Compliance obligations
Plain-language summary
Knowing every environmental legal requirement and other commitment that applies to you, having access to them, and understanding what each one means for your operation.
What the clause is really asking
You cannot meet rules you do not know exist. The clause requires you to determine and have access to the compliance obligations relating to your aspects — legal requirements plus other obligations you adopt, such as customer or community commitments — and to determine how they apply. In South Africa that means NEMA and its specific acts on air quality, waste, water and biodiversity, plus permits, licences and by-laws. The intent is to control the real legal risk that sits behind your significant aspects.
What auditors look for
Auditors take a significant aspect and ask which laws and permits govern it, then ask to see the obligation in your register and how you interpreted it for your site. They check permit and licence validity, conditions and renewal dates. They look for a maintained register that is genuinely accessed and understood, not a stale list, and they cross-check it against the evaluation of compliance under 9.1.2.
Typical evidence
Compliance obligations register (legal and other); copies of permits, licences and authorisations with conditions; interpretation of how each applies; renewal tracking; link to evaluation of compliance.
How to comply — recommendations
Build a register listing each obligation, its source, the relevant clause or permit condition, and what it requires of you in plain terms. Track permit and licence expiry dates with reminders. Use a legal-update service or your industry body to stay current with NEMA and by-law changes. Make sure the register lines up with your significant aspects and feeds directly into your compliance evaluations.
Common nonconformities
Register missing applicable legislation or permit conditions; expired or lapsed permits; obligations listed but not interpreted for the site; register not kept current; mismatch with evaluation of compliance.
Related clauses
ISO 14001 4.2; ISO 14001 9.1.2; ISO 45001 6.1.3
Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard. Refer to your licensed copy of the relevant standard for the authoritative text.