Management Systems | Project

ISO 14001 Evaluation of “Other” Requirements – Development of Other Requirements Audit Protocol for Automotive Client

Unlike legal requirements, “other” requirements can include the growing number of large companies imposing sustainability demands on their suppliers, such as additional greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting and submitting proof of certification to ISO 14001. For organizations that are producing parts or products for multiple clients, identifying and then managing these additional supply chain requirements can be a daunting task. While Section 4.3.2 of ISO 14001 requires organizations to identify “other” requirements, Section 4.5.2.2 specifically requires organizations to evaluate their compliance with them. All too often the identification, management and evaluation of compliance of “other” requirements is given less attention as compared to their legal counterparts, resulting in a potential non-conformity.

Tavares Group Consulting Inc. has recently worked on a project to manage this exact issue for an automotive supplier client. The end result of this project was an easy to use audit protocol identifying the “other” requirements of over two dozen of our client’s major auto maker customers. This audit protocol will allow our client to demonstrate compliance with Sections 4.3.2 and 4.5.2.2 of ISO 14001, thereby reducing the risk of non-conformity. Using this audit protocol, the client now has a single tool to evaluate their compliance to their “other” requirements by answering a series of questions organized into the following categories:

• Management System Implementation
• Reporting
• Energy Consumption
• GHG and ODS
• Air Quality and Noise
• Chemicals and Substances of Concern
• Water Consumption and Discharge
• Waste Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Product Design and Life Cycle Impacts
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Quality
• Safety
• Training