Are you required to have access to ISO 14001 for certification?

Do you know whether you are required to have access to ISO 14001:2015 for your organisation to be certified? This article could help you with your EMS…

Many Environmental Managers are unsure whether there is a need to have access to ISO 14001:2015 for the development and maintenance of their Environmental Management System (EMS).

An ISO Interpretation could help you understand whether you are required to have access to ISO 14001:2015 for certification.

This article looks at one of the interpretations given by the ISO Technical Committee, TC 207 Sub-Committee 1, which is the Sub-Committee responsible for ISO 14001:2015 and other associated environmental International Standards.

The interpretation process operates as an escalation of an interpretation enquiry from a National Member Body, such as BSI in the UK and ANSI in the United States, with all interpretation enquiries reviewed on an annual basis and their results published on the Sub-Committee 1 website.

It is important to note that its interpretations do not change the requirements in ISO 14001 but are intended to give users a better understanding on ISO 14001.

The question about the access to ISO 14001:2015 within an Environmental Management System for certification, which was raised by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

The question asked was:

“Must an organization have access to the ISO 14001 standard either in hard copy, via computer or by an external source since the organization is certified to that standard?”

The Interpretation Response states:

“An organization seeking to conform to ISO 14001 must have access to information related to the ISO 14001 requirements, including any subsequent revision, so that it can take these requirements into account in establishing, implementing and maintaining its environmental management system”.

So, to summarise the ISO TC 207 Sub-Committee 1 interpretation clarifies any organisation seeking to develop an Environmental Management System based on ISO 14001:2015 is required to have access to a copy of ISO 14001, whether that is a paper copy, an electronic copy or by some other external source.

You can download a copy of the ISO Interpretation document here, which includes this specific interpretation.

If this article has helped to advance your understanding that access to ISO 14001:2015 is required for the development of an Environmental Management System based on that International Standard, please leave a comment in the box below, if this episode has help you.

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