Analysis of the design and implementation phase of ISO 14001 environmental management systems in manufacturing enterprises

Increasing awareness and the number of activities for environmental protection has influenced the development of environmental management systems. Currently, there is a wide range of environmental management systems that can be implemented thus organizations can choose which system suits their activities best. Among small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises, the most popular is a system based on the ISO 14001 standard. Therefore, it seems advisable to promote the skillful implementation of this system. The study was devoted to this issue. It pointed out that the participation of an external consultant, the size of the enterprise as well as the nature of the activity in small and medium manufacturing enterprises has a small importance at the time of its implementation. To implement such a system skillfully, preparation work period for designing and implementing should last about 9 - 12 months