Activedumpsnet Logo
A huge public library established an EMS following the requirements of ISO 14001, which was third-party certified 10 years ago. You are performing the second surveillance audit of the third certification cycle. The audit plan included an audit to the Director as the last interview before the closing meeting.
During the interview with the Director, you audit clause 6.2 (Objectives and planning to achieve them). The dialogue is as follows:
You: Could you please tell me which were the environmental objectives defined for last year and show evidence of their achievement?
Director: Yes. We had defined three objectives. As you can see from our Annual Plan, one of them was to separate our waste in four categories: paper, plastics, metals, food — before, we had only three (plastic and paper were disposed together). We developed an Action Plan to achieve this objective.
Which six of the questions would you ask related to the Action Plan?
Showitoff is an organisation specialising in the design and production of wall decorating materials for the domestic market. During an ISO 14001 certification audit of the site, the auditor comes across an open, walled area just outside the maintenance department. It contains various scraps of wood and metal as well as several rusty components. They are lying on an oily floor. When asked about it, the EMS Manager states that he presumes that the materials come from maintenance work.
The auditor interviews the Maintenance Manager in his department. He notes that shelves containing various spares are well labelled and neatly stacked. He asked about the "dump" outside and is told that it contains some excess materials that the Manager likes to keep in case they come in handy at some stage. The auditor points out that the "dump" might be classed under regulations as a landfill site, which requires an operating licence. The Maintenance Manager is not aware of such a licence.
The auditor decides to review the process for evaluation of compliance with environmental regulations in more depth.
Select three options that provide a meaningful audit trail for this process.
An organisation has the following environmental policy document displayed in the reception area:
"This organisation is committed to providing electric cables to customers' requirements, in accordance with environmental regulations for their manufacture, use and disposal. The organisation will strive to increase the environmental awareness of its personnel, suppliers, subcontractors and interested parties. Continual environmental improvement is a permanent objective of the organisation. This policy shall be communicated to all employees with the opportunity for them to seek clarification where required. Where required the policy shall be communicated to all interested parties."
Referring to the above policy statement, select three options for which the organisation is meeting ISO 14001 requirements.
In the case of ISO 14001 EMS audits that follow the recommendations of ISO 19011, which two of the following statements are true?
You work for a certification body. In two months, you will have to lead an audit of a pharmaceutical organisation, ABC, that manufactures vaccines to combat a pandemic. When planning the audit team, you select one of the certification body auditors who is professionally qualified in Biochemistry and Pharmacy. However, she is not fully aware of all legal applicable requirements. You recommend the certification body hire a compliance expert to assist the audit team. In which two clauses of ISO 14001:2015 would you consider that auditors may need the help of the expert?
Sparkle is an organisation that provides mobile car cleaning services at customers' premises. It has been certified to ISO 14001 for some time and has appointed a new EMS Manager. The audit plan during a surveillance audit includes the improvement actions and the auditor asks to see the most recent management review meeting minutes.
Which six statements would represent output audit evidence for the management review?
Which two of the following documents are not required for documentation review by an auditor conducting a Stage 1 certification audit to ISO 14001?
An organisation has ISO 14001 EMS certification from a third-party certification body. Which one of the following represents an advantage of having accredited certification?
You are conducting a Stage 2 certification audit of VitalSpark, a pharmaceutical organisation manufacturing vitamins and other healthcare medicines. In a separate area in the centre of their large site, a supplier produces oxygen supplies piped directly into the manufacturing processes of VitalSpark. They also deliver oxygen in bulk tankers to other customers. When you review the environmental aspects register, you find that the only environmental aspect recorded for this arrangement relates to the heavy goods vehicles of the supplier transiting the site.
You ask the EMS Manager about the environmental consequences to VitalSpark of this arrangement and are told that they are not significant since the supplier has its own services for water, sewage, waste and energy. The EMS Manager tried unsuccessfully to communicate with the supplier who is located inside the VitalSpark site and outside the scope of the EMS.
You raise a non-conformance against clause 6.1.2 of ISO 14001:
"VitalSpark does not maintain documented information on aspects/impacts related to activities, products and services of the oxygen supplier."
Which combination of two of the following actions proposed by VitalSpark would permit you to close out the nonconformity?
An audit team leader arrives at a steel fabrication organisation that manufactures fire escape stairs to carry out a Stage 2 certification audit. At a meeting with the EMS Manager, she is told that they have won their biggest contract from a construction organisation to manufacture and install fire escape stairs. They appointed a subcontractor to perform the installation work. The EMS Manager wants the ISO 14001 audit extended to cover the installation site.
Select which one of the options is the correct response by the auditor.
A multi-level shopping centre is open every day to the public from 09:00–21:00 hours. During an external audit of the centre to ISO 14001, you establish that there are 40 vending machines that are permanently switched on. Thirty of them do not sell perishable foodstuffs. You also note that there are eight escalators in the complex that run constantly during public access. When asked about environmental performance improvement objectives, the Centre Manager says that there are plans to increase the natural daylight by installing more skylights thus saving on lighting costs, but the estimated budget for this has not yet been approved by the board.
You: I note that energy consumption is a significant environmental aspect in the centre. How do you mitigate the impacts of this?
EMS Manager: We try to reduce our energy costs by negotiating a better deal from the energy company. We are considering changing to one that only supplies electricity from renewable sources.
You: What steps have you taken to reduce overall consumption?
EMS Manager: We conducted awareness training for staff. For example, turning off lights in staff areas not being used.
You: I see that the escalators account for the highest usage of energy. Are there any objectives to try and reduce this?
EMS Manager: No, it would be too costly to change them.
You: How do you measure electricity consumption?
EMS Manager: We have meters installed in each floor of the centre. We take readings every hour and we plot the consumption graph for every staff shift.
You continue the interview and find that energy consumption has increased steadily over the past five years. Select the two statements that are true.
You are auditing the ISO 14001 management system of a primary school (School 21st Century) located in downtown Lima, Peru. There are 400 students, attending classes from 9 am until 5.30 pm.
You have presented a nonconformity at the closing meeting:
Non-conformity - No environmental aspect has been identified related to the impact of the education provided by the school on students' awareness (as future adults) related to generic environmental issues.
Select the three best acceptable corrections that the school may take.