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What are the
differences between conformity assessment, accreditation, certification,
and registration in relation to ISO 14000? Official
definitions, according to ISO/IEC Guide 2 (General Terms and Their
Definitions Concerning Standardization and Certification) are as
follows: Conformity
Assessment This term refers to
the determination of whether a product, process or service conforms to
particular standards or specifications. Activities associated with
conformity assessment may include testing, certification, accreditation,
quality assurance system registration and environmental management
system registration. Accreditation
This term refers to
a procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that
a body or person is competent to carry out specific tasks. Accreditation
means that a body has been evaluated in accordance with internationally
recognized standards (ISO/IEC Guide 62) and has been found competent and
therefore is authorizated to register companies which have successfully
demonstrated compliance to ISO 14001. Certification
This term refers to
a procedure by which a third party gives written assurance that a
product, process or service conforms to specified requirements. Registration This term refers to
a procedure by which a body indicates relevant characteristics of a
product, product or services and then includes or registers the product,
process or services in a publicly available list. Accredited
organizations known as "registrars" will be engaged by a
company as third-parties to provide the certification that the company
has implemented ISO 14001. "Registration" is generally used in
the United States for the procedure defined as "certification"
above, while "certification" is the preferred term in Europe
and other parts of the world. What might
ISO 14001 related registration/certification require?
It is expected that
registration will require evidence of implementation of ISO 14001, which
also includes: procedures to maintain compliance to applicable laws,
commitment to continual improvement (in a broad sense), and commitment
to prevention of pollution (e.g., recycling, process changes, energy
efficiency, materials substitution). Whether a company
decides to seek third-party registration or certification to ISO 14001
will be dependent on the objectives the company has in conforming to ISO
14001, as well as the market and public context in which the company
operates. For some companies, third-party certification may be the most
reasonable option. For example, companies selling products to markets in
Europe might face considerable pressure to obtain third-party
certification. However, even in Europe, companies should not presume
certification will be necessary. It is very important to understand that
the ISO 14001 standard is quite clear that either third-party
certification or self-declaration are available options. Third-party
certification is not mandated by ISO 14001. How does my
company become involved in the development of ISO 14000?
Each country is
allowed only one member and one vote in the standards development
activities and decisions of ISO, and ANSI is the USA member of ISO.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of ANSI to ensure that U.S.
positions on the development of ISO standards represents a single
unified U.S. consensus view. This consensus building is accomplished
through the establishment of U.S. Technical Advisory Groups, or US/TAGs,
for ISO activities. US/TAGs are committees made up of U.S. industry,
government, professional/trade associations, public interest groups and
other affected interests, accredited by ANSI to operate under consensus
procedures to develop the U.S. positions on the ISO documents. The US/TAGs
and sub-US/TAGs for the ISO 14000 series are administered by the
organizations ASTM, the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC) and
NSF International, on behalf of ANSI. To enquire about becoming a member
of a US/TAG for ISO/TC 207 or one of its subgroups, please contact the
individuals listed below. The US/TAGs
for ISO/TC 207, ISO/TC 207/WG 1, ISO/TC 207/WG 2, ISO/TC 207/SC 4, ISO/TC
207/SC 5 and ISO/TC 207/SC 6: KATHIE MORGAN The US/TAGs
for ISO/TC 207/SC 1 and ISO/TC 207/SC 2: PATRICIA KOPP The US/TAG
for ISO/TC 207/SC 3:
DIANE NUNN How do I
purchase, order, or find the price of documents in the ISO 14000 Series?
ANSI and ASTM make
available to the general public copies of the final published ISO 14000
standards. ANSI, ASQC, ASTM and NSF International will all make
available to the general public final published versions of the national
adoptions of the ISO 14000 standards, as well as draft versions of the
ISO 14000 documents at either the committee draft stage or draft
international standard stage. Pricing
and ordering information is available online. The Electronic
Standards Store now offers the ISO 14000 for
electronic payment and delivery.
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