INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 56

CHAPTER 9

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS)

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured system or manage�ent tool

which, once implemented. helps an organization to identify the environmental impacts resuttinq from

its business activities and to improve its environmental performance. The system aims to provide a

methodical approach to planning, implementmg and reviewmg an organization's environmental

management.

Most organizations will have systems for managing their human resources, business

objectives and finances as well as occupational health and safety, and security. An Environmental

Management System will work more effectively if 1t is designed to operate in line with an

organization's existing systems and processes, such as the planning cycle, the setting of targets and

improvement programs, corrective and preventive action and management review.

The environmental aspects of an organization are those activities. products and services of

an organization that have or can have an impact on the environment. An EMS enables an

organization to identify its environmental aspects and determines which of them can have a

significant impact on the environment. This helps an organization understand how it interacts with

the environment. This in turn guides an organization in determming where environmental controls or

improvements are needed, and in the setting of priorities for action to improve environmental

performance.

An environmental policy sits at the top of an organization's environmental management

systems and articulates the overall intentions and direction of an organization regarding its

environmental performance. It provides a formal way for the organizations top management to

express commitment to environmental management and improvement

An EMS also provides a way for organizations to plan for and demonstrate that steps have

been taken to reduce or prevent environmental harm from occurring as a result of the organizations

operations. At the very least, an EMS requires the organization to assess how it meets its legal and

other requirements relating to its environmental aspects

Steps to establishing and implementing an EMS

1 . Obtain commitment from top management

2. Define responsibilities, appoint management representative{s), establish EMS steering

committee, develop implementation plan, and undertake initial training on EMS.

3 Undertake an initial environmental review (optional).

4. Identify environmental aspects & legal & other requirements: determine significant

aspects; formulate environmental policy: establish environmental objectives, targets & programs.

5. Implementation & operation-develop documentation & processes.

6. Develop processes for monitoring, measurement & corrective & preventive action.

7. Develop and deliver EMS training within the organization.

8. Establish an internal audit program, including training; conduct initial internal audit to

evaluate conformity to requirements of ISO 14001, ncluding

i valuation of compliance.
e

9. F ollow up nternal audit with improvements to system

i

10 Co nduct nitial management review of

i MS
E

1 1 . Implement improvements from management review.

SO 14000
I S eries

A series of international standards on environmental management that provide a framework

for the development of an environmental management system and the supporting audit program.

SO
I 14 001specifies a blueprint for an Environmental Management System against which an

organization can be ce rtified by a third party. Other standards in the series are actually guidelines,

many to help achieve registration to ISO 14001 9 although they an be used as

c stand alones').
'

These include the following:

INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 57

• ISO 14004 provides guidance on the development and implementation of environmental

management systems

• ISO 14013/5 provides audit program review and assessment material.

• ISO 14020+ labelling issues

• ISO 14030+ provides guidance on performance targets and monitoring within an

Environmental Management System

• ISO 14040+ covers life cycle issues

• ISO 14063 Environmental Communication

• ISO 14064, 14065 and 14067 on greenhouse gas emissions measurement, moni toring ,

reporting, verifying etc.

Main steps in EMS

An EMS i
s a structured framework for managing an organization's significant environmental

impacts. It provides a process through which organizations can engage with employees, customers,

clients and other sta keholders. Whatever s cheme is adopted , the elements o f the E MS will largely

be the same, follow ng i the Deming Cycle o f:

• Plan what you're going to do ;

• Do what you planned to do ;

• Check to en sure that you d d t what you planned ; and

• Act to ma ke improvements.

Through th s i cycle, all EMSs set a fram ework t hrough which the organi zation can build on­

going continuous improvement' o f en vironmental performance.

1. S cope o f the EMS . The im portant pa rt of this l

c ause is the requirement to de fine and

doc ument the sco pe of the EMS for which ce rtification to the re quirements f
o the standard is sought.

An organi zation ma y choose to im plement the standard a cross the ent ire organi zation, or in s pecific

o perating units, or at specific s tei s.

2. E nvironmental policy. An i
env ronment al policy sets the direc tion for manag ement of the

en vironment. By providing a framework for se tting and reviewing env ronmen i tal o bjectives and

targets , it de scribes the e xpectations of top manage ment (and the rest of t he organi zation) for

environmenta l performance.

