ISO 14001:2026 Lead Auditor

Introduction

This CQI & IRCA certified EMS ISO 14001:2026 Lead Auditor training course develops the skills needed to plan, conduct, report and follow up first-, second- and third-party audits against ISO 14001, and to lead an audit team.

Successful completion of this course satisfies the formal CQI & IRCA training requirements and helps increase your credibility as an EMS auditor or lead auditor.

CQI & IRCA certified training course number: 2827

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for you if:

• You want to audit Environmental Management Systems against ISO 14001 requirements
• You are an Auditor or Environmental System Manager and want to add to your credibility with a widely accepted qualification
• You want to satisfy the formal training requirements for IRCA certification

What you will learn

By the end of this course, you will understand:

• The purpose of an environmental management system and the business and societal benefits of improving environmental performance
• How the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) framework applies to ISO 14001
• The relationship between management responsibility, the context of the organisation, environmental policy, environmental planning, policy implementation, operational control, performance checking, management review and continual improvement
• Essential ISO 14001 terminology to help you interpret and audit the standard requirements.
• The difference between compliance obligations and conformance with ISO 14001
• How to plan and conduct an interview with top management
• How to plan, conduct, report and follow up an audit of an environmental management system to establish conformity, or otherwise, with ISO 14001 and in accordance with ISO 19011 and ISO 17021 where appropriate
• How to prepare an on-site audit plan that establishes effective audit trails across processes and between members of an audit team
• How to prepare thoroughly for an audit and produce checklists, including process-based checklists
• The contribution that audits make to the effectiveness of a management system
• How auditing for conformity can improve the stability and robustness of management systems
• The roles and responsibilities of an auditor and lead auditor
• How to gather objective evidence through observation, interviewing and reviewing documentation
• How to report findings accurately against ISO 14001 requirements, write and grade nonconformity reports and evaluate proposals for corrective action
• The certification requirements to become a registered auditor/lead auditor with IRCA.

What you need to prepare

Before attending this course, you should have:

• Knowledge and understanding of ISO 14001 and experience of auditing
• Ideally, to have attended our Introduction to ISO 14001 course
• An understanding of how organisations work and the role of top management
• Good knowledge of ISO 14001 and possess knowledge of environmental management principles and concepts, including:
  • The concept of environmental sustainable development whereby an organisation must ensure that actions of today do not degrade the environment of the future
  • The purpose of an initial review as the basis for establishing an environmental management system where none currently exists
  • Evaluation of activities, products and services in order to establish the environmental aspects associated with normal operating conditions, abnormal conditions such as start-up and shutdown and emergency situations and accidents
  • Considerations of environmental aspects with respect to: emission to air, release to water and release to land, use of raw materials, natural resources and energy, energy emitted and lost e.g. heat, radiation, vibration, steam, and compressed air, public nuisance such as light pollution, noise, and odour
  • Environmental legislation and how legal compliance forms part of an environmental management system, typical methods for evaluation of the significant impacts of the environmental aspects identified and how their ranking influences operational control and priorities for improvement

• To complete pre-coursework prior to attending the course.

Whats included?

• Training course materials

• Lunch and refreshments for public attendees only

• CQI & IRCA certificate

Course Delivery

• Blended
• Classroom Instructor Led
• Public | On Site
• Virtual Instructor Led

Course Duration

Classroom/VILT: 5 days.

Blended: 8 hours of online learning, divided into 11 eLearning modules that can be completed over a period of up to ten days, followed by 3 full days of in-person classroom training or virtual instructor-led training (VILT).

Training from LRQA

With LRQA, you can access a wide range of courses to help you further your career and bring improvements to the management systems in your organisation. With many learning styles to choose from, our training courses can help you develop and reach your next level. Find out more about our Training Courses from LRQA.