ISO 14000 Standards

What is ISO & ISO 14000?ISO 14000 bears the potential to revolutionize the environmental industry, which historically operated on "command AND control," by proposing to now operate it on a "self-regulatory" basis. An overview of the standard follows.

“ISO 14000 is the standards for organizations committed to

taking care of environment while taking care of their customers.”

Definition:

"ISO 14000 series of environmental management system standards“

collectively represent a series of generic AND voluntary environment-related

documents, released by ISO, Geneva.

These documents fall into two categories: Guidance (descriptive) Specification (prescriptive)

Types of documents:

Components of ISO 14000

•Organizational Evaluation • Environmental Management Systems (EMS) • Environmental Auditing (EA) • Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE)

•Product Evaluation • Environmental Labeling (EL) • Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) • Environmental Aspects in Product Standards (EAPS)

•Terms AND Definitions

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

Environmental Auditing (EA)

Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE)

Environmental Labeling (EL)

Environmental Aspects in Product Standards (EAPS)

Environmental Aspects: Things to Consider

Requirements

Technical Environmental Level

Customers Process Air

Legislation Storage Water Site/Plant

Permits Transfer Waste Department

Banks/Insurance

Transport Soil & Groundwater Installation/Equipment

Complaints Utilities Energy Consumption

Subcontractor/Supplier

Corporate & Policy Guidelines

Product Nuisance External Safety

ISO 14050, a terms AND definitions document, harmonizes the language among all the ISO 14000 series documents.

It is ensured that as much as language as possible coincides with that in the ISO 9000 quality standards.

Terms AND Definitions

Market Drivers

Europe requires ISO 14000 as a part of doing business.

Agencies (eg. USDoD, USDoE) have hinted requiring ISO 14000 a prequalification criterion for the award of contracts.

Regulatory agencies (viz., USEPA) considering reducing reporting requirements for certified companies

Community awareness, demand for "clean AND green" image AND rapport

Customer beginning to screen suppliers by environmental performance

Why Adopt ISO 14000?

Operational Excellence Drivers

Extends proven management system's approach to environmental management

Proactively identifying environmental exposures ("aspects") drives pollution prevention

"Pollution prevention pays"

"What gets measured, gets done"

Makes environmental protection integral to all employee job functions

"Self-regulatory" privileges induces empowerment AND implants responsibilities

Provides continually improving environmental management programme

Compliance Drivers

Provides a management system approach to ensure compliance

Violations can be reduced with preventive system

Less scrutiny AND improved relationship with regulators

Easier permitting for objects

Multiple auditing requirements eliminated

Easier clearances for new AND expansion projects

Future liabilities reduced with a management system's approach

Facilities required environmental disclosure

ISO 14000 Standards / EMS: Specific Benefits to Seek

Honeywell Inc

Honeywell has been aggressive in their efforts to improve environmental performance. These efforts include the following areas:

Reducing environmental releases Managing Wastes Eliminating Ozone-Depleting Chemicals Saving energy Green Lights Program Energy Star Buildings Program

Case Study:

The Green Lights program reported an annual savings of $1,591,738 as of 10/96. The total amount of energy saved under this program since 1991 is 16 million Kilowatt-hours. The Energy Star Buildings program reported an annual savings of $2,664,236 as of 10/96

Summary of Honeywell Reports:

ConclusionThere is too much at stake for businesses not opting to evaluate the ISO 14000 standard AND its impacts in details. It is becoming obvious that the organizations that are staking the clearest claims to a successful future are those that now see the natural environment as their most indispensable supplier AND their most valued customer. ISO 14000 will efficiently AND systematically assist you in doing so.