ISO 14001 Foundation Improvement and Corrective Action 1 Flashcards
6 cards from real ISO 14001 Foundation Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 ISO 14001 Foundation Improvement and Corrective Action 1 flashcards as text
Which of the following is NOT a required step in the corrective action process under ISO 14001?
Answer: Obtaining third-party certification approval before proceeding
ISO 14001 Clause 10.2 outlines corrective action steps internally — react, evaluate cause, implement action, and verify effectiveness. Third-party approval is not part of the corrective action process.
A manufacturing plant discovers that its wastewater discharge exceeded permitted limits. Under ISO 14001, which term best describes this event?
Answer: Nonconformity
Exceeding a legal or EMS requirement constitutes a nonconformity under ISO 14001, which then triggers the corrective action process defined in Clause 10.2.
Under ISO 14001, corrective actions are specifically intended to eliminate the causes of nonconformities in order to:
Answer: Prevent recurrence of the nonconformity
Clause 10.2 states that corrective actions must address root causes so that the same nonconformity does not recur, which is fundamental to systemic improvement.
In ISO 14001, 'continual improvement' of the EMS is BEST measured by:
Answer: Enhancement of environmental performance aligned with the organization's environmental policy
ISO 14001 Clause 10.3 defines continual improvement as enhancing environmental performance consistent with the organization's policy commitments — it is outcome-focused, not procedural or administrative.
When determining the cause of a nonconformity in an ISO 14001 EMS, which approach is most consistent with the standard's intent?
Answer: Conducting a root cause analysis to understand why the nonconformity occurred
ISO 14001 Clause 10.2 requires organizations to determine the causes of nonconformities so that effective corrective actions can be developed. Root cause analysis is the method aligned with this intent.
An organization's internal audit reveals that corrective actions from a previous cycle were implemented but environmental performance did not improve. What should the organization do next?
Answer: Re-evaluate the effectiveness of the actions and initiate further corrective action if needed
ISO 14001 Clause 10.2 requires organizations to evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions. If an action was implemented but did not resolve the issue, further corrective action is required — mere implementation is not sufficient.