ISO 14001 Certification Consultants

For most small and medium businesses taking a steady approach, implementation runs between three and six months from engagement to certification audit. If you’re up against a tender deadline or need to move faster, it is possible to compress that timeline. Get in touch and we can discuss what’s achievable given your situation.

The cost depends on the size and complexity of your business. A typical small/medium business should expect to pay somewhere between $3,000 to $15,000 to have a system designed and implemented by a professional. You will also need to pay a certification body for your annual external audits – this would typically be around $3,000 – $6,000 per year. For larger businesses with multiple locations to be certified the cost will be substantially higher.

To give a cost estimate for your business we would typically need to speak with you and learn a bit about your business and your existing systems and processes. A formal quote would normally be provided after performing an initial gap analysis.

We’re consultants, not the certifying body. The actual certification is issued by an independent certification body that is accredited by JAS-ANZ (the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand). JAS-ANZ accreditation is the mark of a legitimate certification body in this country, and any certification you hold should be from a JAS-ANZ accredited certifier. We work with several and we’ll guide you through the choice without any referral fees or kickbacks influencing our recommendation.

ISO 14001 certification runs on a three-year cycle. Within that cycle you’ll have annual ‘surveillance audits’ which are less comprehensive audits to confirm your system is still operating as it should. At the end of the three years you go through a full recertification audit. We support clients through all of it, not just the initial certification.

You don’t exactly fail an audit – it’s more nuanced than that. If the auditor identifies issues, they’ll issue either a minor or major nonconformance. Minor nonconformances are generally not a big deal and are resolved in the normal course. Major nonconformances are more serious, so you’ll need to submit a corrective action plan and later provide evidence that the issue has been fixed. Certification may be suspended in the meantime. If it isn’t resolved within the required timeframe, certification can be cancelled.

The good news: a well-prepared business rarely encounters major nonconformances. Our job is to make sure you’re not walking into that audit with surprises. Where useful, we run a mock audit ahead of the real one, a full simulation that tests your system the way the certification body will, so anything that needs fixing gets fixed before it costs you.

Certainly, and for many businesses it makes a lot of sense to do so. Implementing ISO 14001 alongside ISO 9001 or ISO 45001 at the same time allows us to build what’s called an Integrated Management System, or IMS. Rather than separate systems running in parallel, an IMS combines them into one cohesive framework. It saves time during implementation, reduces duplication, and makes ongoing maintenance considerably easier. If you’re considering more than one standard, it’s worth having that conversation early.

Almost all of our work is done on-site. For most clients there’s no substitute for being in the room with the people who do the work. For regional clients or specific projects where remote delivery makes sense, we’ll work at distance using video and document review. But the work is still done by the same Australian-based practitioners you’d meet in person. Unlike some firms we don’t outsource any part of the engagement offshore.

No. We work with businesses of all sizes. What matters is that ISO 14001 is the right fit for your situation, which is exactly what our free discovery call is designed to work out.