ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. ISO is comprised of national standards bodies throughout the world. The U.S. is represented by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). In 1996, the ISO member bodies approved the ISO 14001 standard relating to Environmental Management Systems. Other standards developed by ISO include ISO 9000 for quality management and ISO 14010 and ISO 14011, Guidelines for Environmental Auditing - General Principles and Guidelines for Environmental Auditing - Auditing EMS, respectively.
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ISO 14001 outlines elements that should be included in an Environmental Management System. Its aim is to promote environmental protection and prevention of pollution. Organizations certified as ISO 14001 have demonstrated their commitment to legal compliance, pollution prevention and continuous improvement. As of January 2002, there were only 1,645 registered ISO organizations in the United States. (See ISO Report for additional ISO 14001 statistics). Montenay Power Corp. was one of the first ISO registered companies in Florida.
An Environmental Management System ('EMS') integrates the management of environmental activities into an organization's everyday activities. The main elements of an EMS include, but are not limited to, environmental policy, communication, monitoring and measuring, as well as training, awareness and competence. Implementation and adherence to the EMS elements requires a significant commitment on the part of an organization's employees and management.
Every six months registered arbiters complete a surveillance audit to assure that Montenay maintains compliance with the principles of ISO and its own EMS, as well as demonstrating continuous improvement with respect to the environment.
An ISO team, comprised of members from every department, ensures that the EMS is implemented, maintained and continuously improved. Several members of the ISO team are qualified to perform internal EMS audits at other Montenay facilities. The exposure to other environmental management systems provides another means for continuous improvement ideas.
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