Why Both ISO 14001 & ISO 45001 Certification are Needed for Businesses

This article explains the importance of both ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards for businesses that strive to control environmental impacts and ensure employee safety. 

Environmental and occupational safety goes hand in hand. Making your business environmentally safe will also require the minimization of occupational hazards or risks. Therefore, the integration of ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 is essential for a business that aims for environmental responsibility and employee safety responsibility. In fact, the ISO 45001 standard for occupational health and safety management (OHS) was based on the generic requirements of the ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, which is the former international standard for occupational health and safety.

 

According to ISO 14001 certification consultants, the key to environmental quality management and safety is achieving ISO 45001 certification and ISO 14001. The following article will further explain the significant benefits of these two certifications. 

The ISO 14001 standard specifies codes of business conduct and regulations that help to minimise a business’ environmental impact. It is designed to improve the environmental performance of the companies by:

•Eliminating degrading impacts on the air, water and soil,

•Providing a process for continual environmental quality management,

•Complying with international environmental regulations specific to their industry.

There are many benefits of ISO 14001, certification brings reduced resource costs, due to the more efficient use of resources, to increased demand for your goods or services. The other direct business benefits offered by the ISO 14001 standard are:

• Enhanced brand image for commitment to social responsibility,

• Less environmental risks or hazards,

• Improved resource efficiency and waste management,

• Avoided the risks of prosecution fines or penalties for environmental non-compliances.

 

Your business also needs ISO 45001 certification because it ensures that your business processes are not affecting the health and wellbeing of employees.  ISO 45001 consultants recommend ISO 45001 certification and ISO 14001 certification because the two together will provide many competitive advantages to the business, such as:

• Eliminates production risks, 

• Eliminates the causes for production delays, 

• Provides a safe and efficient environment for employees to grow,

• Demonstrates social responsibility and commitment to health and safety policy.

• Eliminates accident risks,

• Reduces operations downtime,

• Increases cost savings due to less relief form legal prosecutions or insurance premiums,

• Reduces employee turnover, causing a rise in productivity,

• Improves employee morale.

These two standards, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 provide strikingly different results, yet they are related.  Together they effectively contribute to enhancing a business’s processes, quality management, environmental responsibility, and employee safety. Therefore, most ISO 14001 certification consultants emphasise that a business should get certified with both certifications because it will ensure that the working environment is continually enhanced and protected for employees. 

Author bio: Damon Anderson is an experienced ISO 14001 certification consultant who provides consultation to businesses of all types on the process of the environmental certification. In his free time, he posts blogs that are a great guidebook for organisations seeking to get certified. In many of his posts, he has gathered thoughts from ISO 45001 consultants to explain the importance of managing the environments effects as well as employee safety. 

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