If you’re weighing up whether ISO 14001 is right for your business, one think that’s probably at the forefront of your mind is cost. The cost of implementing ISO 14001 will always vary depending on a few factors, namely:
- The size of your organisation
- Your industry
- The complexity of your processes
But that’s probably not exactly the answer you were looking for, so let’s breakdown what the costs could entail.
Resource planning
Implementing and maintaining an environmental management system takes time and resources. While it does depend on the size and complexity of your organisation, the ISO certification process usually takes between 3 to 6 months.
The nature of ISO 14001 focuses on employee participation, including people in all levels of the company, including those in leadership positions, so you’ll need to plan and allocate time and resources alongside your employee’s normal duties. The frequency of your surveillance audits will vary depending on your number of employees and the perceived environmental risk of your business processes, so make sure you also plan the resources needed for these audits.
Training courses
This cost depends on the type of course and the provider, but prices typically range from £300 for a classroom-based course on the requirements of ISO 14001, to £1600 for a 3-day long course on becoming an internal auditor. Training courses are a great way to ensure your employees are more efficient in carrying out their duties and should therefore place less stress on resources further down the line. Our internal auditor training sessions are CPD certified and are only delivered by consultants with more than 5 years’ experience of conducting third-party audits.
Employing a consultant
If time and resources are already short, employing an ISO 14001 consultant will help reduce the strain of initial implementation. A consultant will ensure a smooth implementation process and can speed processes along when internal misinterpretations cause complications.
If you’re put off by various costs of getting ISO 14001 certified, don’t forget that in the long term, a successful environmental management system should save you money through:
- Increased efficiency
- Reduced waste
- Achieve more business
I’m interested in ISO 14001 certification
You can arrange a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable advisors if ISO 14001 interests you. We work to make the process as simple as possible by providing a set charge and flexible approach to achieving ISO certification.
Do you already have ISO 14001 certification? You can become trained to conduct internal audits as an ISO 14001 internal auditor. We offer ISO 14001 internal auditor training courses for those interested.
