How to select a consultant to help out for ISO 14001 Certification?

My company is planning to apply for ISO 14001 certification. Since we does not have much experience on it, we decide to get the assitance from consultant. Anyhow, the market for the consultancy is very competative. I have interviewed a few consultancy firms and found that it is deficcult to decide which is the most suitable to my company. Does anyone have any idea how I should select the consultant? What are the criteria I should consider? Thanks in advance

I would try to get references from each consultant and interview their previous clients. It is important that the consultant worked in the same industry
You could also ask the sales manager for a registrar if they could recommend any consultants.

Marcus CLF said:

My company is planning to apply for ISO 14001 certification. Since we does not have much experience on it, we decide to get the assitance from consultant. Anyhow, the market for the consultancy is very competative. I have interviewed a few consultancy firms and found that it is deficcult to decide which is the most suitable to my company. Does anyone have any idea how I should select the consultant? What are the criteria I should consider? Thanks in advance

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Hi MarcusCLS,

I get this from the ISO management system on advice of selecting a consultant for help....

Hope this will be a help to you

I'll be practical in my approach. First, you would have DOE (department of environment) approval if you have a business license to operate the business. DOE would have inspected your place and name all the necessaries (such as chimney, air extraction, etc) that they want and that takes care of the bulk of your legal and other requirements.

Next, businesses like aluminum extrusion is basically quite simple - an electric furnace to melt the ingots and the subsequent extrusion process and maybe some sub-processes.

That leaves behind a very simple business that any consultant should be able to handle.

The main thing I want to know about consultants is their experience in handling certification jobs by the few big boys. If they can handle the scrutiny of these people, they are generally acceptable. Experience handling more complex projects like waste treatment are a definite plus.

Helo All,
I hope this question is appropriate to the thread - sorry if it is in the wrong place!
We are starting on our quest to ISO14001. Yesterday we BSI to quote for assesment (BSI because we use them for 9001) We have 3 sites and want them all on the same registration. For resaons I won't go into here, we are starting with the smaller site that has 35 employees and the rest will follow.
We are quite a simple businesss in terms of impacts to the environment: 1 building at each site, we scan documnets to CD's, DVD's and to the customer websites. We deal with a small amount of chemicals as we have a small microfilm department.
Anyway, the Sales Consultant has quoted we will need a 4 day assessment at the smallest site. I know we have decided this will be the first to be assessed, so the whole EMS will be checked over, but we beleive this to be way too much for the size and type of business we are in.
What do you think? Shouldn't we decide how many days are appropriate?

Another question. I think we may try other accreditaion bodies - may be time for a change (9001 also) What bodies do you use and can you recommend some for me to get quoted from?

Thanks all

harry said:

I'll be practical in my approach. First, you would have DOE (department of environment) approval if you have a business license to operate the business. DOE would have inspected your place and name all the necessaries (such as chimney, air extraction, etc) that they want and that takes care of the bulk of your legal and other requirements.

Next, businesses like aluminum extrusion is basically quite simple - an electric furnace to melt the ingots and the subsequent extrusion process and maybe some sub-processes.

That leaves behind a very simple business that any consultant should be able to handle.

The main thing I want to know about consultants is their experience in handling certification jobs by the few big boys. If they can handle the scrutiny of these people, they are generally acceptable. Experience handling more complex projects like waste treatment are a definite plus.

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Thanks Harry,
Anyway, our manaufacturing plant also involving anodisng and powder coating process, which which involve usage of chemical and discharge of waste water. We do have waste water treatment plant for this matter. But I found that we do not have any licence for each chimney and air extraction (referring to 1 of our company environmetal lab testing contrantors, we should have the licence on each chimney). I wonder this issue will be a problem for us to apply for ISO 14001? I have interview a few consultants, but they count on to the contractor. I a bit confused. How I should know whether our plant current status is ready for the ISO 14001 or not.

Ok, so yours is not a purpose-built factory. The proper way to do is to get an environmental engineering consultant (not ISO consultant) to carry out an environmental impact assessment or study (EIA). If you don't know who to engage, drop by the nearest DOE office and talk to them.

The study will identify the various kind of discharge you are emitting, ways to control or mitigate it and will be submitted to DOE for approval. Upon approval by DOE (possibly with changes), you will need to implement all these works - like chimneys, waste water treatment plant, containment structures, etc.

After having met all these statutory requirements (with test results to prove), then you will be ready for ISO 14001.

I have met a few ISO consultants for their proposal of EMS Implementation. Most of them did not emphasis on the implementing of Fire Drill Training. But 1 of the consultant strongly promote it's important to the EMS certification. She also highlighted that we should form a Emergency Recue Team for the emergency response. Does it a vital point? Isn't it more to OSHAS? Or is that just a marketing tactis to be different among others?

Marcus CLF said:

Isn't it more to OSHAS?

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During and in the aftermath of an emergency, you should also be able to minimize environmental impacts IN ADDITION to keeping your employees safe. Remember Bhopal and Chernobyl....

To elaborate Sidney's point further:

Heat from fire may cause reactions with chemicals used/stored resulting in air pollution.

Water to fight fire may result in discharge of chemical into ground and drain resulting in water and land pollution.

Emergency response and preparedness (in your case, chemical spillage and fire) is part and parcel of control/mitigating measures.