Identification and Recording of Legislative and Other Requirements

The identification of legal and other obligations may well have been embedded in the scope of the IER.

To meet the requirements of ISO 14001 the business should :

Site Inspection & Interviews

Site Inspection

It is essential to carry out a site inspection to identify any environmental issues that have not been previously documented. This should be undertaken in a systematic way to ensure that nothing is missed. Areas will need to include :

Undertaking an Initial Environmental Review

All reviews, whatever the scope, will undertake a process of :

• Determining what information is required
• Collecting the data
• Evaluating the data
• Reporting on the findings to determine actions required

Practical Help - Initial Environmental Review

Methods that can be used to examine existing environmental management practices and procedures include

• interviews with persons previously or currently working for or on behalf of the organization to determine the scope of the organization's past and current activities, products and services,
• evaluation of internal and external communications that have taken place with the organization's interested parties, including complaints, matters related to applicable legal requirements or other requirements to which the organizations subscribes, past environmental or related incidents and accidents,
• gathering information related to current management practices such as :

Planning

The planning stages includes :

• Identifying and analisying the organisation's current performance and requirements needs (the Initial Environment Review)
• Formulating and refining goals (the Environmental Policy)
• Setting key performance indicators (Objective and Targets weighing costs againts benefits)
• Reviewing and determining appropriate methods and options for delivery (Action and Milestones)

2 Essential Component of Implementation and Maintenance of the Environmental Management System

1. Appoint a Person(s) 

An essential component of implementing any management system is to nominate a person to be responsible for establishing, implementing and maintaining the system. In order for implementation process to run smoothly, this person needs to be given the appropriate authority to resolve any issues involved in the process and delegate tasks where required.

The appoinment person(s) will guide the organisation through the initial steps for implementation.

Scope the Environmental Management System

An organisation has the freedom snd flexibility to define its boundaries and may choose to implement ISO 14001 with respect to the entire organisation, or to specific operating units or activities of the organisation.

The level of detail and complexcity of the environmental management system and the extent of documentation and resources devoted to it will be dependent on the size of the organisation and the nature of the activities and the drivers for implementation.

Within the business there may be existing systems such as quality or OHSAS, which may be referred to or utilised. Support from top management must be achieved if there is an intention to integrate these systems.

ISO 14004 : 4.1 General (1)

4.1.1 The Environmental Management System Model

When first establishing an environmental management system an organization should begin where there is obvious benefit, for example by focusing on immediate cost saving or regulatory compliance mainly related to its significant environmental aspects. As the environmental management system takes shape, procedures, programmes and technologies can be put in place to further improve environmental performance. As the environmental management system matures, environmental considerations can be integrated into all business decisions.

Organisational Culture

In order to effectively understand the potential dynamics of organisational change you must first understand what is the organisational culture.

What is meant by organisational culture ?

The culture of an organisational describes the values of the group of people that make up the organisation, their beliefs, attitudes and the way they behave.

Cultural Change and Environmental Management System Implementation

Effectively implementing an environmental management system involves changes in organisational processes.

This involves both organsational and individual attitude changes. Collective change in attitude within the organisation brings about an entire shift in the cultural paradigm within which the company operates.

Successful implementation of the environmental management system is highly dependent on the level of commitment, ownership, involvement and motivation of all empoyees within the organisation.

Using a S.W.O.T

One tool for quickly gathering and presenting this information to senior management is a workshop using a SWOT analyisis. A SWOT analysis is readily accepted as a business management tool. It focuses on :

• STRENGHTS, What are the existing features in the organisation that we can build on?
• WEAKNESSES, What are the features in the organisation that we need to recognise and then minimise ?
• OPPORTUNITIES, What opportunities, real or potential, could be gained by the organisation implementing an environmental management system ?

Management Commitment

To ensure succuess, an early step in developing and improving an EMS involves obtaining commitment from the top management of the organisation to improve the environmental management of its activities, product or services. The on-going commitment and leadership of top management are crucial.
ISO 14004 4.1.2

One way of achieving this commitment of executive management is to raise their awareness of the environmental issues that affect the organisation. This is necessary in order to obtain :

Define and Scope

The defining stage consider areas such as :

• Rationale
• Benefits and outcomes
• Commitment
• Scope including goals and functions
• Compatibility with other systems
• Initial responsibility for EMS development

Implementation of Generic Steps

There are number of steps that all organisations will need to go through no matter the size or individual characteristic of the business. This is a basic guide and is dependent on existing management systems and current degree of implementation. Each step should be documented and records maintained.

Define and Scope
- Establishing the commitment of the organisation
- Scope the EMS
- Appoint a person(s) responsible for implementation and maintenance of the EMS

18 ISO 14001 elements

Here with the eighten elements of Environmental Management System :

1. General

2. Environmental Policy

Planning
3.  Environmental aspects
4.  Legal and other requirements
5.  Ojectives, targets and programme(s)

ISO 14001

ISO 14001 specifies the requirements of an Environmental Management System. It has been written to be applicable to all types and sizes of organisations and to accomodate diverse geographical, social and cultural conditions. The success of the system depends on commitment from all levels and functions, especially from top management. A system of this kind enables an organisation to establish, and assess the effectiveness of, procedures to set an environmental policy and objectives, achieve conformance with them, and demonstrate conformance to others. The overall aim of ISO 14001 is to support environmental protection and prevention of pollution in balance with socio-economic needs.

Why an EMS ?

Having an EMS can help an organisation provide confidence to its interested parties:

• A management commitment exists to meet the provisions of its policy objectives and targets;
• Emphasis is placed on prevention rather than corrective action;
• Evidence of reasonable care and regulatory compliance can be provided; and 
• The systems design incorporates the process of continual improvement.

What is an EMS ?

Environmental Management System - that part of the overall management system that includes organisational structure, planning, activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing and maintaining the environmental policy

Reference : ISO 14001

As Concern grows for maintaining and improving the quality of the environment, organsations of all sizes are increasingly turning their attention to the potential environmental impacts of their activities, products or services. The environmental performance requires organisational commitment to a systematic approach and to continual improvement of the Environmental Management System (EMS).