Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC recently completed ISO 14001:2015 transition audits at all 11 of its facilities across six locations.
ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, focuses on environmental management systems in ISO 14001, for which the previous standard was established in 2004. The latest standard, ISO 14001:2015, is intended for use by an organization seeking to manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner that contributes to the environmental pillar of sustainability.
“This achievement not only fulfills customer obligations for continued certification, but also demonstrates a commitment to compliance with regulatory requirements — as well as the continual improvement of our management systems,” said Maria Gutierrez, Bendix director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “The third-party certification achieved gives confidence to our customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders that Bendix has implemented the requirements of the standard properly.”
Bendix facilities completing the transition to ISO 14001:2015 were the three plants at the Acuña, Mexico, campus; Bowling Green, Kentucky; the Elyria headquarters; the four plants at the Huntington, Indiana, operation; Mexico City, Mexico; and North Aurora, Illinois. Bureau Veritas conducted the external audits.
Teams at each location prepared for more than a year to further strengthen existing environmental management systems to address the latest revisions to the ISO 14001 standard. One of the areas they concentrated on, as defined in the update, was ensuring the inclusion of environmental management within the company’s strategic planning process.
They also increased focus on environmental aspects around product life-cycle management, such as acquisition of raw materials, design, production, transportation and delivery, use, end-of-life treatment, and final disposal. Lastly, the teams emphasized proactive initiatives aimed at improving environmental performance.
