International Standards Organization 14001, Environmental Management Systems

FiuaUy, no discussion on poUution prevention would be complete without reference to the ac tivities of the 49-year-old International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO recently created Technical Committee 207 (TC 207) to begin work on new standards for environmental management systems (EMS). The ramifications, especiaUy to the chemical iudustiy, which has become heavUy involved in the development of these standards, wUl be great. TC 207 s activities are... 

ISO 14000 / ISO 9000 Standards published by the International Organization for Standardization. ISO 14000 standards are for companies establishing an environmental management system. ISO 9000 standards are for companies establishing a quality management system. 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 14000, Environmental Management Systems. 

International Organization for Standardization (ISO), (2002), Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management systems auditing, ISO 19011 2002, ISO, Geneva. 

ISO ISO 14004 Environmental Management Systems—General Guidelines on Principles, Systems and Supporting Techniques ISO 14004 1996(E) International Organization for Standardization Geneva, September 1,1996,1996. 

ISO ISO 14043 Environmental Management Systems—Life Cycle Assessment—Life Cycle Interpretation ISO 14043 2000(E) International Organization for Standardization Geneva, March 1, 2000, 2000. 

ISO ISO 14001 Environmental Management systems—Specification with Guidance for Use ISO 14001 1996(E) International Organization of Standardization Geneva, September 1, 1996, 1996. 

ISO 14001 (2004) Environmental management systems. Requirements with guidance for use - 2nd ed. (International Organization for Standardization). 

Parallel to the development of ISO 14001 1996 - Environmental Management Systems - several organizations developed guides, draft specifications, and requirements for occupational health and safety management systems (OHSMSs). Most of this development has been done by management system registrars with the expectation that an OHSMS be accepted and issued by a national or internationally accredited standards body, that is, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), British Standards, and so on. 

International Organization for Standardization, Environmental Management Systems-Specification with Guidance for Use (ISO 14001 1996(E)), International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 1996. 

ISO 14000 is the International Organization for Standardization s standard for developing and maintaining quality environmental management systems. ISO 14000 describes in considerable detail what a company must do without prescribing how it... 

ISO-14001 is an international, voluntary standard that specifies the minimum elements for an effective environmental management system (EMS). It was published in 1996 by the International Organization for Standardization and adopted as the USA national EMS standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). While third-party registration is not mandated by this voluntary standard, some companies have found independent assessment to be a marketing advantage. In addition, some large companies have mandated third party registration as proof of conformance to the standard. 

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed over 17,500 International Standards on a variety of subjects some 1,100 new ISO standards are published every year. Two groups of standards—ISO 9000 (Quality Management Systems) and ISO 14000 (Environmental Management Systems)—are of particular relevance to the process industries. 

---