Principle of certification according to ISO 14001:2004

[Air_.pollution_1] The certificate guarantees that the environmental management system has been established, documented, used and maintained in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 standard. As the certificate is issued by an accredited third party – certification body ” the organization actively minimizes environmental impacts of activities, products and services.

The internationally recognized standard ISO 14001:2004 includes the crucial elements of the efficient environmental management system, which can be used both for services and for production sectors. The standard describes requirements for the management system of businesses, which enables them to reduce environmental impacts related to operation of organizations. The standard requires the company to define its environmental objectives and target levels and to build the management system necessary for achieving them. Besides, the standard requires that the company fills such a system with processes, procedures and activities.

Crucial elements of the standard

Environmental policy
Planning
Establishment and operation
Surveillance and corrective actions
Organization’s management review

Differences from ISO 14001:1996

Achieving higher compatibility of ISO 14001 with ISO 9001
Enhancing unambiguity of requirements

Benefits of certification

Assurance and improvement of care for environment
Awareness of one”s own responsibility
Identification and description of risks and their reduction
Improving the company”s profile/image
Motivation of employees
Timely identification of environmental problems
More guarantees for meeting legal and other requirements
Competitive advantages
Management tool for suitable exploitation of resources

Certification process

The certification process consists of 3 basic phases:
1) Elaboration of documentation
2) Putting SM into practice
3) Certification by an accredited certification body
The times of elaboration of documentation and putting the system into practice are individual (it usually takes several months).

Certification by the accredited certification body

The certification audit takes places in two stages.

1st stage audit

Registration of application for certification
Agreement for conducting a 1st stage audit
Appointing a team of auditors
Assessment of SM documentation
Preparing an audit plan
On-site audit in connection with examination of documentation
Elaboration of the 1st stage audit report documenting nonconformities

2nd stage audit

Agreement for conducting a 2nd stage audit
Appointing a team of auditors
Assessment of SM documentation
Preparing an audit plan
On-site audit from the point of view of the environmental aspect
Elaboration of the 2nd stage audit report
Assessment of the audit reports by the certification body
Issuing the certificate

During the three year validity period of the certificate, a surveillance audit takes place once a year, whose aim is to make sure that the environmental management system is maintained and further developed. One of the following is issued depending on the surveillance findings:

Decision on confirmation of the certificate validity;
Decision on suspension of the certificate;
Decision on withdrawal of the certificate in case of fundamental deviations from requirements of standards.