Environmental Management Systems (EMS) ISO-14001:2004 - In
brief
The Global Environmental Initiative in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 was the catalyst for
the formation of ISO 14000. Over one hundred of the countries attending the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) committed to
improving international environmental management programs and petitioned the
ISO to adopt the cause. In turn, the ISO established the Strategic Advisory
Group on the Environment (SAGE) to determine whether an international
environmental management standard could "promote a common approach to
environmental management, enhance an organization's ability to attain and
measure improvements in environmental performance, and facilitate trade and remove
trade barriers." Following a favorable report, the ISO established a
committee to standardize environmental management "tools and
systems," but not performance standards.
ISO 14001, published on September 1, 1996, provides the basic framework
for the establishment of an environmental management system (EMS).
It is this system that can be audited under later provisions and that can lead
to certification, or registration. As with ISO 9000, registration is the flag a
company carries to convey to its consumers, investors, insurers, suppliers and
government that it has successfully implemented ISO 14000. There are five
requirements of ISO 14001: formation of a corporate environmental policy and
commitment to an EMS, development of a plan for implementation, implementation
and operation of the EMS, monitoring and
possible corrective action, and top management review and continual
improvement.
An Environment Management System (EMS) is a tool for
managing the impacts of an organisation's activities on the environment. It
provides a structured approach to planning and implementing environment
protection measures.
Like a financial management
system monitors expenditure and income and enables regular checks of a company's
financial performance, an EMS monitors
environmental performance. An EMS integrates
environmental management into a company's daily operations, long term planning
and other quality management systems.
ISO-14001:2004
EMS Specification
ISO-14004:2004
EMS Guidelines
ISO-14010
Guidelines for Environmental Auditing
- General Principles
ISO-14011
Guidelines for Environmental Auditing
- Audit Procedures
- Auditing of Environmental Management
Systems
ISO-14012
Guidelines for Environmental Auditors
- Qualification Criteria for Environmental
Auditors
First, ISO 14001 requires corporate commitment and a written
environmental policy. Many corporations already have environmental policies and
they may be sufficient, but three key provisions must be incorporated into an
ISO 14001 environmental policy. The business must conform to all applicable
national laws and regulations. There must be pollution prevention provisions;
however, the specifics are left to the discretion of the individual industry.
Finally, the environmental policy must include a commitment to continual
improvement that comes from top management. ISO 14001 recognizes that without
high level management setting the example, all other efforts are meaningless.
Second, ISO 14001 requires a
plan of action. Basically, the corporation must say what it is going to do, how
it is going to do it, who is going to do it, and by when it is going to do it.
More concretely, the corporation must: "designate responsibility for
achieving objectives and targets at each relevant function and level; provide
the means for fulfilling the objectives and targets; designate a time frame
within which they will be achieved." The allocation of responsibility is a
crucial element of ISO 14001. Simple sociology explains that workers are more
productive when they understand the goal they are working for, when they are
given responsibility for reaching that goal, and when they are rewarded for
succeeding. This type of employee involvement and feedback is just one of the
recurring themes throughout ISO 14000.
Third is the implementation
of the EMS. Central to the effective operation
of an EMS is employee training and competence.
Resources and staff must be committed to training all involved employees, and
at the very least to honing the understanding of all employees and contractors.
Knowledge and communication are key. Not only must there be open communication
among top management and various other levels but there must also be lateral
communication. An EMS is an integrated approach to management that requires
full and active participation to maximize utility additionally there must be
diligent EMS documentation, document control,
and external communication.
Fourth is monitoring the
system and correcting any flaws. Although specific levels of environmental
performance are not within the scope of ISO 14000, pollution prevention and
performance improvement are valid aims under step one of ISO 14001.Monitoring
the system takes place under the environmental performance standards developed
in ISO 14031, the documentation requirement of step three above, and the
environmental auditing procedures developed in ISO 14010,14011, and 14012.
The fifth and
final step towards implementation of ISO 14001 is management review and
continual improvements to the EMS. Top
management review of the EMS is necessary to
give the system credibility and to reinforce its diligent operation. Management
review differs from an audit in that an audit examines the structure of the EMS and its component parts to ensure that all the
requirements of ISO 14001 are in place. Management review examines the EMS itself and its interrelation with the functioning of
the company as a whole. Management review answers the final question: does the EMS work?
