ISO 14001:2015 Training Course – 3 Day Agenda
Target Audience:
- Environmental managers, compliance officers, and sustainability professionals.
- Individuals responsible for implementing, auditing, or maintaining an EMS.
- Organizations seeking ISO 14001 certification or improving environmental performance.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the course, participants will:
- Understand the principles and structure of ISO 14001:2015.
- Learn how to implement and manage an Environmental Management System.
- Be able to conduct internal audits and prepare for external certification.
- Understand the role of risk-based thinking in environmental management.
- Develop skills for continual improvement and integrating environmental performance into daily operations.
Day 1: Introduction, Leadership, and Planning
Module 1: Introduction to ISO 14001:2015
- Overview of ISO 14001:2015
- History and evolution of ISO 14001
- Key terms and definitions
- The structure of ISO 14001 and its alignment with Annex SL
- Benefits of ISO 14001 for organizations
- Understanding Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
- Purpose and scope of an EMS
- Integration with other management systems (e.g., ISO 9001, ISO 45001)
Activity: Group discussion on participants’ current environmental challenges and expectations from the course.
Module 2: Context of the Organization (Clause 4)
- Understanding the Organization’s Context
- Internal and external factors affecting the EMS
- Stakeholder identification and needs
- Determining the scope of the EMS
- Defining Environmental Aspects and Impacts
- Environmental aspects, impacts, and significance criteria
- Lifecycle perspective in identifying impacts
Activity: Workshop on identifying environmental aspects and impacts using a sample process or participants’ own examples.
Module 3: Leadership and Commitment (Clause 5)
- Role of Top Management in EMS
- Establishing environmental policies aligned with the organization’s strategic direction
- Leadership’s responsibility in promoting environmental culture
- Defining roles, responsibilities, and authorities
- Environmental Policy
- Developing and communicating the policy internally and externally
Activity: Practical exercise on developing an environmental policy for a hypothetical organization.
Lunch Break (1 hour)
Module 4: Planning (Clause 6)
- Risk-Based Thinking in EMS
- Identifying risks and opportunities in environmental management
- Incorporating risk-based thinking into the EMS
- Environmental Objectives and Planning to Achieve Them
- Setting measurable environmental objectives
- Planning actions to address risks, opportunities, and objectives
- Legal and Other Requirements
- Identifying and maintaining compliance with legal and other environmental obligations
- Tools and techniques for monitoring and meeting compliance
Activity: Case study on identifying environmental risks and setting objectives for a simulated organization.
Day 1 Summary & Q&A (30 minutes)
- Recap of key learning points
- Open Q&A session
Day 2: Implementation, Support, and Operation
Module 5: Support (Clause 7)
- Resources and Competence
- Ensuring the availability of resources for the EMS
- Competence, training, and awareness programs for employees
- Communication
- Internal and external communication on environmental performance
- Ensuring consistency and transparency in communication
- Documented Information
- Establishing, controlling, and maintaining documented information
- The role of documentation in EMS effectiveness
Activity: Workshop on creating training and awareness materials for an EMS.
Module 6: Operational Planning and Control (Clause 8)
- Operational Controls
- Identifying necessary operational controls for managing significant environmental aspects
- Developing procedures and work instructions
- Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Preparing for environmental emergencies and responding to incidents
- Testing emergency plans and continual improvement of response strategies
- Lifecycle Perspective
- Managing environmental impacts across the lifecycle of products or services
Activity: Group exercise on developing an operational control procedure and emergency response plan.
Lunch Break (1 hour)
Module 7: Environmental Impact and Risk Management
- Managing Environmental Aspects and Impacts
- Methods for evaluating and prioritizing environmental impacts
- Best practices for minimizing environmental risks
- Applying Control Measures
- Implementing control measures and evaluating their effectiveness
Activity: Case study on managing a significant environmental aspect through operational control measures.
Day 2 Summary & Q&A
- Recap of key learning points
- Open Q&A session
Day 3: Performance Evaluation, Auditing, and Continual Improvement
Module 8: Performance Evaluation (Clause 9)
- Monitoring, Measurement, Analysis, and Evaluation
- Defining key environmental performance indicators (KPIs)
- Tools and techniques for monitoring and measuring environmental performance
- Internal Audits
- Purpose, scope, and process of internal audits
- Audit planning, conducting audits, and reporting findings
- Using audits to drive improvement
- Management Review
- How management reviews support continual improvement
- Preparing for and conducting effective management reviews
Activity: Role-play exercise where participants conduct a mock internal audit based on a provided case study.
Module 9: Improvement (Clause 10)
- Nonconformities and Corrective Action
- Identifying and addressing nonconformities
- Root cause analysis and preventive actions
- Continual Improvement
- Techniques for driving continual improvement in environmental performance
- Best practices for integrating continual improvement into daily operations
Activity: Workshop on conducting a root cause analysis for a simulated nonconformity and developing corrective actions.
Lunch Break
Module 10: Certification Process and EMS Integration
- ISO 14001 Certification Process
- Steps to achieving certification
- Selecting a certification body and preparing for third-party audits
- Integrating ISO 14001 with Other Management Systems
- Benefits of integrating ISO 14001 with ISO 9001, ISO 45001, etc.
- Creating a unified management system for quality, environmental, and occupational health and safety
Activity: Group discussion on the steps required to prepare for ISO 14001 certification.
Module 11: Best Practices and Continuous Improvement
- Best Practices in Environmental Management
- Examples of successful ISO 14001 implementations in various industries
- Leveraging technology for better environmental monitoring and reporting
- Sustaining ISO 14001 Over the Long Term
- Building a culture of sustainability and employee involvement
Course Conclusion and Final Quiz
- Key Takeaways
- Recap of key points and participant feedback
- Final Quiz: A comprehensive quiz to assess participants’ understanding.
- Certification of Completion and Next Steps
- Overview of further training options and consulting services