to ensure it is proactive rather than reactive;

-         provide for the classification of risks and identification of those that are to be eliminated or controlled by measures as defined in 4.3.3 and 4.3.4;

-         be consistent with operating experience and the capabilities of risk control measures employed;

-         provide input into the determination of facility requirements, identification of training needs and/or development of operational controls;

-         provide for the monitoring of required actions to ensure both the effectiveness and timeliness of their implementation.

 Note For further guidance on hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control, see OHSAS 18002. 

4.3.2        Legal and other requirements

The organization shall establish and maintain a procedure for identifying and accessing the legal and other OH&S requirements that are applicable to it.  

The organization shall keep this information up-to0date. It shall communicate relevant information on legal and other requirements to its employees and other relevant interested parties.  

4.3.3        Objectives

The organization shall establish and maintain documented occupational health and safety objectives, at each relevant function and level with the organization.  
NOTE Objectives should be quantified wherever practicable. 

When establishing and reviewing its objectives, an organization shall consider its legal and other requirements, its OH&S hazards and risks, its technological options, its financial, operational, and business requirements, and the views of interest parties. The objectives shall be consistent with the OH&S policy, including the commitment to continual improvement. 

4.3.4        OH&S management program(s)

The organization shall establish and maintain (an) OH&S management program(s) for achieving its objectives. This shall include documentation of:

A)    the designated responsibility and authority for achievement of the

objectives are relevant functions and levels of the organization; and

                        B)  the means and time-scale by which objectives are to be achieved.

The OH&S management program(s) shall be reviewed at regular and planned intervals. Where necessary the OH&S management program(s) shall be amended to address changes to the activities, products, services, or operating conditions of the organization.

4.4.1        Structure and responsibility

The roles, responsibilities, and authorities of personnel who manage, perform and verify activities having an effect on OH&S risks of the organization’s activities, facilities and processes, shall be defined, documented and communicated in order to facilitate OH&S management.  

Ultimate responsibility for occupational health and safety rests with top management. The organization shall appoint a member of top management (e.g. in a large organization, a Board or executive  committee member) with particular responsibility for ensuring that the OH&S management system is properly implemented and performing to requirements in all locations and spheres of operation within the operation.  

Management shall provide resources essential to the implementation, control and improvement of the OH&S management system.
NOTE Resources include human resources and specializes skills, technology and financial resources.    

The organization’s management appointee shall have a defined role, responsibility and authority for:

a)      ensuring that OH&S management system requirements are established, implemented and maintained I accordance with this OHSAS specification;

b)      ensuring that reports on the performance of the OH&S management system are presented to top management for review and as a basis for improvement of the OH&S management system.

All those with management responsibility shall demonstrate their commitment to the continual improvement of OH&S performance.  

4.4.2        Training, awareness and competence

Personnel shall be competent to perform tasks that may impact on OH&S in the workplace. Competence shall be defined in terms of appropriate education, training and/or experience.  

The organization shall establish and maintain procedures to ensure that its employees working at each relevant function and level are aware of:

-         the importance of conformance to the OH&S policy and procedures, and to the requirements of the OH&S management system;

-         the OH&S consequences, actual and potential, of their work activities and the OH&S benefits of improved personal performance;

-         their roles and responsibilities in achieving conformance to the OH&S policy and procedures and to the requirements of the OH&S management  system, including emergency preparedness and response requirements (see 4.4.7);

-         the potential consequences of departure from specified operating procedures.

Training procedures shall take into account differing levels of:

-         responsibility, ability and literacy; and

-         risk  

4.4.3        Consultation and communication

The organization shall have procedures for ensuring that pertinent OH&S information is communicated to and from employees and other interested parties.  

Employee involvement and consultation arrangements shall be documented and interested parties informed.  

Employees shall be:

-         involved in the development and review of policies and procedures to manage risks;

-         consulted where there are any changes that affect workplace health and safety;

-         represented on health and safety matters; and

-         informed as to who is their employee OH&S representative(s)  and specified management appointee (see 4.4.1). 

4.4.4        Documentation

The organization shall establish and maintain information, in a suitable medium such as paper or electronic form, that:

a)      describes the core elements of the management system and their interaction; and

b)      provides direction to related documentation.

NOTE It is important that documentation is kept to the minimum required for effectiveness and efficiency.  

4.4.5        Document and data control

The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for controlling all documents and data required by this OHSAS specification to ensure that:

a)      they can be located;

b)      they are periodically reviewed, revised as necessary and approved for adequacy by authorized personnel;

c)      current versions of relevant documents and data are available at all locations where operations essential to the effective functioning of the OH&S system are performed;

d)      obsolete documents and data are promptly removed from all points of issue and points of use or otherwise assured against unintended use; and

e)      archival documents and data retained for legal or knowledge preservation purposes or both are suitably identified.  

