PECB ISO 14001 Foundation flashcards
PECB ISO 14001 Foundation · Build recall with a focused review session.
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, such as emissions, waste generation or resource consumption.
- Environmental impact
- A change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partly resulting from an organization's environmental aspects, for example air pollution or habitat restoration.
- PDCA cycle
- The improvement model underlying ISO 14001: plan objectives and processes, implement them, monitor and evaluate results, and act to improve performance continually.
- High Level Structure
- The common clause framework (clauses 4 to 10) used by all ISO management system standards, enabling integrated management systems and consistent terminology across standards.
- Life cycle perspective
- Consideration of environmental aspects across stages from raw material acquisition, design, production, transport, use, end-of-life treatment to final disposal; a full quantitative LCA is not required.
- Compliance obligations
- Legal requirements an organization must comply with plus other requirements it subscribes to, such as industry standards, customer requirements, voluntary charters or agreements with authorities.
- Prevention of pollution
- Use of processes, practices, techniques, materials or products to avoid, reduce or control the creation, emission or discharge of pollutants, including source reduction, reuse, recycling and treatment.
- Continual improvement
- A recurring activity to enhance the environmental management system; its purpose is to improve environmental performance, not merely to maintain the existing system.
- Environmental performance
- The measurable results of an organization's management of its environmental aspects, such as reduced emissions, lower energy consumption or decreased waste generation over time.
- Top management
- The person or group directing and controlling the organization at the highest level, responsible for providing leadership, approving policy and ensuring resources for the EMS.
- Interested party
- A person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity, such as regulators, customers, neighbours or employees.
- Risk and opportunity
- Potentially adverse effects (including environmental and compliance risks) and potentially beneficial effects arising from environmental aspects, obligations and other issues relevant to the EMS.
- Outsourced process
- A process needed for the EMS that the organization chooses to have performed by an external provider; it remains within the scope of EMS control or influence.
- EMS scope
- The documented boundaries and applicability of the environmental management system, stating the activities, products and services covered and considering issues and compliance obligations.
- Environmental policy
- Documented top management intentions and direction, including commitments to protect the environment, fulfil compliance obligations and continually improve the EMS to enhance environmental performance.
- Significant environmental aspect
- An aspect identified using established criteria that has or can have a significant environmental impact, and which must be addressed through controls, objectives or operational planning.
- Documented information
- Information required to be controlled and maintained, plus the medium on which it is contained; ISO 14001 uses this single term instead of separate documents and records.
- Environmental objective
- A goal set by the organization consistent with its environmental policy, measurable where practicable, at relevant functions and levels, supported by a plan of actions and resources.
- Operating criteria
- Criteria specified by the organization for its processes, such as emission limits, waste segregation rules or energy thresholds, used to control processes within the EMS.
- Emergency preparedness and response
- Planned actions to respond to potential emergency situations identified in the EMS, including planned responses, training and periodic testing where practicable.
- Evaluation of compliance
- The process of assessing whether the organization meets its compliance obligations and knowing its compliance status, with results retained as documented information.
- Internal audit
- A planned, periodic and impartial examination of the EMS against the organization's own criteria and ISO 14001 requirements, with results reported to management.
- Management review
- Top management's planned evaluation of EMS suitability, adequacy and effectiveness, using defined inputs such as audit results and performance, producing decisions on improvement and resources.
- Nonconformity
- Failure to meet a requirement of ISO 14001 or of the organization's own EMS requirements, requiring reaction, correction and evaluation of the need for corrective action.
- Corrective action
- Action taken to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity and prevent recurrence, with effectiveness reviewed and documented information retained as evidence.
- Context of the organization
- External and internal issues relevant to the organization's purpose, plus interested parties and their relevant needs and expectations, forming the basis for EMS design.
- Life cycle stage control
- Requirement to control or influence design and development and outsourced processes while considering life cycle stages, addressing aspects the organization can reasonably influence.
- Competence requirement
- Persons whose work affects environmental performance or compliance obligations must be competent, based on education, training or experience, with documented information as evidence.
- Awareness requirement
- Persons doing work under the organization's control must be aware of the environmental policy, significant aspects related to their work and the implications of not conforming.
- Communication in EMS
- The organization must plan internal and external communications relevant to the EMS, deciding what, when, with whom and how to communicate, retaining documented information as evidence.
- Monitoring and measurement
- Determining what to monitor, methods, criteria and when results are analysed, using calibrated or verified equipment and evaluating environmental performance and compliance status.
- Improvement clause
- Clause 10 requires determining opportunities for improvement and implementing actions to achieve intended EMS outcomes, including handling nonconformities and enhancing environmental performance.