Environmental Aspects In ISO 14001 Standards EMS

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.

ISO 14001 Environmental management programmes

ISO 14001 Environmental management programmes

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 Standard & Environmental Issues

ISO 14001 Standard & Environmental Issues

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.

ISO 14001 Standards – Complying with Environmental Laws and Regulations

One of the most commonly cited reasons for implementing an ISO 14001 environmental management system is that it helps an organization comply with environmental laws and regulations.

ISO 14001 registration will provide additional assurance to City Council, senior management, regulators and key stakeholders that appropriate procedures have been implemented to identify, track, and communicate environmental laws and regulations. ISO 14001 registration will also provide assurance that our Administration is controlling, monitoring, and improving performance, relative to these laws/regulations.

A strong environmental management system, aimed at legal/regulatory compliance, will serve the City of Edmonton by increasing the likelihood of avoiding convictions, fines and judgments; avoiding internal legal costs; and promoting positive relations with regulators.

IS0 14001 – HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Firstly ISO 14000 environment system standards was prepared in June of 1992 year in Rio at world apex and this standard brooks decisions of this world apex and Rio contract principles. After 1 year, ISO established one technique committee which is yielded by 50 different country representatives to prepare international environment management system in 1993 year. ISO 14001 environment management system standard was issued in September of 1996 year with works of this committee. ISO 14001 standard is used as voluntary now but ISO 14001 will be burden by coercions of societies, international organizations, states in the future. Levels which environment management system passed are the following briefly:

= Europe community countries issued I action plan in 1973 year (to practice protecting preventions of environment )
= BS 7750 Standard in 1992
= Rio Declaration in 1992 year
= ISO/TC 207. Environmental management technique committee was established in 1993 year to develop ISO 14000 family standards
= TS 9719 standard (environment management system – General features) in 1994 year
= ISO 14001 standard in 1996 year
= ISO 14001 current version in April of 2005 Nisan 2005

ISO 14001 and The Environment

The ISO 14000 family of International Standards on environmental management is a relative newcomer to ISO’s portfolio – but enviroment-related standardization is far from being a new departure for ISO.

In fact, ISO has two-pronged approach to meeting the needs of business, industry, governments, non-governmental organizations and consumers in the field of the environment.

On the one hand, it offers a wideranging portfolio of standardized sampling, testing and analytical methods to deal with specific environmental challenges. It has developed more than 350 International Standards (out of a total more
than 12000) for the monitoring of such aspects as the quality of air, water and soil. These standards are means of providing business and government with scientifically valid data on the environmental effects of economic activity.

They also serve in a number of countries as the technical basis for environmental regulations.

ISO is leading a strategic approach by developing environmental management system standards that can be implemented in any type of organization in either public or private sectors (companies, administration, public utilities). To spearhead this strategic approach, ISO establish a new technical commitee, ISO /TC 207, Environmental management, in

1993. This followed ISO’s successful pioneering experience in management system standardization with the ISO 9000 series for quality management.

ISO’s direct involvement in environmental management stemmed from an intensive consultation process, carried out within the framework of a Strategic Advisory Group on Environment (SAGE),set up in 1991, in which 20 countrie, 11 international organizations and more than 100 environmental experts participated in defining the basic requirements of a new approach to environment-related standards.

This pioneering work was consolidated with ISO’s commitment to support the objective of “sustainable development” dicussed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

Today, delegations of business and government experts from 55 countries have participate actively within TC 207,

and another 16 countries have observer status. These delegations are chosen by the national standars institute concerned and they are required to bring to TC 207 a national consensus on issue being addressed by the commitee.

This national consensus is derived from a process of consultation with interested parties.

From its beginning, it was recognized that ISO/TC 207 should have close cooperation with ISO/TC 176, Quality management and quality assurance, in the areas of management systems, auditing and related terminology. Active efforts are under way to ensure compatibility of ISO environmental management and quality management standards, for the benefit of all organizations wishing to implement them.

ISO 14001 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AUDIT

In order to be in conformance with this provision of ISO 14001 an organization must be able to answer the overall question: “How does the organization conduct environmental audits of the EMS?”. In order to answer that question four specific tasks must be addressed under the Management System Audit section of the standard.

First, the organization must develop a program and related procedures that define an audit plan of the environmental management system. In addition the program must define frequency of the audit process. Second, the procedures must specify the methodology of the audit process, including the qualifications of the auditors. Third, the audit reports must be submitted to top management. Fourth, the audit reports must provide recommendations directed at correcting any reported nonconformance that was discovered in the audit process.

The audit process discussed in this section of the standard is directed at internal audits. The standard is silent on the frequency issue. Generally accepted practice with a mature ISO 14001 system is a total audit of the system once a year. In the implementation phase of an environmental management system a more frequent audit process might be appropriate. In addition any part of the environmental management system that has been previously determined to be in nonconformance should be audited with an increased frequency. The methodology of the audit process required by the standard requires two distinct steps:

A. determine whether the environmental management system conforms to the requirements of ISO 14001, and
B. that the system has been managed as described in the Environmental Policy statement, the Environmental Objectives and Targets, and the related work descriptions and procedures.

It is critical that an audit report that relates a nonconformance be forwarded to top management promptly. The internal audit staff must be competent with respect to the requirements of ISO 14001.