Development of the pol c i y re quires to p man agement to ma ke ritical

c d ecisions on what the

organization aims to ach eve i 10 environmenta l management, suc h as reducing the use of natural

re sources, increasing the use of rene wable energ y, or init ially just meas uring its contri bution to the

em ssioni of greenhouse gases The polic y is intended to guide the o rganization to focus its effort

and resou rces.

The standard requires the pol c i y t

o be suitable for the nature, scale and environm ental

impact s of the organi zation's ac tivities, pr oducts and se rvices. l

t is therefore helpfu l if he policy
t

o utlines what the organization does and produces, and where it o perates.

The standard also requires the polic y to ma ke three comm tments i :

a ) Compliance with a ll a pplicable tegal requirements. and with other equirements

r to which

th e organi zation su bscribes relating to its environmental aspects.

b) Prevention o f pollution .

c ) Continual impro vement.

To be e ffective, the policy m ust be communicated to eve ryone working in and on behalf o f

th e organ ization The standard also r equires an organi zation lo publicize i s t en vironmental policy.

Mos t organi zations ach eve i this t hrough t heir intranet and website, but display of the po icl y at head

office and other locations through the organ ization c an also be e ffective.

Development of a policy can be cons dered i a s an o pportunity to insp re i an org anization's

sta ff and ot her sta keholders. A search on the Internet for env r i onmental po ic esl i of other

orga nizations ma y also be fru tf l. i u

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5B

3. Planning

. �.1 Environmental aspects. Before an organization can manage its environmental

issues. 1
1 needs to identify how it interacts with the environment. The standard uses some

specific terms in this process. Environmental aspects are elements of an organization's

activities, products and services that can interact with the environment, that is. have a

negative or positive environmental impact. A significant environmental aspect is one that can

have a significant environmental impact.

The identification of environmental aspects is best done in a systematic way designed

to capture all actual and potential impacts. The process typically involves:

1 . Systematic identification of all activities undertaken by the organization, and all

products and services provided. Activities include those that are infrequent. supporting

activities such as administration and maintenance, and services provided by contractors.

2. Identification of the ways those activities, products and services can interact with

the environment. that is, identification of environmental aspects.

3. Identification of the environmental impacts associated with the environmental

aspects.

4. Analysis of the risks to determine risk levels.

5 Evaluation of the risks to determine which environmental aspects and impacts are

significant risks to the environment and/or the organization.

3.2 Legal and other requirements. The environmental policy must include a

commitment to compliance with legal and other requirements in order to meet the

requirements of the standard Organizations are usually subject to a number of

environmental legal requirements through legislation. regulations. permits. licenses and

contracts These requirements must be thoroughly identified and understood so that they can

be included in the environmental management system.

Organizations also commonly subscnbe to a number of other non-legal requirements

relating to environmental issues. These could include internal policies, government policies

and programs, requirements of industry or professional bodies, agreements with industry

associations, and agreements with local communities. These commitments can be as

important as legal requirements. Therefore, they need to be identified and referenced in the

environmental management system.

3.3 Objectives, targets and program(s). Environmental objectives are the overall

goals that an organization sets itself to achieve. Environmental targets are detailed

performance requirements that arise from the environmental objectives. Environmental

objectives and targets must be consistent with the framework for setting and reviewing

objectives and targets, and commitments to the prevention of pollution. comphance with legal

and other requirements and continual improvement in the environmental policy.

When setting objectives and targets, an organization must consider its legal and other

requirements, its significant environmental aspects. its technological options, its financial,

operational and business requirements and the views of interested parties.

4. Implementation and operation

4.1 Resources, roles, responsibility & authority. An environmental management

system requires top management to provide sufficient resources for rt to be effective.

Resources typically include people, specialized skills and knowledge, organizational

nfrastructure, technology and money.

i

V arious p ositions n an organization may have roles, responsibilities and authorities

i

f or managing environmental aspects and the environmental management system. The

s tandard requires these roles, responsibilities and authorities to be documented and

communicated

4.2 Competence, training and awareness. The R esponsibility M atrix is also used to

document those positions or roles that have potential to cause a significant environmental
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
59

impact, that is, are working in areas or Jobs associated with the agency's significant

environmental aspects

Competence refers to the knowledge, understanding, skills or abililles required for a

person to effectively and efficiently carry out a job. Competence can be determined through

appropriate education, traimng, experience and assessment.

