ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard
What is ISO14001?
14001 is an externally assessed scheme where an organisations declared environmental practices are checked against a set of rules; if successful the organisation can use the logo to endorse the environmental management system incorporated in the organisation.
An additional advantage is that cost savings brought about by reductions in gas, electricity and fossil fuels can be significant.
What does ISO14001 cover?
The standard covers the impact on the environment made by the product (or service) from customer's order through order acceptance, design and development if appropriate, planning, production or service delivery and control of calibration devices. Also included is training and the selection of suppliers that are able to meet the organisation's environmental needs, together with controls on energy usage and waste generation.
The activities are those carried out by most 'Green' companies.
Below is the ISO14001 model which is designed to allow for continual improvement through planned and operated policy.
As is the case with ISO9001 (Quality Management Standard) the information gathered from the processes is fed to top management to allow for continual improvement. In this way the organisation is able to make decisions based on fact and so develop and evolve.
The two standards 9001 and 14001 are often integrated into a single management system.
Labels: iso14001, quality management standard
Posted: Monday, 7 April 2008
Auditing Top Management
Internal auditors are required to audit top management as part of both ISO9001 and ISO14001 Management systems and most auditors find this task difficult.
The questions that I am asked include:
The way to audit top management is to apply a code of conduct that cannot be misunderstood:
If you do all these thinks you will find that auditing top management is as easy as normal auditing.
The questions that I am asked include:
- If I criticise my boss, will it affect my future with the company;
- If I do not audit strictly enough will my boss think I am weak;
- If I audit too hard will my boss think me too pushy?
The way to audit top management is to apply a code of conduct that cannot be misunderstood:
- Make an appointment to audit your boss, giving ample time;
- Always arrive at the appointed time;
- Determine what you need to know;
- Prepare your questions in advance;
- Always be polite and do not raise your voice;
- Treat any non-conformity as a matter of fact and not a triumph over your boss;
- Remember that your boss may feel the necessity to justify any non-conformity and you should allow him/her time to state the reasons for this;
- Always agree where a non-conformity is present and do not get into a discussion if this cannot be substantiated;
- Do not allow your boss to take over the process; you are in control;
- And finally do not carry on the audit beyond the agreed time;
If you do all these thinks you will find that auditing top management is as easy as normal auditing.
Labels: Internal auditing, iso14001, iso9001
Posted: Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Green Living
I recently took delivery of my new car, a Honda Civic Hybrid, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it drove like a 2ltr car but in reality only had a 1300 cc engine.
For the uninitiated a hybrid car has a small engine and an electric motor in series. The gearbox is a CVT (continuously variable transmission) so no automatic gear changes are perceptible. In normal motoring the car uses the small engine; when you need more power, the electric motor assists the engine and conversely when less power is needed the car charges the batteries, equally when braking the energy is directed to the batteries as well.
The one feature which was initially unsettling was that the engine stops when at a standstill with the footbrake applied. Releasing the footbrake starts the engine again.
The dashboard has an additional dial which indicates the state of charge of the batteries and an indication of assist (using the stored power from the batteries) or charge (putting power back into the batteries.
Questions
Do the batteries need recharging?
No, they are automatically charged when the car is used.
Do the batteries make the boot very small?
No, the 150 volt batteries sit behind the rear seat so the boot is a normal size.
What MPG is available?
The car is new so 50 MPG is what I am getting now, but I am assured that this will increase as the car loosens up, although the published top MPG of 65+ I think is unrealistic.
What are the other advantages?
Exempt from the London Congestion charge, £18 road tax and low CO2 emissions.
Is the car reliable?
Honda comes top in the car reliability stakes.
For the uninitiated a hybrid car has a small engine and an electric motor in series. The gearbox is a CVT (continuously variable transmission) so no automatic gear changes are perceptible. In normal motoring the car uses the small engine; when you need more power, the electric motor assists the engine and conversely when less power is needed the car charges the batteries, equally when braking the energy is directed to the batteries as well.
The one feature which was initially unsettling was that the engine stops when at a standstill with the footbrake applied. Releasing the footbrake starts the engine again.
The dashboard has an additional dial which indicates the state of charge of the batteries and an indication of assist (using the stored power from the batteries) or charge (putting power back into the batteries.
Questions
Do the batteries need recharging?
No, they are automatically charged when the car is used.
Do the batteries make the boot very small?
No, the 150 volt batteries sit behind the rear seat so the boot is a normal size.
What MPG is available?
The car is new so 50 MPG is what I am getting now, but I am assured that this will increase as the car loosens up, although the published top MPG of 65+ I think is unrealistic.
What are the other advantages?
Exempt from the London Congestion charge, £18 road tax and low CO2 emissions.
Is the car reliable?
Honda comes top in the car reliability stakes.
Labels: carbon footprint, Environment, iso14001
Posted: Monday, 9 July 2007
Carbon Footprint
Open any new publication and you are sure to find a reference to carbon footprint and the impact that this footprint has on the environment, from destroying the polar ice caps to altering the weather. There is little doubt that the evidence is irrefutable; mankind has done some real damage to the planet and its ecosystems.
What is a carbon footprint and what is a carbon neutral company?
Your carbon footprint is the amount of C02 (Carbon dioxide) that you and your business are putting into the environment. The direct causes are business activities including manufacturing, processing and service industries, also leisure activities and our own homes. We can all reduce this impact by using less electricity, gas, oil and water and by buying materials locally to cut down on transportation. Flying less, driving smaller cars, recycling and buying food that is in season all have a positive impact on your carbon footprint. However don't think that recycling has no effect on the environment because there is a carbon cost to recycling although less than manufacturing a new item.
If you are carbon neutral you are offsetting the amount of carbon dioxide you produce by providing (or getting others to provide) a positive impact on the environment. Tree planting is a good way to offset carbon dioxide production as is the use of renewable energy from wind, solar power or wave power and the use of renewable sources of fuel such as sugarbeet, oilseed and all other bio-fuels. If you can balance the amount of CO2 produced by these offset methods you are considered to be carbon neutral.
If this is part of a comprehensive environmental management system such as ISO14001 the rewards are even greater.
What is a carbon footprint and what is a carbon neutral company?
Your carbon footprint is the amount of C02 (Carbon dioxide) that you and your business are putting into the environment. The direct causes are business activities including manufacturing, processing and service industries, also leisure activities and our own homes. We can all reduce this impact by using less electricity, gas, oil and water and by buying materials locally to cut down on transportation. Flying less, driving smaller cars, recycling and buying food that is in season all have a positive impact on your carbon footprint. However don't think that recycling has no effect on the environment because there is a carbon cost to recycling although less than manufacturing a new item.
If you are carbon neutral you are offsetting the amount of carbon dioxide you produce by providing (or getting others to provide) a positive impact on the environment. Tree planting is a good way to offset carbon dioxide production as is the use of renewable energy from wind, solar power or wave power and the use of renewable sources of fuel such as sugarbeet, oilseed and all other bio-fuels. If you can balance the amount of CO2 produced by these offset methods you are considered to be carbon neutral.
If this is part of a comprehensive environmental management system such as ISO14001 the rewards are even greater.
Labels: carbon footprint, co2, iso14001
Posted: Tuesday, 24 April 2007
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