Services helping businesses to implement good environmental management practices.

You may be familiar with the International Standards Organization’s ISO-9000 business quality management standards. There is now a set of standards that addresses development and implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) ISO-14000. Many large multinational companies, like Ford and GM are now requiring ISO-14001 certification by their suppliers and we are seeing more and more companies in Vermont that are developing EMS.

What is an EMS? An EMS is the structure (policies, procedures, documentation) that a company has in place to control the environmental impacts of its products, services and processes. A common sense, systematic approach, such as an EMS, helps a company manage its compliance issues more effectively, reduce environmental impacts, reduce environmental management costs, gain advantages in the marketplace, and enhance corporate image in regard to the environment.

The elements of an ISO 14001 EMS include the following:

• Environmental policy - Develop a statement of your organization's commitment to the environment. Use this policy as a framework for planning and action.

• Environmental aspects - Identify environmental attributes of your products, activities and services. Determine those that could have significant impacts on the environment.

• Legal and other requirements - Identify and ensure access to relevant laws and regulations (and other requirements to which your organization adheres).

• Objectives and targets - Establish environmental goals for your organization, in line with your policy, environmental impacts, views of interested parties and other factors.

• Environmental management program - Plan actions to achieve objectives and targets.

• Structure and responsibility - Establish roles and responsibilities and provide resources

• Training, awareness and competence - Ensure that your employees are trained and capable of carrying out their environmental responsibilities.

• Communication - Establish processes for internal and external communication on environmental issues.

• EMS documentation - Maintain information on your EMS and related documents.

• Document control - Ensure effective management of procedures and other system documents.

• Operational control - Identify, plan and manage your operations and activities in line with your policy, objectives and targets.

• Emergency preparedness and response - Identify potential emergencies and develop procedures for preventing and responding to them.

• Monitoring and measurement - Monitor key activities and track performance.

• Nonconformance and corrective and preventive action - Identify and correct problems and prevent recurrences.

• Records - Keep adequate records of EMS performance.

• EMS audit - Periodically verify that your EMS is operating as intended.

• Management review - Periodically review your EMS with an eye to continual improvement