SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO ISO 14001:2004

SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO ISO 14001:2004
ISO 14001:2004 aims to clarify the 1996 edition and align it more closely with the ISO 9001:2000 standard. Some clauses have not been modified for content but have been rewritten to align ISO 14001:2004 with the format, wording, and layout of ISO 9001:2000 and to enhance the compatibility between the two standards.
References in Annex A of the standard are aligned with the numbering in the standard for ease of use. Annex B of the standard identifies similarities and associations between ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004.
An important change in wording throughout the revised standard appears in requirements that previously stated that an organisation shall “establish and maintain”; these have now been changed to “establish, implement and maintain”.
Throughout the standard the word “personnel” in the original standard is replaced with “persons working for or on behalf of the organisation” in the revised standard. This is included to ensure that external contractors and applicable suppliers are included under the requirements of certain clauses.
In developing, implementing and maintaining the organisation’s EMS, significant environmental aspects, applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organisation subscribes must be considered, and management must ensure the availability of resources.
There are additional paragraphs in the introduction, which generally cover:
• the aim of the ISO 14001:2004 standard is to enhance compatibility with ISO 9001:2000;
• alignment is improved between clause references and supporting Annexes. For example, 4.3.3 and A.3.3 both deal with objectives, targets and programme(s), and 4.5.5 and A.5.5 both deal with internal audit;
• an explanation of the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model used in ISO 9001:2000;
• the use of the process approach is promoted in alignment with ISO 9001:2000;
• possible alignment and integration with other management systems is reviewed.