Components of EMS :
Environmental Management Systems
-
Environmental Management Systems General Requirements
Environmental Management Systems Environmental Policy
- Guidelines
for an appropriate environmental policy
- Pollution
Prevention commitment
- EHS
compliance commitment
- How to
communicate an environmental policy
Environmental Management Systems Planning
- Guidelines for the identification of
environmental aspects/impacts
- EHS
compliance/EMS compliance
- Objectives,
targets and programs
- Development
of an organizational chart
- Guidelines
for amendments for new developments
Environmental Management Systems Implementation and
Operation
- Specific
management representatives
- Resource,
roles, responsibility and authority
- Competence,
training and awareness
-
Communication
-
Documentation/Control of documents
- Emergency
preparedness and response
Environmental Management Systems Checking
- Monitoring
and measurement procedures
- Track
performance
- EHS
compliance/EMS compliance
- Procedures
for non-conformity(ies), corrective action and preventive action
- Record
retention
- EMS/EHS
audits
Environmental Management Systems Management Review
- Involvement
of top management
- Review of EMS conformity
- Address EMS audit results
Continual Improvement
- Guidelines
for the improvement in overall environmental performance
- Consistent
with environmental policy
- Commitment
to continual improvement
To develop an EMS, an organisation has to assess its environmental
impacts, set targets to reduce these impacts, and plan how to achieve the
targets.
The most important component
of an EMS is organizational commitment. For an
effective EMS to be developed and implemented,
you need commitment from the very top of the organisation, as well as all
staff. Further examples of components that should be considered when developing
an EMS are:
Description of used
word in EMS
Environmental Policy: this is a statement of what an organisation intends to
achieve from an EMS. It ensures all
environmental activities are consistent with the organisation's objectives.
Environmental Impact
Identification: identification and
documentation of the actual and potential environmental impacts of an
organisation's operations need to be undertaken. This can be achieved through
undertaking an environmental audit.
Objectives and Targets: an environmental audit forms the basis of determining an
organisation's environmental objectives and targets. An organisation can find
benefits in adopting more stringent longer term objectives to encourage it to
improve its performance. To continually improve, targets should be regularly
reviewed.
Consultation: staff and community consultation should be undertaken
before, during and after establishment of an EMS.
This is necessary to ensure that all staff are involved in, and committed to
the EMS. It can also help to improve public
perception of the company, one of the benefits of implementing an EMS.
Operational and Emergency
Procedures: all procedures should be
reviewed to ensure they are compatible with the organisation's environmental
objectives and targets. Any changes should be included with the documentation.
Environmental Management Plan: this details the methods and procedures which an
organisation will use to meet its objectives and targets.
Documentation: all objectives, targets, policies, responsibilities and
procedures should be documented along with information on environmental
performance. Documentation is useful for verifying environmental performance to
staff, regulators and the community.
Responsibilities and Reporting Structure: responsibilities need to be allocated to staff and
management to ensure the EMS is implemented
effectively.
Training: staff should undergo environmental awareness training to
familiarise them with their responsibilities for implementing the EMS and with the overall environmental policy and
objectives of the organisation. This provides staff with the necessary skill
and motivation for the effective implementation of the EMS.
Review Audits and Monitoring
Compliance: review audits should be
undertaken regularly to ensure the EMS is
achieving its objectives and to refine operational procedures to meet this
goal. In order to ensure regulatory and other requirements are being met, it is
often necessary to undertake regular environmental monitoring.
Continual Improvement: an important component is continual improvement. An EMS comes into its best use when used to review progress
towards the targets and objectives set by a company to protect the environment.
The procedures set in place to meet these objectives should be constantly
examined to see if they can be improved or if more effective systems can be
introduced.
Benefits of an EMS
An EMS
assists a company in the following ways:
·
minimise environmental
liabilities;
·
maximize the efficient
use of resources;
·
reduce waste;
·
demonstrate a good
corporate image;
·
build awareness of
environmental concern among employees;
·
gain a better
understanding of the environmental impacts of business activities; and
·
increase profit,
improving environmental performance, through more efficient operations.
An EMS
is a powerful tool for organisations to both improve their environmental
performance, and enhance their business efficiency. An EMS
is not prescriptive; rather, it requires organisations to take an active role
in examining their practices, and then determining how their impacts should
best be managed. This approach encourages creative and relevant solutions from
the organisation itself.
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