How many working hours to required to implement ISO 14001 ?

[LesPiles]

Hello,


I'm a Quality Manager and I have to implement ISO 14001 for the company I'm working for, an EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services).

I have almost no experience with ISO 14001. I'm looking for the number of hours that I should plan for this system implementation. Can someone help me with this ?

If you can also provide an example of schedule I would surely appreciate.

Thanks in advance !

LesPiles

 

[Jen Kirley]

Good day LesPiles,

The answer to your question is a maddening "It depends..."

Systems certifying to ISO 14001 are classified in complexity based on the organization's SIC and/or activities and regulated aspects. Systems designated as highly complex could arguably take longer to make ready for initial registration because of the operational controls, monitoring and measurement, and operator skill levels needed to ensure the organization's goals are met, including both regulatory and non-regulatory such as energy or natural resource usage. Systems that have no need for waste water or air emission controls can take less time to set in place the operational controls, monitoring and measurement, calibration etc.

From here there is no way for me to guess your organization's current progress or the extent of what's left to accomplish before proceeding with registration. Sorry...

 

[Pjservan]

It will be hard to estimate based on your description above.

You can certainly leverage some of the tools that you have implemented as part of your QMS- such as the Document control and record control practices, training, internal audits, calibration and corrective/preventive actions; but still will require for you to put an EMS twist to it- to account for the differences.

But without knowing exactly what your company does, the headcount and and how regulated is your environment it will be hard to estimate hours of work for the project.

 

[isoalchemist]

Another major factor is if you have another ISO system in place and working that you can extend to include 14001 or if you are starting from scratch. Having a functional 9001 system saved a ton of time.

 

[John Broomfield]

Hello,


I'm a Quality Manager and I have to implement ISO 14001 for the company I'm working for, an EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services).

I have almost no experience with ISO 14001. I'm looking for the number of hours that I should plan for this system implementation. Can someone help me with this ?

If you can also provide an example of schedule I would surely appreciate.

Thanks in advance !

LesPiles

LesPiles,

Crucially this depends on:

1. Whether your management system already is process-based;
2. The number of employees governed by the system;
3. The nature of your business in terms of significant environmental aspects; and
4. The extent to which your company already is preventing pollution.

So, more info please.

John

 

[Straliatto]

There is an interesting tool on 14001Academy, that can give you an idea of how long the implementation of ISO 14001 would take. Unfortunately I'm still not allowed to share links but you can google it "Free ISO 14001 Implementation Duration Calculator"

 

[Helmut Jilling]

Hello,


I'm a Quality Manager and I have to implement ISO 14001 for the company I'm working for, an EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services).

I have almost no experience with ISO 14001. I'm looking for the number of hours that I should plan for this system implementation. Can someone help me with this ?

If you can also provide an example of schedule I would surely appreciate.

Thanks in advance !

LesPiles

You are asking a queston that is far too broad. It can take 50 hours oor several hundred, or more. You are in Electronics, so there are some aspects in your industries that must be taken into consideration.

I think what you are really trying to gage is how difficult it will be and what kind of resources will it require. let me discuss it from that perspective...

As a manufacturer, you are already subject to all the environmental regulations and requirements that pertain to your operations. At this moment, your company is doing things that can violate regulations and cost a lot of money in fines... but what if you don't know what laws those are? How much would it cost if you are violating current regs because you did not know about them?

That is the perspective you should begin from. ISO 14001 requires you to determine what legal regulations and requirements pertain to your business. I assume someone in management has already done some of this or you would be way out of compliance with EPA. Make a detailed matrix - (there is a sample legal matrix on my website - www.jilling.com).

Next, make a detailed list of all the activities of your operations that could have an environmental impact on the planet, and how you should control them. (make a list - Sample matrix on my website). Obviously, these two matrices are linked at the hip.

The third part is to manage and improve these aspects to reduce the impacts and make your operations more efficient and effective.

Now this is a major over-simplification, but that is the point. If you learn this stuff, get some training, you can document and implement it in a very clear, beneficial manner. Your company can safe money, pprotect itself from fines and violations, and actually make it pay for itself i you do it right.

But, you can't do it in 20 hours. And you can't just take someone else's system and put your name on it. It will take some learning, some thinking and some doing. But if you do it right, it can be free and make you operate much better.

I would get some good basic training, and start working your way in. It helpps to work wit a good consultant, at least at the beginning to get you started on the right path.