Understanding ISO 14001

Continuous Improvement as a TQM Principle

The third principle of Total Quality Management is continuous improvement. You can never be satisfied with the method used, because improvements are continuous. Certainly, the competition is improving, so it is of the utmost importance to strive to keep ahead of the game.

Working smarter, not harder

Some companies have tried to improve by making employees work harder. This may be counter-productive, especially if the process itself is flawed. For example, trying to increase worker output on a defective machine may result in more defective parts.

Examining the source of problems and delays and then improving them is what should be done. Often the process has bottlenecks that are the real cause of the problem. These must be eliminated.

Worker suggestions

Workers are sometimes a source of continuous improvements. They can give suggestions on how to improve a process and eliminate waste or unnecessary work.

Quality methods

There are also a lot of quality methods, such as just-in-time production, variability reduction, and poka-yoke that can improve processes and reduce waste.

Understanding the Standard of ISO 14001

ISO 14001 will be a requirement for all companies.

As with ISO 9000, conformance to ISO 14001 may become a condition of doing business in some countries, regions or markets. This process has already begun in some industrial sectors, including the automotive and electronics markets. However, there are still a large number of companies in business today that do not conform to ISO 9000, even though that standard is now 13 years old. Thus it is too early to tell how widely ISO 14001 will be required in the future.

Implementing ISO 14001 means getting a registration.

Many suppliers choose to demonstrate conformance to ISO 14001 by means of third-party certification. Some customers may require this. However, the standard itself considers a company’s self-declaration of conformance as an acceptable alternative. Further, some companies simply use the ISO 14001 model for internal purposes as a means to enhance their environmental performance.

ISO 14001 is just paperwork and won’t help my company at all.

The environmental management standard of ISO 14001 is like many things in life – you get out of it what you put into it. The way a company implements the standard determines what benefits it receives. Many companies that have implemented ISO 14001 report a variety of benefits, including improved environmental performance, greater operating efficiency, cost reduction, improved employee awareness and enhanced public image, among others.

OHSAS 18001 Application

The OHSAS specification is applicable to any organisation that wants to:

• Establish an Occupational Health and Safety management system to minimise risk to employees and other interested parties who may be exposed to Occupational Health and Safety risks associated with its activities;
• Implement, maintain and continually improve an Occupational Health and Safety management system;
• Assure itself of its conformance with its stated Occupational Health and Safety policy;
• Demonstrate such conformance to others;
• Seek certification/registration of its occupational health and safety management system by an external organisation; and
• Make a self-determination and declaration of conformance with this OHSAS specification.