IRCA announces requirements for EMS auditor transition to ISO 14001:2004

The 2004 revision to ISO 14001 is important and IRCA will require certificated EMS auditors to demonstrate that they have updated themselves with the changes in the revision and that they understand the implications of these changes in the context of their EMS auditing activities.

What is the transition requirement for IRCA certificated EMS auditors?

All IRCA certificated EMS auditors will need to complete 4 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) focused on the changes in ISO 14001:2004 before completing any acceptable audits to the revised version ISO 14001:2004. This CPD and auditors' completed audits will be reviewed during the normal tri-annual renewal of certification. Auditors must include details of their relevant CPD in the CPD log submitted as part of this process, and note which version of the standard each audit was conducted against in the audit log.

When does this start?

We will accept transition CPD and audits to the new standard from January 2005.

What kind of CPD will IRCA accept?

We do not require EMS auditors to complete any specific transition CPD, and auditors may achieve this in a number of ways as is consistent with the usual IRCA approach to CPD:

On the job training
In-house training and seminars with your company
Attendance at relevant conferences, seminars and workshops
Reading (including the IRCA/231 briefing note)
A specific EMS auditor transition course

IRCA will provide a list of ISO 14001:2004 events and seminars that are acceptable for CPD: this will not be an exhaustive list and other CPD is acceptable. These events are offered by IRCA approved training organizations and OEAs, but are not formally certified by IRCA and, therefore, do not fall under IRCA control even though we accept them for CPD along with other training and events.