Printer Friendly- Why develop an EMS?
- What is ISO 14001?
- What does ISO 14001 require an organization to do?
- Does an EMS have to conform to the ISO 14001 standard?
- What is the EPA's position on EMS's?
Why develop an EMS or Plan-Do-Check-Act framework?
Organizations who adopt a Plan-Do-Check-Act framework report:
- Cost savings
- Reduced insurance premiums
- Improved bond ratings
- Improved compliance with regulations
- Prevention, reduction, and management of environmental impacts
- Progress moving towards sustainability
- Improved relationships with regulators
- Increased employee awareness, involvement, responsibility and morale
What is ISO 14001?
ISO is the International Organization for Standardization, located in Geneva, Switzerland . ISO is a non-governmental organization that was established in 1947, and is a global network that mainly functions to develop voluntary technical standards that aim at making the development, manufacture and supply of goods and services more globally compatible.
ISO 14000 refers to a family of voluntary standards and guidance documents to help organizations address environmental issues. Included in the family are standards for EMS, environmental and EMS auditing, environmental labeling, performance evaluation and life-cycle assessment.
In September 1996, the International Organization of Standardization published the first edition of ISO 14001, the specific standard for environmental management systems. This international voluntary standard is a specification of what is required for an EMS to receive certification or registration under ISO (and can be used to guide development of an EMS whether or not certification is anticipated). A second edition of ISO 14001 was published in 2004, updating the standard.
What does ISO 14001 require an organization to do?
To comply with ISO 14001, an organization much accomplish the following:
1) Develop an environmental policy;
2) Identify all aspects of its activities that could have an impact on the environment;
3) Set specific performance targets and objectives based upon its policy statement;
4) Implement the environmental management system (including employee training, work instruction and practices, and performance measures);
5) Establish a program to audit the environmental management system;
6) Take corrective and preventative actions when deviations from the environmental management system occur;
7) Under periodic review of the environmental management system by top management and make adjustments if necessary.
Does an EMS have to conform to the ISO 14001 standard?
It should be noted that adherence to or certification to the ISO standard is not required. Many organizations have made internally driven decisions to follow the standard exactly and seek certification. However, many choose to not seek certification.
What is the EPA's position on EMS's?
EPA and many state environmental regulatory agencies encourage the development of EMS's.
“From the perspective of a regulated facility, an EMS is based on common sense and intuitive business decisions. Facilities need to learn from the tools available, then start by taking small, doable steps and build momentum from there. To do the job right, they'll need proactive involvement from senior management, front-line workers, and supervisors throughout the company. They'll need to keep the big picture in mind, but define reasonable expectations. Facilities implementing an EMS should set goals and time frames in line with their expectations, then monitor progress, make corrections where necessary, and capitalize on any elements of an EMS that they may already have in place.” From the EPA.