"When the last tree is cut, The last river poisoned
And the last fish dead, We will discover that we can't eat money."
INTRODUCTION
The ISO 14001 standard, published in September 1996, provides a
model for establishing a management system that is focused on
controlling and improving a company's impacts on the environment.
In this session, environmental management systems, tools, and
techniques are described as a framework for continual improvement
of environmental performance, including compliance to
environmental regulations. Effectively applied, ISO 14001 promises
cost savings, waste reduction, energy efficiency, resource
productivity, and improvements in public relations and liability.
This session will also address the commonalities between ISO 9001
and ISO 14000, as well as what companies should consider when
starting their implementation of an ISO 14001 Environ-mental
Management System (EMS).
WHAT IS ISO 14000?
ISO 14000 is a series of standards describing EMS, tools, and
techniques. One of these standards, ISO 14001, is the
internationally accepted model to follow for implementation of an
EMS. It is an auditable standard similar to ISO 9001, and includes a
framework for continual improvement of environmental performance,
control, and regulatory compliance. ISO 14001 is not a government
standard, nor is it focused primarily on regulatory compliance. It
is a systematic approach to improving all aspects of environmental
management in a company, and is built on a continual cycle of
planning, implementing, reviewing, and improving the actions that
a company takes to meet its environmental obligations. Companies
who have implemented an ISO 9001 quality system are committed to
continual improvement, and ISO 14001 is a natural extension of
that commitment. Many of the elements of ISO 14001 have similar
requirements to ISO 9000, including the need for a policy
statement, document control, management review, internal audits,
record keeping, and training. The additional requirements for ISO
14001 include making commitments to compliance with environmental
regulations and to the prevention of pollution, and a formal
process of planning environmental improvement and control
programs.
WHY SEEK REGISTRATION TO ISO 14001?
Having said that, why are many manufacturers getting registered to
the ISO 14001 standard? Some of the motivators for registration
include a desire to optimize management efficiency, reduce costs,
limit liability exposure, and solve regulatory problems. In
addition, improving public image and doing business in
Europe and
America
where ISO 14001 is often a requirement are also important reasons
for companies to become registered.
Tremendous savings can be realized from cost saving opportunities
associated with reducing waste, especially the often-overlooked
material wastes of an operation. (In the past, these wastes have
often been considered "the cost of doing business.") Improved
energy efficiencies, less water use, scrap reduction, solid and
hazardous waste reduction, a streamlined permitting and reporting
process, and even avoidance of compliance fines could easily add
up to significant annual savings.
WHERE DOES A COMPANY BEGIN?
There are several steps companies must take when they decide to
become registered to ISO 14001, and the first and most important
is to obtain top management commitment. Without it,
EMS implementation efforts will most likely
be doomed. Top management should define the environmental policy
statement, which becomes the basis for developing an
EMS. Management also needs to clearly communicate that policy to
everyone in the organization, let-ting employees know that
environmental issues will be taken seriously throughout the
company.
Design and write the policies and procedures for your
EMS
based on what you are already doing to man-age
your environmental impacts. By doing this, most companies avoid
"re-inventing the wheel," and usually find obvious opportunities
to improve operational and documentation efficiencies, simply by
examining their current operations in the new light of the ISO
14001 standard. These early cost-saving successes can fuel and
sustain the effort to complete the ISO 14001 registration process.
Once the basic
EMS is in place, exercise the requirement for management review and
the related commit-ments stated in the environmental policy, and
continually look for opportunities to improve your system.
