There are many benefits to implementing international standards into your organisation including their ability to support global trade and drive improvement!
Achieving ISO Certification adds another layer of assurance through an impartial external audit of the requirements.
However it’s important to remember that operating to the requirements of international standards is optional, and all organisations are obliged to comply with applicable legislation as a minimum.
Although many ISO Standards have recognisable clauses that may align to legislation, they are produced through global consensus, made up of national standards bodies whose respective legislation may differ.
Therefore implementing standards and achieving ISO Certification is not a guarantee or demonstration of legal compliance, but it can help by providing a framework for organisations to use.
Here are some examples.
ISO 50001 & Energy Reporting Legislation
The 2018 Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) is a legal requirement for organisations meeting certain criteria to report their energy use.
ISO 50001 the Energy Management Standard provides an internationally recognised framework for capturing energy information, identifying efficiencies and implementing improvements.
ISO 27001, ISO 27701 & Privacy Legislation
A number of data protection and privacy laws have been enacted around the world including the UK Data Protection Act 2018, EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA).
ISO 27001 the standard for information security provides a framework for managing risks to all of an organisation’s data, while the additional controls in ISO 27701 focus specifically on personal information which is covered by data protection legislation.
Therefore a combination of these standards can be used to manage both organisational information security risks and comply with privacy legislation by ensuring the rights and freedoms of individuals.
ISO 45001 and Health & Safety Legislation
ISO 45001 for Occupational Health & Safety Management originated from British Standard OHSAS 18001 before becoming a ratified international standard.
Establishing this international standard was not easy, partly because of the differing health & safety legislation in different countries around the world.
For that reason ISO 45001 does not automatically mean legal compliance, however, it can be used as a route to identify relevant legal requirements and build them into a management system.
Start Using Standards to Achieve Legal Compliance
Assent’s experienced ISO Consultants can help you use these ISO Standards as a framework for identifying and complying with applicable legal requirements.
We can also conduct a specific Legal Compliance Evaluation Audit to ensure that compliance arrangements remain effective.
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