ISO 14001 Foundation Certification FREE ISO 14001 Foundation Environmental Aspects and Impacts Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes the element of an organization's activities, products, or services that can interact with the environment?
- Environmental impact
- Environmental aspect (Correct answer)
- Environmental condition
- Environmental objective
Correct answer: Environmental aspect
An environmental aspect is the element of an organization's activities, products, or services that can interact with the environment.
Question 2: What is the relationship between an environmental aspect and an environmental impact under ISO 14001?
- They are interchangeable terms
- An impact causes an aspect
- An aspect can cause an impact (Correct answer)
- An impact is required to identify an aspect
Correct answer: An aspect can cause an impact
An environmental aspect can cause an environmental impact, making aspects the cause and impacts the effect in this relationship.
Question 3: When determining significant environmental aspects, which criterion is most commonly evaluated?
- Cost of mitigation
- Probability and severity of the environmental impact (Correct answer)
- Number of employees involved
- Distance from a water source
Correct answer: Probability and severity of the environmental impact
Organizations typically evaluate the probability and severity of the environmental impact when determining significance of an environmental aspect.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of an indirect environmental aspect?
- A factory's direct air emissions from a smokestack
- Wastewater discharged directly from a pipe
- A supplier's use of hazardous chemicals that affects downstream products (Correct answer)
- A company vehicle's fuel combustion
Correct answer: A supplier's use of hazardous chemicals that affects downstream products
Indirect environmental aspects arise from activities over which an organization has influence but not full control, such as a supplier's practices.
Question 5: According to ISO 14001, how often must an organization update its determination of environmental aspects?
- Every 5 years
- Only during the initial certification audit
- At planned intervals and when significant changes occur (Correct answer)
- Whenever a new employee joins
Correct answer: At planned intervals and when significant changes occur
ISO 14001 requires organizations to update their environmental aspects at planned intervals and whenever significant changes to activities, products, or services occur.
Question 6: Which ISO 14001 clause requires organizations to determine their environmental aspects?
- Clause 4.1
- Clause 6.1.2 (Correct answer)
- Clause 7.4
- Clause 9.1
Correct answer: Clause 6.1.2
Clause 6.1.2 of ISO 14001:2015 requires organizations to determine the environmental aspects of their activities, products, and services.
ISO 14001 Foundation Certification FREE ISO 14001 Foundation Environmental Aspects and Impacts Questions and Answers 2
Which term describes the element of an organization's activities, products, or services that can interact with the environment?