Basics of implmenting an EMS
Setting up
Planning
Doing
Checking
Accreditation
Important Factors
Setting up
- Gaining top level commitment - although involvement is needed at all levels without top level commitment to the management system and the allocation of resources the system will not be effective.
- Initial Review – find out where the company stands before any action is taken. This will provide a baseline picture for comparison later and importantly identify the key areas where action is required.
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Planning
- Scope – define the scope of the EMS , does it cover a particular activity, site or all areas of the company?
- Aspects and Impacts – Identify the aspects and impacts of the organisations activities, products and services including future developments. You should end up with a full picture of how your company impacts on the environment and then be able to appoint a significance to those impacts.
- Legal and Other Requirements – You will need to define a method for identifying relevant environmental legislation and regulations and ‘other requirements’. In addition it is important to demonstrate that you know how this legislation etc applies to the aspects.
- Policy – The policy is a central document which defines the commitments to be made and identify what the EMS wants to achieve. (LINK to environmental policy tips?)
- Objectives and targets – Continual improvement is a key element of any EMS therefore there is a need to set realistic and achievable objectives and targets that tackle the significant impacts and work towards the environmental policy. Need to identify SMART targets.
- Environmental Management Programmes – define how the company is going to meet the objectives and targets. This should include allocation of responsibilities and resources. The EMP should be used also as a monitoring tool to demonstrate performance.
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Doing
- Communication – Identify who needs to know what about your EMS and how you’re going to communicate internally and externally including dealing with complaints and ensuring two way communication.
- Training & Awareness – identify whether additional training is required to carry out specific roles, ensure that staff are aware of the EMS and policy and their responsibilities within the system – general and specific. This must include consideration of those ‘working on behalf of’ the company. Define how this will be achieved.
- Legal and other requirements compliance – how will the company ensure compliance.
- Documents & Control – Documentation should record the company’s progress, can be used to show where the company started, what its achieved. Document control is required to ensure that all records and documentation are identifiable, traceable and correct. Documentation and control should be efficiency and concise to minimise bureaucracy and paper work.
- Operational Controls – Identify what activities and processes need controls and what they are to ensure that the company is working within the specifications of the EMS , this should include looking at emergency situations.
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Checking
- Audit – Internally – make sure that the system is actually working and doing what you’ve said it will
- Management Review – This is the arena in which to review the whole of the system and all the elements within it and to set new targets.
Accreditation
- You can get your EMS accredited to one of the EMS standards. LINK to standards page
- This can be done through an external accreditation body. Alternatively ISO 14001 allows for self-certification.
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Important factors
- Ensure ownership within the company – gain cooperate and involvement.
- Deliver real benefits
- Be tailored to the company
Sections
Further Information
If you would like to discuss any aspects of an EMS give us a call on the details below:.
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