An audit team leader arrives at a steel fabrication organisation that manufactures fire escape stairs...

The correct answers are A and D .

This question relates mainly to ISO 14001:2015 Clause 7.3 — Awareness and Clause 5.2 — Environmental policy .

Persons doing work under the organisation’s control, including subcontractor personnel where relevant, need to be aware of the organisation’s environmental policy. In this scenario, the environmental policy specifically includes two clear commitments:

A. Complying with legal requirements — Correct

The policy states that the organisation will “comply with relevant legislation.” Therefore, subcontractor personnel must be aware that their work must comply with applicable legal and environmental requirements. This is especially important because installation work may involve paint, waste, emissions, spill risks, drainage controls, and site environmental rules.

D. Commitment to environmental protection — Correct

The policy states that the organisation will “protect the environment by acting with responsibility at all times.” Therefore, subcontractor personnel should understand their responsibility to protect the environment while carrying out installation activities.

The other options are not the best answers:

B. Continual improvement of the EMS — Incorrect in this context

Continual improvement is an ISO 14001 policy requirement generally, but the policy text given in the question focuses on protecting the environment, complying with legislation, and setting objectives to enhance environmental performance. It is not one of the two clearest issues directly stated in the provided policy wording.

C. Addressing customer complaints — Incorrect

Customer complaints may be relevant to performance evaluation or corrective action, but they are not a stated commitment in the environmental policy.

E. Communicating with trade unions — Incorrect

This is not an environmental policy awareness requirement in the scenario.

F. Conducting environmental risk assessments — Incorrect

Risk assessment may be part of EMS planning, but the question asks what subcontractor personnel should be aware of in relation to the environmental policy, not what technical EMS activities they must conduct.

Therefore, the two correct issues are A. Complying with legal requirements and D. Commitment to environmental protection .