Environmental Management Systems
Legislation
in the United Kingdom requires that employers have appropriate arrangements and
systems in place for the management and control of environmental matters. In
order to achieve this requirement, employers need to have an effective
environmental management system that it is clearly defined and well documented.
The Benefits
By implementing an environmental management system organisations will be able to demonstrate legislative compliance, their commitment to environmental issues and the improvement of standards in the management and control of environmental risk. As a direct outcome there should be a reduction in environmental incidents, insurance claims, downtime and costs.
Environmental Management Standards
There are three main recognised national and international environmental management standards:-
BS EN ISO 14001
BS EN ISO 14001 sets out five steps for implementing and maintaining an environmental management system leading to continual improvement. These steps are represented in the model below.
In BS EN ISO 14001 the environmental policy must state the overall objectives, in terms of compliance with legislation and pollution prevention, and a commitment to improving performance. The policy must be authorised by senior management.
Planning of the environmental management system should include the identification of environmental aspects and the evaluation of associated environmental impacts, the identification of the relevant legal and regulatory requirements, the development and maintenance of environmental objectives and targets and the establishment and maintenance of a programme to achieve these objectives and targets.
Implementation and operation of the system should involve the establishment of an organised management structure, the training of the workforce and the establishment of effective methods of communication within the workforce, documentation of the management system, operational control of the system to ensure that it is effective and emergency preparedness and response.
Checking and corrective action relates to performance measurement and monitoring of operational activities, including record keeping, and audit procedures.
Management review requires the organisation’s senior management to review the management system at fixed intervals to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.
EMAS
EMAS (EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) sets out the requirements for an environmental management system that is equivalent to ISO 14001 but makes an additional requirement relating to a public reporting statement on environmental performance.
BS 8555 APPROACH
BS 8555 builds on BS EN ISO 14001 and provides guidance to all organisations on the phased implementation, maintenance and improvement of a formal environmental system without necessarily having to obtain certification. It makes particular reference to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) but is applicable to any organisation, irrespective of the nature of the business activity undertaken, location or level of maturity. The standard outlines an implementation process that can be undertaken in up to six separate phases:
The standard allows phased acknowledgement of progress towards its full implementation.
WHICH SYSTEM TO USE?
The choice of which system to adopt depends solely on the needs of individual organisations. However, the organisation needs to ensure that their chosen system includes provision for continual improvement, involves stakeholders and auditing and is well documented in order to demonstrate effectiveness.
If an organisation already has accreditation under BS EN ISO 9001 it may wish to consider adopting BS EN ISO 14001 as both standards were designed to be compatible.
Contact us for an informal discussion of your environmental management needs and how MET can help
The Benefits
By implementing an environmental management system organisations will be able to demonstrate legislative compliance, their commitment to environmental issues and the improvement of standards in the management and control of environmental risk. As a direct outcome there should be a reduction in environmental incidents, insurance claims, downtime and costs.
Environmental Management Standards
There are three main recognised national and international environmental management standards:-
- BS
EN ISO 14001 “Environmental management systems – Specification with guidance
for use”.
- The
European Union’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).
- BS
8555 “Environmental management systems. Guide to the phased implementation of
an environmental system including the use of environmental performance
evaluation”.
BS EN ISO 14001
BS EN ISO 14001 sets out five steps for implementing and maintaining an environmental management system leading to continual improvement. These steps are represented in the model below.
In BS EN ISO 14001 the environmental policy must state the overall objectives, in terms of compliance with legislation and pollution prevention, and a commitment to improving performance. The policy must be authorised by senior management.
Planning of the environmental management system should include the identification of environmental aspects and the evaluation of associated environmental impacts, the identification of the relevant legal and regulatory requirements, the development and maintenance of environmental objectives and targets and the establishment and maintenance of a programme to achieve these objectives and targets.
Implementation and operation of the system should involve the establishment of an organised management structure, the training of the workforce and the establishment of effective methods of communication within the workforce, documentation of the management system, operational control of the system to ensure that it is effective and emergency preparedness and response.
Checking and corrective action relates to performance measurement and monitoring of operational activities, including record keeping, and audit procedures.
Management review requires the organisation’s senior management to review the management system at fixed intervals to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.
EMAS
EMAS (EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) sets out the requirements for an environmental management system that is equivalent to ISO 14001 but makes an additional requirement relating to a public reporting statement on environmental performance.
BS 8555 APPROACH
BS 8555 builds on BS EN ISO 14001 and provides guidance to all organisations on the phased implementation, maintenance and improvement of a formal environmental system without necessarily having to obtain certification. It makes particular reference to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) but is applicable to any organisation, irrespective of the nature of the business activity undertaken, location or level of maturity. The standard outlines an implementation process that can be undertaken in up to six separate phases:
- Phase
1 – Commitment and establishing the baseline;
- Phase
2 – Identifying and ensuring compliance with legal and other requirements;
- Phase
3 – Developing objectives, targets and programmes;
- Phase
4 – Implementation and operation of the environmental management system;
- Phase
5 – Checking, audit and review; and
- Phase
6 – Environmental management system acknowledgement.
The standard allows phased acknowledgement of progress towards its full implementation.
WHICH SYSTEM TO USE?
The choice of which system to adopt depends solely on the needs of individual organisations. However, the organisation needs to ensure that their chosen system includes provision for continual improvement, involves stakeholders and auditing and is well documented in order to demonstrate effectiveness.
If an organisation already has accreditation under BS EN ISO 9001 it may wish to consider adopting BS EN ISO 14001 as both standards were designed to be compatible.
Contact us for an informal discussion of your environmental management needs and how MET can help