ISO 14001 Clause 7: Support
Clause 7 addresses the supporting elements your EMS needs to function effectively: resources, competence, awareness, communication, and documented information.
Resources
The organisation must determine and provide the resources needed for the establishment, implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of the EMS. Resources include people, infrastructure, technology, and financial provision. Without adequate resources, even a well-designed EMS will fail to deliver results.
Competence and Awareness
Clause 7.2 requires you to ensure that persons doing work under the organisation's control are competent based on appropriate education, training, or experience. Where gaps exist, actions must be taken to acquire the necessary competence and records retained as evidence.
Clause 7.3 requires that workers are aware of the environmental policy, the significant environmental aspects and impacts related to their work, their contribution to EMS effectiveness, and the implications of not conforming to EMS requirements.
Communication
Clause 7.4 requires you to plan internal and external communications relevant to the EMS. This includes deciding what to communicate, when, with whom, and how. External communication of environmental performance can build stakeholder trust and meet regulatory disclosure requirements.
Documented Information
Clause 7.5 covers the creation, updating, and control of documented information required by ISO 14001 and any additional documentation the organisation deems necessary. This includes proper identification, format, review, approval, and protection of documents and records.
Key Requirements
- Determine and provide resources needed for the EMS
- Ensure competence of persons whose work affects environmental performance
- Make workers aware of the policy, significant aspects, and their roles
- Plan and implement internal and external environmental communications
- Create, control, and retain documented information as required by the standard
Audit Questions
- How does the organisation ensure adequate resources are available for the EMS?
- What evidence exists that workers are competent to perform tasks that affect environmental performance?
- How are employees made aware of significant environmental aspects related to their work?
- Can you describe the communication process for environmental information both internally and externally?
- How is documented information controlled, including access, distribution, and retention?
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