4.4.6    Operational control

The organization shall identify those operations and activities that are associated with identified risk where control measures need to be applied. The organization shall plan these activities, including maintenance, in order to ensure that they are carried out under specified conditions by:

a)      establishing and maintaining documented procedures to cover situations where their absence could lead to deviations from the OH&S policy and the objectives;

b)      stipulating operating criteria in the procedures;

c)      establishing and maintaining procedures related to the identified OH&S risks of goods, equipment and services purchased and/or used by the organization and communicating relevant procedures and requirements to suppliers and contractors;

d)      establishing and maintaining procedures for the design of workplace, process, installations, machinery, operating procedures and work organization, including their adaptation to human capabilities, in order to eliminate or reduce OH&S risks at their source.  

4.4.7        Emergency preparedness and response

The organization shall establish and maintain plans and procedures to identify the potential for, and responses to, incidents and emergency situations, and for preventing and mitigating the likely illness and injury that may be associated with them.  

The organization shall review its emergency preparedness and response plans and procedures, in particular after the occurrence of incidents or emergency situations.  

The organization shall also periodically test such procedures where practicable.

[This implies: SARA 301-312, Contingency and/or Emergency response plan, RCRA training and/or HAZWOPER, Hazmat security and employee training.]

4.5.1        Performance measurement and monitoring

The organization shall establish and maintain procedures to monitor and measure OH&S performance on a regular basis. These procedures shall provide for:

both qualitative and quantitative measures, appropriate to the needs of the organization;

-         monitoring of the extent to which the organization’s OH&S objectives are met;

-         proactive measures of performance that monitor compliance with the OH&S management program, operational criteria and applicable legislation and regulatory requirements;

-         reactive measures of performance to monitor accidents, ill health, incidents (including near-misses) and other historical evidence of deficient OH&S performance;

-         recording of data and results of monitoring and measurement sufficient to facilitate subsequent corrective and preventive action analysis.  

If monitoring equipment is required for performance measurement and monitoring, the organization shall establish and maintain procedures for the calibration and maintenance of such equipment. Records of calibration and maintenance activist and results shall be retained.  

4.5.2    Accidents, incidents, non-conformance and corrective and preventive action

The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for defining responsibility and authority for:

a)      the handling and investigation of:

-         accidents;

-         incidents;

-         non-conformances;

b)      taking action to mitigate any consequences arising from accidents, incidents, or non-conformances

c)      the initiation and completion of corrective and preventive actions;

d)      confirmation of the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions taken.

These procedures shall require that all proposed corrective and preventive actions shall be reviewed through the risk assessment process prior to implementation.  

Any corrective or preventive action taken to eliminate the causes of actual and potential non-conformances shall be appropriate to the magnitude of problems and commensurate with the OH&S risk encountered. 

The organization shall implement and record any changes in the documented procedures resulting from corrective and preventive action. 

4.5.3    Records and records management

The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for the identification, maintenance and disposition of OH&S record, as well as the results of audits and reviews.

OH&S records shall be legible, identifiable and traceable to the activities involved. OH&S records shall be stored and maintained in such a way that they are readily retrievable and protected against damage, deterioration or loss. Their retention times shall be established and recorded.  

Records shall be maintained, as appropriate to the system and to the organization, to demonstrate conformance to this OHSAS specification.  

4.5.4        Audit

The organization shall establish and maintain an audit program and procedures for periodic OH&S management system audits to be carried out, in order to:

a)      determine whether or not the OH&S management system:

1) conforms to planned arrangements for OH&S management including

    the requirements of this OHSAS specification;

                        2) has been properly implemented and maintained; and

                        3) is effective in meeting the organization’s policy and objectives;

            b) review the results of previous audits;

            c) Provide information on the results of audits to management.

The audit program, including any schedule, shall be based on the results of risk assessments of the organization’s activities, and the results of previous audits. The audit procedures shall cover the scope, frequency, methodologies and competencies, as well as the responsibilities and requirements for conducting audits and reporting results.  

Wherever possible, audits shall be conducted by personnel in dependent of those having direct responsibility for the activity being examined.

The organization’s top management shall, at intervals that it determines, review the OH&S management system, to ensure it continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. The management review process shall ensure that the necessary information is collected to allow management to carry out this evaluation. This review shall be documented.  

The management review shall address the possible need for changes to policy, objectives and other elements of the OH&S management system, in the light of OH&S management system audit results, changing circumstances and the commitment to continual improvement.  

Inter-relationship between OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001: 

Inter-relationship between OHSAS 18001, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001: