A legal register alone is not enough | HÖPPNER | Management systems, legal registers & occupational health and safety

Many companies now have a Legal register often in Excel or with corresponding software. But anyone who thinks they can meet the requirements of ISO 50001 completely, may be mistaken. This is because the standard not only requires the identification and maintenance of legal requirements (chapter 4.2), but also their Regular assessment of compliance (Chapter 9.1.2) - including documented evidence, including the corresponding measures taken.

The challenge: From regulation to operational obligation

A well-maintained legal register is an important first step - no question about it! At best, it contains all relevant legal and other requirements and lists the relevant regulations, articles, paragraphs and text passages. In the case of DIN ISO 50001, the relevant provisions relating to energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption are also included. But the real challenge lies in the concrete derivation of resulting obligations for the company - and checking them during operation.

What exactly does DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 require?

According to standard sections 9.1.2 in conjunction with 4.2, companies must:

compliance with legal and other requirements Evaluate at planned intervals,
documented information the results of the compliance assessment and any actions taken,
in the event of non-compliance Handling deviationsimplement measures and check their effectiveness.

Practical example: The legal register from Höppner Management & Consultant

Our modular design RK COMFORT" legal register is specially designed to meet the requirements of companies with ISO management systems - including ISO 50001. It not only supports the identification of relevant legal bases and other regulations, but also the Concrete derivation of operational obligationstheir documentation and regular compliance assessment in accordance with Chapter 9.1.2 ISO 50001 is required.

Our solution offers:

a structured overview of all Energy laws and ISO 50001-relevant regulations (EU, federal government, federal states, municipalities),
a comprehensible derivation and technical explanation specific operational obligations,
Supplementary comment fields for compliance assessmentsincluding status, evaluation and measures if necessary,
Export functions (e.g. Quentic, Excel, SharePoint integration) for internal or external use in an audit context,
Regular updates of the legal register incl. change log,
Support with the Assignment of responsibility and implementation of duties within the company.

With the option Compliance audit we also offer a standard-compliant assessment of compliance with legal and other requirements on site or remotely - an ideal complement to the internal system assessment.

Compliance - not a one-off event

The assessment of compliance with legal requirements in accordance with ISO 50001 (section 9.1.2) is Not a one-off processbut a recurring one, Planned valuation with Documentation obligation. She demands:

the evaluation of the implementation concrete duties,
A differentiated view of Non-compliance vs. non-conformity,
and the Derivation and tracking of measures in the event of identified deviations.

Many companies underestimate this step - or confuse it with a mere list of legal standards. But only those who Compliance actively evaluatedalso fulfills the normative requirements.

Our offer

At Höppner Management & Consultant GmbH, we support you in setting up, maintaining and evaluating your legal register - specifically tailored to the needs of your company and the respective requirements of your management systems (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001):

Professional support from legally experienced consultants - with expertise in energy, environmental, labor and health and safety law, among others
Creation of a standard-compliant legal register with allocation of duties and responsibilities,
Templates for Compliance assessment incl. action tracking (e.g. Quentic connection or Excel export),
Implementation of Compliance audits,
Support during audits and Training for your internal managers.

Would you like to know whether your current legal register complies with standards and how well your organization is positioned in terms of compliance?

Photo: Scott Graham / Unsplash