Article is from
Electrical & Mechanical Contractor
November 2001, p. 47

Articles & Info

ISO tonic

Chris Ottaway outlines the basic steps of setting up an environmental management system to ISO 14001: 1996.

ISO 14001 is an environmental management standard written in a similar way to the quality management standard series ISO 9000. In simple terms, quality has been replaced by environmental issues.

The method of control is much the same as in quality assurance - by undertaking internal audits and holding management review meetings.

Contractors wishing to go down this environmental route may already hold third party quality assurance certification. If this is the case, they have two alternatives:

• form a separate environmental management system;
• incorporate environmental requirements into existing quality assurance systems and make them an integrated business management system.

Contractors with no existing management system have the choice of just installing an environmental management system or producing an integrated system and addressing both quality and environmental needs at the same time.

Let us assume that you are going to produce stand-alone environmental management documentation. If this is the case, you will have to consider the following components.

• The preparatory review
This is the main starting point where you sit down and ask the questions: "where are we at the moment?" and "how do we, as a company, affect the environment either directly or indirectly?"

This meeting should be documented and throughout it you should be asking: "what have we done?" and "what can we do ?" The findings from the preparatory review will lay the foundation for the way forward.

• The environmental policy
Your written policy can now be produced in line with the requirements of ISO 14001.

It must: be appropriate to the nature, scale and environmental impacts of your activities; include a commitment to continual improvement and prevention of pollution; include a commitment to comply with relevant environmental legislation, and regulations; provide a framework for setting and reviewing environmental objectives and targets; be documented, implemented, maintained and communicated to all employees; be available to the public.

• Identify organisational interfaces
Once you know what you are doing environmentally, responsibilities must be allocated to employees. For example, who will carry out the awareness training?

• Produce the register of environmental aspects
This is a bit like an environmental risk assessment. You should identify, examine, evaluate and document the environmental aspects, both direct and indirect, of your activities, products and services.

• Produce a register of environmental regulations
You should identify all relevant legislative, regulatory and other codes of practices that are applicable to the environmental aspects of your products and services,

• Identify objectives and targets
Now that you have analysed your company environmentally you can identify your targets.

In addition to compliance with all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements, your objectives and targets should be identified after consideration of the environmental effects register, flie financial, operational and business needs of your company and the views of any interested parties.

Your objectives and targets shall be consistent with your environmental policy,

• Produce a management programme
You are now in a position to establish and maintain a programme for achieving your objectives. This is a programme made up of mini environmental projects.
Produce an environmental management manual You can now produce your documented environmental management manual. Make sure you address all ISO 14001 clauses.

Introduce an operational controls procedure Where environmental controls are introduced, they should be fully documented and issued as a controlled procedure to people performing the tasks.

• Produce environmental records
Environmental records shall be maintained, as
appropriate to your system and company type, to demonstrate conformance to IS0 14001.

As is the case with international quality standards, records shall be legible, identifiable, and traceable to the activity involved. Records shall be stored and maintained in such a way that they are readily retrievable and protected against damage, deterioration or loss.

• Undertake environmental audits
As with international quality standards, you must have an audit programme and procedures.

• Undertake environmental reviews
You must hold and document a regular environmental review meeting. This must be attended by senior management and address your environmental performance.

• Third party certification
There are many certification bodies in the market place who are UKAS-accredited to undertake environmental management assessments.

System maintenance You now have a documented system that has been approved. It is now up to you to ensure that you do what your manual and procedures say that you should do; and comply.

• Third party environmental surveillance
The approving certification body will visit at regular intervals (between six months to one year) to monitor your environmental performance and compliance to your documented system.

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Chris Ottaway manages the ECAs free management systems helpline for members (tel: 01322 668686). He is md of Ottaway & Associates.