PECB Related Exams
ISO-14001-Lead-Auditor Exam

A management system meeting ISO 14001:2015 requirements is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle.
Which two elements of the management system are part of the 'Check' stage of the PDCA cycle?
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.
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.