What is an ISO 14001 checklist?

ISO 14001 is an international standard from the ISO 14000 series of environmental standards for the Development and Implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMAS) for which companies can voluntarily certify. ISO 14001 certification improves the environmental performance of a company, which in turn improves the company's image and reduces costs, as well as accidents or incidents due to environmental factors.

The use of an ISO 14001 checklist helps companies to work without negative effects on the environment, to comply with environmental laws and regulations and to continuously improve processes. The structured catalogue of questions according to the ISO 14001 standard guides responsible employees through their audits and allows them to identify problems and dangers for the environment at an early stage. On the basis of the checklist, corrective measures can be implemented immediately.

This article deals briefly:

1. Types of ISO 14001 audit

2. The ISO 14001 checklist within the PDCA cycle

3. Digital technology for ISO 14001 checklist creation

The 3 types of ISO 14001 audits

Apart from the fact that one distinguishes between on-site, remote and self-audits, there is another classification of the checks. It includes three types:

1. Internal audits - Required by ISO 14001 and conducted by the organisation itself.


2. External audits - They contain customer, supplier, certification and surveillance audits.


3. Certification audits - Typically conducted every three years. For this kind of audit the company needs to select a registered auditor that will ensure that the audit is done according to the ISO 14001 procedure.

Introduction of ISO 14001 as part of the PDCA cycle

The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle organises the EMAS processes and helps companies to comply with the standard in the correct order during the implementation of ISO 14001. The PDCA cycle can be summarized in 3 easy to understand steps. Below you will find the different processes and the associated steps:

1. PLANNING
   Planning the assessment of environmental performance by selecting relevant indicators. The planning step includes the following:
   
   
   • Read and understand the ISO 14001:2015 standard and prepare the legal requirements.
   
   
   • Carry out an ISO readiness test or self-assessment to identify gaps
   
   
   • Identify in your current system and processes
   
   
   • Develop an implementation plan as part of the PDCA cycle
   
   
   • Define your company's competence and training requirements in the form of a questionnaire for ISO 14001
   
   
   • Ensure that competence requirements are met and that all stakeholders are kept informed
   
   
2. EMPLOYMENT
   Collect and analyse data, evaluate information and report results.
   
   
   • Steering the planned EMAS and the operational controls
   
   
3. TEST & TRADE:
   Review and improve overall environmental performance with audit checklists.
   
   
   • Perform a performance and management review.
   
   
   • Perform an internal audit to ISO 14001 using a checklist
   
   
   • Ensure that corrective actions from the enviromental audit checklist have been completed.
   
   

Digital tool for environmental audit checklists

Completing a paper-based DIN ISO 14001 checklist can be cumbersome and time-consuming. Replace your paper forms with a digital app to save more time and increase productivity. Lumiform, a powerful mobile app, helps you perform a better ISO 14001 environmental audit checklist, monitor EMAS activities and track your company's environmental performance.

Lumiform makes it possible for you to:

• Create a mobile ISO 14001 checklist in no time at all.


• Perform efficient monitoring and analysis with a smartphone or tablet


• Save hours on reporting with a mobile app by creating comprehensive reports after completing an ISO 14001 audit checklist.


• Establish and instruct corrective actions in case of problems identified during the audit of EMAS activities.


• Store all reports online and automatically share them with your company's employees.