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.