BS EN ISO 14004:2010 Environmental management systems. General guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques
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- Product Code: BS EN ISO 14004:2010
- Category: BOOKS
- Sub Category: BSI Environmental Management Publications (BS & ISO)
BS EN ISO 14004 is the Standard that provides guidance on the establishment, implementation, maintenance and improvement of an environmental management system and its coordination with other management systems.
While the system is not intended to manage occupational health and safety issues, they may be included when an organization seeks to implement an integrated environmental and occupational health and safety management system.
The guidelines in this International Standard are applicable to any organization, regardless of its size, type, location or level of maturity.
The guidelines in this Standard are consistent with the ISO 14001 environmental management system model, but they are not intended to provide interpretations of the requirements of ISO 14001.
As concern grows for continually improving the quality of the environment, organizations of all types and sizes are increasingly turning their attention to the environmental impacts of their activities, products and services.
The environmental performance of an organization is of importance to internal and external interested parties.
Achieving sound environmental performance requires organizational commitment to a systematic approach and to continual improvement of an environmental management system (EMS).
BS EN ISO 14004 is intended to provide assistance to organizations that wish to implement or improve an environmental management system, to improve their environmental performance. The Standard is consistent with the concept of sustainable development and compatible with diverse cultural, social and organizational frameworks and systems of management.
BS EN ISO 14004 can be used by organizations of all types, sizes and levels of maturity, and in all sectors and geographic locations. The special needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are incorporated, and this International Standard accommodates their needs and promotes their use of an environmental management system.
BS EN ISO 14004 is part of the series of environmental management standards. In this series, only ISO 14001 contains requirements that may be objectively audited for certification/registration purposes or for self-declaration purposes. This International Standard includes examples, descriptions and options that aid both in the implementation of an environmental management system and in strengthening its relation to the overall management of an organization.
This International Standard describes the elements of an environmental management system and provides organizations with guidance on how to establish, implement, maintain or improve an environmental management system. Such a system can substantially enhance an organization's ability to anticipate, identify and manage its interactions with the environment, meet its environmental objectives and ensure ongoing compliance with applicable legal requirements and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes.
Examples and approaches are presented throughout this International Standard for illustrative purposes. They are not intended to represent the only possibilities, nor are they necessarily suitable for every organization. In designing and implementing or improving an environmental management system, organizations should select approaches that are appropriate to their own circumstances. Environmental management is an integral part of an organization's overall management system. The design of an environmental management system is an ongoing and interactive process. The structure, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for implementing environmental policies, objectives and targets can be coordinated with existing efforts in other areas (e.g. operations, finance, quality, occupational health and safety).
For ease of reading and understanding this International Standard, practical help and general guidance have been separated out and are shown as boxed text.
Key tasks for managers establishing, implementing, maintaining or improving an environmental management system include the need to
•Recognize that environmental management is among the highest organizational priorities
•Establish and maintain communication and constructive relations with internal and external interested parties
•Identify the environmental aspects of the organization's activities, products and services
•Identify the legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes, that relate to the organization's environmental aspects
•Ensure the commitment of management and all persons working for or on behalf of the organization to the protection of the environment, with clear assignment of accountability and responsibility
•Encourage environmental planning throughout the product or service life cycle
•Establish a process for achieving environmental objectives and targets
•Provide appropriate and sufficient resources, including training, to comply with applicable legal requirements and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes, and to achieve environmental objectives and targets on an ongoing basis
•Evaluate environmental performance against the organization's environmental policy, objectives and targets and seek improvement where appropriate
•Establish a management process to audit and review the environmental management system and to identify opportunities for improvement of the system and resulting environmental performance
•Encourage contractors and suppliers to establish an environmental management system.
Organizations may use this International Standard, or related ISO documents, in various ways, including
•As guidance to establish, implement, maintain or improve its environmental management system, knowing that this international Standard is not intended for self-declaration or other conformity assessment purposes
•In support of the implementation or improvement of its environmental management system.
The choice will depend on factors such as
•An organization's goals
•The maturity of an organization's management systems (i.e. whether the organization has a management system in place that is capable of supporting the inclusion of environmental concerns)
•Possible advantages and disadvantages, as determined by such factors as an organization's current and desired market position, reputation, external relations and the views of interested parties
•The size of an organization.
An effective environmental management system helps an organization to avoid, reduce or control the adverse environmental impacts of its activities, products and services, achieve compliance with applicable legal and requirements and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes and assist in continually improving environmental performance.
Having an environmental management system can help an organization assure interested parties that
•A management commitment exists to meet the provisions of its policy, objectives, and targets
•Emphasis is placed on prevention
•Evidence of reasonable care and regulatory compliance can be provided
•The system's design incorporates the process of continual improvement.
Economic benefits can be gained from implementing an environmental management system. An organization whose management system incorporates an environmental management system has a framework to balance and integrate economic and environmental interests. Economic benefits can also be identified to demonstrate to interested parties the value to the organization of sound environmental management.
It also provides the organization with the opportunity to link environmental objectives and targets with specific financial outcomes and thus to ensure that resources are made available where they provide the most benefit in both financial and environmental terms. An organization that has implemented an environmental management system can achieve significant competitive advantages.
In addition to improved environmental performance, the potential benefits associated with an effective environmental management system include
•Assuring customers of commitment to demonstrable environmental management
•Maintaining good public/community relations
•Satisfying investor criteria and improving access to capital
•Obtaining insurance at reasonable cost
•Enhancing image and market share
•Improving cost control
•Reducing incidents that result in liability
•Conserving input materials and energy
•Facilitating the attainment of permits and authorizations and meeting their requirements
— promoting environmental awareness among suppliers, contractors and all persons working for or on behalf of the organization
— fostering development and sharing of solutions to environmental problems
— improving industry-government relations.
What does BS EN ISO 14004 cover?
Contents of this standard include:
•Scope
•Normative references
•Terms and definitions
•Environmental management system elements
•Environmental policy
•Planning
•Implementation and operation
•Checking
•Management review
•Examples of correspondence between environmental management system elements
•Bibliography
Publication Date: 16 November 2004
Cross References:
ISO 14001:2004, ISO 9000:2000, ISO 9001, ISO 9004, ISO/TR 10013, ISO 14020, ISO 14021, ISO 14024, ISO/TR 14025, ISO 14031:1999, ISO/TR 14032, ISO 14040, ISO 14041, ISO 14042, ISO 14043, ISO/TR 14047, ISO/TS 14048, ISO/TR 14049, ISO/TR 14062, ISO 19011, ISO 14000
Replaces
BS ISO 14004:1996
International Relationships
EN ISO 14004:2010 Identical, ISO 14004:2004 Identical
Amended By
Corrigendum February 2011.
Supersedes Draft 03/109280 DC
Descriptors:
Environmental management, Environmental engineering, Management techniques, Management, Management operations, Decision-making, Planning, Policy formation, Problem-solving, Systemology, Systems analysis, Training, Legal liability, Policy, Performance, Performance testing, Emergency measures, Reports, Official documents, Documents, Assessed quality
ICS:
13.020.10 (Environmental management)
Title in French:
Systèmes de management environnemental. Lignes directrices générales concernant les principes, les systèmes et les techniques de mise en oeuvre
Title in German:
Umweltmanagementsysteme. Allgemeiner Leitfaden über Grundsätze, Systeme und unterstützende Methoden
ISBN: 978 0 580 71873 1
Publisher: BSI
Format: A4
Pages: 48
