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News Release from: TUV Rheinland UK | Subject: ISO14001 certification
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 29 October 2004
Environmental certification is good for
business
ISO14001 certification provides internationally accepted proof of sound environmental management practices.
All companies are under increasing pressure from the media, public opinion, their customers, industry watchdogs and business partners to be more environmentally aware Many companies are already heavily committed in this area, but very often their efforts are not appreciated appropriately because the public is not aware of their actions
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 22 Jan 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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A solution to this dilemma is to obtain certification in accordance with ISO14001, the most widely recognised international indicator for environmental management.
This standard sets uniform requirements for companies to develop, implement and improve an environmental management system.
ISO14001 establishes and assesses the effectiveness of an organisation's ability to develop and implement a defined environmental policy.
Further reading
It pays to get listed when exporting to the USA
When a product is put onto the US market does it need to be NRTL (Nationally Recognised Testing Laboratory) listed or labelled? The answer is usually yes.
Test safety under the microscope
EN50191:2001 "Erection and operation of electrical test equipment" has implications for all manufacturers: any area where electrical testing is undertaken may fall within the scope of the standard.
ISO14001 is not intended to determine absolute targets for environmental performance but to place responsibility for commitment to the chosen policy, compliance to legal issues and continuous improvement.
Introducing and complying with ISO14001 enables a company to profit from a long list of advantages which are not only plain environmental ones.
ISO14001 can save on operating costs since raw materials, energy and water is handled more carefully.
Moreover, waste can be avoided or reduced which in turn decreases liability risks and remediation costs.
Apart from environmental benefits, the corporate image and customer satisfaction are boosted due to superior marketing opportunities and improved efficiency.
ISO14001 officially validates environmental commitment and can therefore enhance the relationship with shareholders and other stakeholders like insurance companies, watchdogs, customers, suppliers etc.
A further competitive edge, which can be obtained through ISO14001, is a boost to employee motivation as environmental management systems require more employee involvement.
To acquire ISO14001, five main steps need to be fulfilled, which are: the decisions on a defined environmental policy; the planning of the implementation; the actual implementation of the policy; corrective actions; and finally the management review which states the starting points for further ongoing improvements efforts.
Meeting public environmental expectations is an ability that has become a decisive competence since the environmental awareness of the media and among consumers has increased in recent years.
Ignoring environmental issues can therefore have a negative effect on sales.
Consequently, organisations should seriously consider ISO14001 certification.
TUV Rheinland has experienced auditors who offer training, advice and, of course, provide support during and after the process of acquiring ISO14001 registration.
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