ISO 14001 - Certification Readiness Checklist

Title Page

Legend:

Ready – means that you feel you are ready to demonstrate this
Nearly Ready –means that you need guidance or support to demonstrate this
Work To Do – this means you need to prepare further for your audit

CLAUSE 4 - CONTEXT OF THE ORGANISATION

Have you determined:
Environmental conditions that can affect the organisation’s purpose or be affected by its environmental aspects?
External issues including cultural, social, political, legal, financial, technological, economic etc?
Internal issues such as products and services, culture, people, size, knowledge?
The interested parties that are relevant to the environmental management system?
The relevant needs and expectations of these interested parties?
Which of these needs and expectations become your compliance obligations?
Have you determined the scope of your EMS, considering:
Issues relating to your organisation, its context and needs and expectations of interested parties?
Your organisation’s units, functions and physical boundaries?
Your activities, products and services?
Your authority and ability to exercise control and influence?
The knowledge gained when identifying context and needs of interested parties when establishing and maintaining your EMS?

Has top management:
Taken accountability for the effectiveness of the EMS?
Established the policy and objective in line with strategic direction?
Ensured the EMS processes have been aligned with the business objectives?
Ensured allocation of adequate resources?
Directed and supported persons who contribute to the effectiveness of the environmental management system?
Supported relevant management roles to demonstrate their leadership as it applies to their areas of responsibility?
Is the EMS Policy:
Appropriate – considering knowledge gained from Clause 4 requirements, as well as the impacts of its activities, products and services?
Strategic – providing a framework for setting environmental objectives?
Proactive – by including a commitment to the protection of the environment?
Ensures fulfillment of your compliance obligations and to continually improve your EMS?
Have responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles been assigned and communicated, including responsibility and authority for:
Ensuring conformity to ISO 14001:2015
Reporting EMS performance to top management?

Does the planning process:
Consider Clause 4 requirements?
Respond to risk and opportunities associated with the aspects and compliance obligations?
Did aspects determination include:
Consideration of a life cycle perspective?
Has your organization:
Communicated significant aspects throughout your organisation?
Determined, and have access to, compliance obligations related to its environmental aspects?
Determined how these compliance obligations apply to the organisation?
Accounted for these obligations when establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving its EMS?
Developed an appropriate plan to address the significant aspects, compliance obligations and risks and opportunities - considering technological options and its financial, operational and business requirements?

Have sufficient and adequate resources been allocated to fulfill the needs of the environmental management system considering human resources, natural resources, infrastructure, technology and financial requirements?
Have these resources been identified at the ‘Planning’ stage?
Have top management allocated resources needed and reviewed for adequacy?
Has competency been determined – applied to internal employees and persons working on behalf of the organisation?
Has your organisation ensured that persons working under its influence are aware of its policy, aspects and impacts, their contribution to the EMS and the implications of not conforming with these requirements?

Have you determined controls, considering each life cycle stage, to ensure your environmental requirements are addressed in the design and development process for your products or services.
Have processes been established, implemented and maintained to prepare for and respond to potential emergency situations identified during the ‘Planning’ stages?

Has the organization determined what needs to be measured, the frequency of measurement and the evaluation of results?
Does the process include determination of frequency of evaluation of compliance?
Does the process include evaluation of compliance and undertaking of action if needed?
Does the process include maintenance of knowledge and understanding of its status?
Has a management review been conducted and recorded covering all the requirements of the ISO 14001:2015 standard?

When non-conformance occurs, does the organisation take steps to control and correctly deal with the consequences?
Are corrective actions appropriate to the significance of the effects of the non-conformity encountered, including the environmental impact?
Does your organisation continually improve the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the environmental management system to enhance environmental performance?