Now, is an important time for any person or organisation that relies on the use of a Certification / Registrar Body (CB) to audit and certify their EMS (Environmental Management System).
As you may already know, the International Standard ISO/IEC TS 17021-2:2012 complements the existing accreditation requirements of ISO/IEC TS 17021-1:2015.
ISO/IEC TS 17021-2 specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) & has an important role to play in the integrity of EMS certification.
Since early 2016, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) formed a Working Group to revise the current ISO/IEC TS 17021-2:2012 to ensure that it is in-line with the earlier publication of ISO 14001:2015 and ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 & meets the accreditation needs going forward.
I have been privileged to be the Co-Convenor of the Working Group and to work with other international members to develop the revised version from its current Technical Standard (TS) to full International Standard status.
The Working Group have added sections to cover the new requirements of ISO 14001:2015, such as context and scope, communicated information & risks and opportunities, within the competency requirements for CB EMS Auditors.
ISO/IEC 17021-2 has, now, been released as the official Draft International Standard (DIS) for purchase through the ISO website here.
I strongly advise commenting on ISO/IEC DIS 17021-2 as this will be the last opportunity to influence the drafting of the International Standard before its final publication later in 2016 / early 2017 by either purchasing an electronic copy from ISO or to visit the BSI Draft Review portal, where it is possible to view the text of ISO/IEC DIS 17021-2 and to make comments directly to BSI “free of change”. If you plan to use the BSI Draft Review portal, you should head for the Review section of their website here, where you will need to register for free access.
Whichever method you use, please take time to review ISO/IEC DIS 17021-2 as this International Standard will have significant influence over the competence requirements for EMS Auditors for at least the next five years. The deadline for comment on the ISO/IEC DIS 17021-2 to BSI is 5 July 2016.