The company or organisation must write an environmental policy
statement which is relevant to the business activities and approved by
top management. Their full commitment is essential if environmental
management is to work. The ISO 14001 Standard clearly sets out
what to cover in the policy. Often a one page document is sufficient.
Produce a first issue and expect to amend it several times before
assessment and registration as knowledge grows in the company.
Environmental Aspects In ISO 14001 Standards EMS
First make lists of the environmental aspects (issues) that are relevant
to the business. The environmental review mentioned earlier should
provide most of this information and the Annex to ISO 14001 provides
guidance on the format for doing this.
Consider the inputs, outputs and processes/activities of the business in
relation to;
a) emissions to air
b) releases to water
c) waste management
d) contamination of land
e) use of raw materials and natural resources
f) other local environmental and community issues
Consider both site (direct) and offsite (ie. indirect) aspects that you
control or have influence over (such as suppliers) and in relation to
normal operations, shut-down and start-up conditions and reasonably
foreseeable and emergencies situations
A simple written procedure is then required to determine which of the
aspects identified are really or probably significant (important) and should
therefore be managed by the EMS. This process which is
similar to health and safety risk assessment ranks the aspects by order
of importance and the significant aspects identified are then the core
of the environmental management system.
There are various methods of determining significance but most are
based on the principle of attributing a relative value for the
environmental hazard or potential to cause harm (eg. on a scale of 1-
5) and the risk or likelihood of occurrence (eg. on a scale of 1-5). The
relative significance is then determined by multiplying the hazard by
the risk. (eg. max score of 25). An arbitrary but cautious threshold
value is then set above which environmental aspects are considered to
be significant. This threshold can be determined by a common sense
consideration of the aspects identified.
Introduce a series of projects as an environmental management programme to achieve the set targets. Apply normal project management disciplines (eg. assign a project leader, consider their training needs, outline the key stages of the project and dates that will lead to the target achievement).
Gradually apply environmental management programme thinking to such things as the introduction of new products, new or improved processes and other key activities of the business. In particular, ensure existing projects become environmental management projects where there is a significant environmental impact involved, so that the EMS becomes company wide. This is a frequent oversight found during ISO 14001 assessments. The EMS must cover the whole business – like a net thrown over the whole business and for example including such things as engineering and maintenance.
ISO 14001 is a systematic tool that enables an organization in any market sector to focus on their situation, identify the relevant environmental issues and to lessen their impact to their benefit and the environment. It is part of a global response to the recognition that we are damaging the environment in which we all live. The cause and effect of the foremost world environmental issues, which are all due to mankind, are generally too vast and too intangible for us to grasp and so the slightly cliché expression ‘think global, act local’ is very relevant. Once the EMS is implemented and to become registered to ISO 14001, the external auditor will assess your EMS in two separate stages, on site. The first stage to understand your business activities and determine formal readiness for assessment and the second to check practical compliance with ISO 14001. After registration he will return at regular intervals every year to verify continual improvement and regulatory compliance, against your set objectives and your EMS. The external auditor should be seen as a wise friend, not a policeman. He should certainly explain his findings and assist the company to find ISO 14001 registration is not a cure for all environmental problems but I hope I’ve demonstrated that it is a worthwhile, if not essential business initiative that could enable your management to better manage your business, gain commercial advantage and minimize its environmental impact.
