Workshop to Highlight Changes to Environmental Management Standards

The National Certification Body of Jamaica (NCBJ) will be conducting an awareness session and workshop to highlight changes and revisions made to environmental requirement standards under which companies, manufacturers and exporters must operate.

The session, which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, at the Bureau of Standards, 6 Winchester Road, Kingston, will specifically address the International Standardization Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission(ISO/IEC) 17021-2 Competence Requirements and the revision made to the ISO 14001:2015 Standard.

Manager of the NCBJ, Jacqueline Scott-Brown, explained that the event will target ISO 14001 certified company representatives, environmental expert advisors and practitioners, technical experts, exporters, project managers and environmental management system auditors, who have to conform to these standards.

She pointed out that the revision to the ISO 14001 will come into effect 2015 therefore, persons need to become familiar with the terms and conditions of the amended requirements.

Turning to the ISO/IEC 17021-2 Competence Requirements, Mrs. Scott-Brown explained that this is an upgrade to the standard for auditing and certification of the environmental management system.

“The requirement standards have been revised to make it easier for companies to better understand the underlying principles in relation to the environment such as waste management control, energy use and pollution prevention,” she noted.

She urged persons to ensure that their activities, products, services, location and method of distribution reflect the new changes as this can allow them to expand their market reach and become globally competitive.

The mandate of the NCBJ is to provide affordable certification to small, medium and large organizations in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

It actively promotes the international certification of management systems among Jamaican small and medium firms in particular, with the objective of these entities gaining international acceptance and quality standards.

For more information on the upcoming session and the work of the NCBJ, persons may call 619-1131, 632-4275 or send email to: ncbj@bsj.org.jm.

Contact: Kadian Brown