The objective of each course is to provide learners with the knowledge and skills required to perform an internal audit of part of an EMS based on ISO 14001:2015 and report on the effective implementation and maintenance of the management system in accordance with ISO 19011 and to contribute to the continual improvement of the management system.
The course refers to ISO 14001:2015 as the management system standard that provides the context for internal audit. However, this course does not address ISO 14001:2015 in detail.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Before starting this course, learners are expected to have the following prior knowledge:
- management systems:
- understand the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle;
- knowledge of EMS and the requirements of ISO 14001:2015.
- environmental management:
- the concept of environmental sustainable development whereby an organisation must ensure that actions of today do not degrade the environment of the future;
- the purpose of an initial review as the basis for establishing an EMS where none currently exists;
- evaluation of activities, products and services to establish the environmental aspects associated with normal operating conditions, abnormal conditions such as start-up and shutdown and emergency situations and accidents;
- considerations of environmental aspects with respect to:
- emission to air, release to water and release to land;
- use of raw materials, natural resources and energy;
- energy emitted and lost e.g. heat, radiation, vibration, steam, and compressed air;
- public nuisance such as light pollution, noise, and odour.
- environmental legislation and how legal compliance forms part of an EMS;
- typical methods for evaluation of the significant impacts of the environmental aspects identified and how their ranking influences operational control and priorities for improvement.