Abstract

[This abstract is based on the author's abstract.] ISO 14001 is being increasingly implemented to manage environmental impact. Many of the organizations implementing ISO 14001 already have an existing quality management system in place that meets the requirements of ISO 9001. The ultimate focus of ISO 9001:2000 is to improve customer satisfaction and like ISO 14001, it is based on the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) model. OHSAS 18001, while not yet a consensus standard, is being adopted by many organizations as a complementary approach to managing their occupational health and safety (OHS) issues. Organizations can get a high return on investment by taking advantage of the similarities between the three standards by integrating their quality, environmental and OHS management systems. There are a number of reasons why an organization would spend time and money to implement management systems that meet a certain standard: to retain customers who require standards to be met; to overcome trade barriers; to reduce insurance costs; to reduce manufacturing costs; because it is the right thing to do, both for the environment and for their employees; and because it the smart thing to do in creating valuable enhancements to their companies. Reasons why an organization may or may not choose to integrate the approaches are presented.