ISO 14001 LA flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Environmental aspect

An element of an organization's activities, products or services that interacts or can interact with the environment, for example emissions, waste generation or resource consumption.

Environmental impact

A change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organization's environmental aspects, such as air pollution caused by emissions.

PDCA cycle

Plan-Do-Check-Act: the iterative framework underlying ISO 14001, mapping to planning (Clause 6), support and operation (7-8), performance evaluation (9) and improvement (10).

Life cycle perspective

Considering stages from raw material acquisition through design, production, transport, use and end-of-life disposal, without requiring a detailed quantitative life cycle assessment.

Significant environmental aspect

An aspect that has or can have a significant environmental impact, identified using criteria the organization itself defines, and which drives operational control and monitoring.

Documented information

Information required to be controlled and maintained by the organization, covering both documents and records, including those explicitly required by ISO 14001 clauses.

Environmental policy

A documented top-management statement including commitments to environmental protection, fulfilment of compliance obligations and continual improvement, communicated internally and available to interested parties.

Compliance obligations

Legal requirements an organization must comply with, plus other requirements it chooses to subscribe to, such as industry standards, customer agreements or community commitments.

Operational control

Establishing criteria for processes and implementing control in line with those criteria, including for outsourced processes, taking a life cycle perspective.

Management review

Top management's review of the EMS at planned intervals, using inputs such as audit results and compliance status to decide on improvement, resources and changes.

Audit criteria

The set of requirements used as a reference against which audit evidence is compared, such as ISO 14001, legal requirements, procedures or customer requirements.

Audit evidence

Records, statements of fact or other information relevant to the audit criteria that is verifiable, and which forms the basis for audit findings.

Audit finding

The result of evaluating collected audit evidence against audit criteria, indicating conformity or nonconformity, or identifying opportunities for improvement.

Evidence-based approach

An audit principle holding that conclusions should be reached only on the basis of verifiable, objective evidence derived from representative samples of available information.

Third-party audit

An audit performed by an external, independent organization, typically a certification body assessing conformity with ISO 14001 for the purpose of certification.

Audit plan

A description of the activities and arrangements for an audit, including schedule, resources, locations, team roles and the auditee functions to be examined.

Audit team competence

The knowledge and skills required by auditors, including environmental and audit knowledge, applicable legal requirements and language, appropriate to the audit scope.

Stage 1 certification audit

A readiness assessment reviewing documentation and site-specific conditions to determine whether the organization is prepared to proceed to the stage 2 audit.

Audit scope

The extent and boundaries of an audit, such as locations, organizational units, activities, products and services, and the time period covered.

Opening meeting

The meeting at the start of the audit confirming the plan, scope and criteria, and explaining communication, safety, guide and reporting arrangements to the auditee.

Objective evidence

Verifiable data, records or statements of fact supporting the existence or truth of something, which an auditor can trace and independently confirm.

Major nonconformity

A nonconformity that seriously affects the capability of the management system to achieve intended results, typically requiring correction and verified corrective action before certification is granted.

Audit sampling

Examining less than the full population of available information as a basis for conclusions, introducing uncertainty that auditors must weigh when forming findings.

Closing meeting

The final audit meeting where findings and conclusions are presented, including conformity with criteria, EMS effectiveness and any certification recommendation.

Audit report

A documented account containing the audit objectives, scope, criteria, findings and conclusions, issued within the agreed timeframe and owned by the audit client.

Audit completion

The point reached when all planned audit activities have been performed and the audit report has been distributed, after which follow-up may occur.

Corrective action

Action to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity and prevent its recurrence, whose effectiveness is verified through follow-up or a later audit.

Follow-up audit

An activity conducted after the audit to verify that corrective actions have been implemented and are effective, often carried out as part of the next planned audit.

Audit programme

A set of one or more audits planned for a specific time frame and purpose, with defined objectives, resources, schedule, procedures and records.

Programme risk assessment

Evaluating risks and opportunities affecting the audit programme, such as competence gaps or scheduling overload, and using the results to prioritize and resource audits.

Surveillance audit

A periodic on-site audit conducted after initial certification, usually at least once a year, to verify continued conformity and effectiveness of the management system.

Recertification audit

A full audit performed before the certification cycle ends, typically every three years, confirming continued conformity and overall effectiveness of the management system.