ABC is a large lubricant oils manufacturer located in country A. Due to tax exemption and other economic issues, they decided to move the whole plant to a neighbouring country B. They moved every single piece of the plant (equipment, systems); the new plant has the same layout, the same dimensions, the same suppliers of raw materials and the same customers. Even more, most personnel accepted to move to country B.
They operate a third-party certified EMS; the certificate was transferred to the new plant after a half-day audit from the certification body. You are auditing ABC's EMS in the new location, representing ABC's largest customer. When interviewing the Environmental Manager (EM), you ask:
You: Can I see the plan you developed to keep under control the impact of the EMS due to the change of site?
EM: We listed all elements and processes of the EMS that might need to be changed and selected those that we considered needed a careful review and probably a revision.
Below you will find that list; select six that you consider will need to be revised.
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?
Whistlekleen is a national dry cleaning and laundry organisation with 50 shops. You are conducting an EMS surveillance audit of Head Office and are sampling environmental performance measurement. You find that 80 per cent of failures to meet performance criteria originate from five shops in the same region. Most of these failures relate to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that exceeded regulations. The Environmental Manager tells you that these are the oldest shops in the organisation. The cleaning equipment needs replacing but the organisation cannot afford it at the moment.
On raising the matter with senior management, you are told that there are plans to replace the equipment in these shops over the next five years.
When reviewing the nonconformity report files, you find that the organisation is facing a legal dispute with the environmental authority over multiple breaches of environmental legislation.
Select the three best options for how this dispute should be handled by the organisation through its EMS.
You are auditing the ISO 14001 management system of a primary school (School 21st Century) located in downtown Lima, Peru. There are 400 students, attending classes from 9 am until 5.30 pm.
You have presented a nonconformity at the closing meeting:
Non-conformity - No environmental aspect has been identified related to the impact of the education provided by the school on students' awareness (as future adults) related to generic environmental issues.
Select the three best acceptable corrections that the school may take.
A small services organisation has been contracted to handle the disposal of waste for a local hospital. You are an auditor conducting a Stage 2 audit of the care home to ISO 14001. You are reviewing the contract with the Service Manager (SM). An addendum to the contract only requires that biological waste is disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way, without reference to any regulatory requirements.
You: How was the waste disposal plan for the contract developed?
SM: We have a basic template that covers the materials, labour requirements and methods to be employed. Some of that is specified by the contractor.
You: How does the plan deal with specific items like biological waste, which are included in the contract and can pose biological hazards to the environment?
SM: The basic plan covers general waste, but we have an addendum that covers biological waste.
You: Are you aware of the regulatory requirements for waste disposal standards in hospitals?
SM: Yes but we depend on the contractor to look after that side of things.
You raise a nonconformity against section 8.1.d of ISO 14001.
At the Stage 2 closing meeting of the audit, the EMS Manager objects to the nonconformity raised and asks for it to be withdrawn. He insists that they meet all the regulations.
Choose one of the options that the audit team leader should take in response to the request.
During a Stage 1 audit, the EMS Manager asks that the audit includes coverage of a new storage site on the other side of town that they have taken over since the application was made.
Which two of the following actions should the auditor take?
Which one of the following options best describes the main purpose of a Stage 2 third-party audit?
Which two of the following options are an advantage of using a sampling plan for the audit?
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.
Which three statements represent good audit practice?
TESTED 15 Jun 2025
