Does RC 14001:2015 include the RCMS requirements?

 

Students seeking an RC 14001 2015 lead auditor course are often unclear on what is covered during QMII’s 4-day Exemplar approved course. Why is it 4 days instead of 3 days as provided some other providers? In this article we hope to answer some of these questions. Including is the RCMS requirements covered within the RC 14001 2015 standard.

Let us start by clarifying the difference between RC 14001 2015 and the RCMS technical specification. The RCMS (Responsible Care Management System) Technical specification is published by ACC is a comprehensive health, safety, security, and environmental performance improvement initiative for ACC members globally. These consist of chemical manufacturing companies mostly. RC 14001 2015 is published by ISO in collaboration with the ACC. It includes both the requirements for ISO 140012015 and RCMS. By opting for the RC 14001 option companies can demonstrate to stakeholders that they meet both standards.

RC14001 2015 was updated in 2015, although previously published in 2013, to align with the updated ISO 14001:2015. ISO 14001 in 2015 was revised to align with the high-level structure for ISO standards. The revised standard now had ten clauses the same as ISO 9001, ISO 45001 and others. The intent of ISO behind this was to make management system that conformed to multiple standards easier to integrate. Major changes include changes in the prescriptive requirements for documentation, the need for risk-based thinking as the organization being more proactive than reactive, more accountability by leadership, and consideration of the changing context of the organization and the needs of the various relevant stakeholders.

RC 14001 2015 further captures the additional RCMS requirements for companies that look to conform to ACC’s RCMS requirements. QMII’s lead auditor class covers the course content comprising of a mix of lectures and workshops over a period of 4 days. This so that the materials are not rushed through for the students and they walk away competent in the knowledge and ready to apply it on stepping out of the classroom. The course covers the standard in entirety and its interpretation and application. The course also covers the various codes that supplement the RCMS technical specification. While students must purchase copies of the RC 14001 standard, all ACC technical specifications are available for free download on their website.

RC 14001 2015 enables organizations to continually improve their system while saving costs and preserving the environment including resources, reduce risks of fines through better compliance with requirements and drive sustainability. A trained workforce is better able to meet objectives and requirements as defined. The standard get leadership more involved and the intent is that companies will proactively manage their systems rather then rely on audits and inspections (non-conformities)  to drive improvements