ABSTRACT
Since the launch of ISO 14001, several thousand organisations have registered to the standard through external assessment (ISO 1996a). Furthermore, for every company registered, there are many more seeking registration. This means that many organisations misunderstand the requirements of the environmental management system (EMS) standard and assessors. This chapter describes the certification process, the key requirements of the standard, and what assessors expect to see. There are several registration bodies in the UK that undertake ISO 14001 assessments. The most important element of successful ISO 14001 registration is the identification of environmental aspects and impacts. During the first stage of the initial assessment, the assessors of the registration body determine, by detailed analysis, the reliability of the internal audit. So the organisation's records of the internal audits should be sufficiently comprehensive to provide evidence that the registration body can validate to confirm the effectiveness of the audit process.
