How to Use the Changes to ISO Management System Standards (14001, 9001, safety, energy) to Improve Hazardous Materials Management

The next revision of each ISO management system standard must follow the recently (2013) published ISO/IEC directive for high level structure, identical core text, common terms and core definitions.  The revisions of ISO 14001 (environment), ISO 9001 (quality), the in-process writing of an ISO standard based on OHSAS 18001, and others are in draft stages and cannot be shared outside the drafting groups (draft  text will change, which would be misleading).  However, a study of the directive reveals what is important, what is new, and what is longer required. A comparison of the withdrawn ISO 27001:2005 (information security) standard with the 2013 ISO-structured version also provides insights.  

ISO intends the revisions to improve ISO management systems.  EHS professionals should use the revisions to improve hazardous materials management.  The new requirements, such as “Understanding the organization and its context,” risk management (based on ISO 31000 and Guide 73: risk = “effect of uncertainty on objectives”), a specific clause dedicated to improvement, the elimination of the training requirement, and new definitions (risk, effectiveness, correction, requirement, outsource, process, monitoring, measurement) all impact the management of hazardous materials.

By using the directive and already-restructured standards, EHS professionals can begin proactive planning on how to implement the beneficial changes now, rather than making reactive changes when the standards are released and the first certification audit to the new standards is looming (two year window for change).