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Session 2251

ISO 14000 Standards- Environmental Management for the 21st Century

Dr. Marilyn Barger, P.E . Department of Civil Engineering FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

ISO 9000 series is the international standard for a quality control system that guarantees a least performance level for products and guidelines to achieve ISO certification. These have been in place for several years and have become widespread in the manufacturing, service, and product development businesses. ISO 14000 standards are patterned from the 9000 series, are expected to be issued within the next year, will encompass environmental management standards under three organizational elements and three additional product-oriented elements. The organizational elements to be included are: Environmental Management Systems, Environmental Auditing, and Environmental Performance. The three product-related elements will be: Life Cycle Analysis, Environmental Labeling; and Environmental Aspects of Product Standards. The basis for all of the international standards developed by ISO is the idea of quality management (QM). Successful application of any of the existing standards in the upcoming ISO 14000 series requires a firm understanding by the engineering and technical professions what these standards require.

Taken to their ultimate conclusion, all ISO standards themselves provide the guidelines to achieving ISO certification, which in turn, characterizes the organization by the very standards it set to achieve by that certification. This paper will review the important aspects and the underlying philosophy of these standards, presenting the 9000 series as background for the new 14000 standards. It will also outline the infrastructure of the certification process in the United States and the benefits of certification. Finally, where and how the information about the standards and their underlying philosophy might be incorporated into engineering education, will be addressed.

BACKGROUND ISO is the International Organization for Standardization whose objective is to promote the development of standards, testing, and certification to encourage the trade of goods and services. Besides setting specific standards for all types of products, this international organization produces management principles. Organizationally, it consists of representatives of ninety-one countries, each of which is represented by some national standards organization. The American National Standards Institutes (ANSI), for example, is the U.S. representative to ISO. ANSI is the standards organization that facilitates the development of consensus standards in the U.S. ANSI itself does not develop or write standards. It provides a structure and mechanism for industry or product groups to come together to establish consensuses and develop a standard.

The international organization has more than 180 technical committees that cover many industry sectors and products. The American Society of Quality Control (ASQC) administers the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG), which presents its views to the international ISO technical committee.

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Barger, M. (1997, June), Iso 14000 Standards Environmental Management For The 21st Century Paper presented at 1997 Annual Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 10.18260/1-2--6655