The standard requires a procedure to be established, implemented and maintained to

raise awareness of the environmental management system. Awareness i

s about ensuring

that all people working on behalf of the orgamzation are aware that environmental

management is important, that the agency has an environmental management system and

that everyone i
s expected to support it. The EMS Tool approaches this through an EMS

awareness package, which can be delivered m staff and contr actor i nductions and refresher

sess ons i .

4.3 Communication. The standard re quires a certrned ganization

or to ha ve a

proce dure for commu mcating interna l ly on its en vironmental as pects and en vironmental

management system and mana ging communic ation on en vironmental aspects from e xternal

parties.

Internal communicat o i n i s i
cr tical to an effective en vironmental management s ystem.

ln tranets are more common ly used for internal communicat on i . but re gular meetin gs of work

groups, newsletters , no tice boards and e mails are also use ful. Commumcetron on

en vironmental aspects should be two-way, u sing clear cha nnels. For most organizations,

e xisting commun ication proces ses sho uld be easily adapted to cater for the needs of the

en vironmental management s ystem.

4.4 Documentation. The standard sti pulates a m inimum l sti of documentation to be

included in an en vironmental management s ystem.

1 . Environmental po i l cy, j
ob ecti ves and tar gets

2. Description of the sco pe of the environmental m anagement s ystem

3. Description of the main elements of the environm ental m anagement system and

the r i interaction. and reference t o rel ated docu ments

4. Documents and records required b y the standard

5. Documents an d record s determined by the organization to be necess ary to en sure

the effective planning, o peration and control of processes t hat relate to its significant

en vironmental as pects.

4.5 Control of documents. Documents re quired b y the en vironmental m anagement

s ystem must be controlled according to the re quirements of ISO 14001 The procedur e for

controlling doc uments in he

t strict sen se must include:

• Document ap proval

• Document re view, u pdate an d re -approval

• Identification of changes and current i

rev sion status

• Availability at points of use

• Legibility and toenuncaucn

• Identification and distri bution of e xternal documents

• Man agement of obsolete documents.

4.6 Operational control. A documented opera tional procedure must stipulate the

operating criteria, suc h as nor mal oper ations, emergency situations, sh ut d own, and

maintenan ce. Procedures are also re quired for sign ificant en vironmental aspects of goo ds

and se rvices used by he

t organ ization. These do not strictly have to be doc umented, bu t

docu mentation fa cilitates communication of a pplicable procedures and re quirements to

suppliers, includin g contractors . Again, th s i documenta tion of procedures is i k based.

r s

Documented procedures ma y be referred to as wo rk procedures, standard o perating

pro cedures (SOPs), safe work method statements (SWMSs), en vironmental work method

statements, or anything else . Operational procedures can ran ge from te xt based to pictorial.
 INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
60

4. 7 Emergency preparedness and response. The standard reqwres an

organization to identify potential emergency situations and potential accide�ts that can have

environmental impact and determine how it will respond to them. For effect,v� emergency

preparedness and response, an organisation may already conduct the fo!lowrng tasks that

are required by the international standard for environmental management:

• Identify potential (environmental) impacts from all possible emergencies and

accidents.

• Devise controls to prevent emergencies and accidents. .

• Develop responses to emergencies and accidents that can still happen despite the

implementation of controls

• Prepare and distribute an emergency preparedness and response plan.

• Train people in emergency response, especially those people with key roles

• Test the robustness of emergency preparedness and response with periodic drills.

• Review and, as appropriate. revise the emergency preparedness and response plan

after each test and each actual emergency and accident.

5. Checking

5.1 Monitoring and measurement. In the context of an environmental management

system, environmental performance is the measurable results of an organization's

management of its environmental aspects. The standard requires an organization to have a

procedure for monitoring and measunng, on a regular basis, the key charectenstrcs of its

operations that can have a significant envtronmental impact. The procedure must include the

recording of information to monitor environmental performance, operational controls, and

progress on achieving the organization's environmental objectives and targets.

5.3 Nonconformity, corrective & preventive action. Nonconformity is non-fulfilment

of a requirement, that is, when something does not go to plan. In the context of an

environmental management system, environmental nonconformity occurs when an

environmental control is not implemented or is ineffective, an environmental emergency or

accident happens, a license condition is breached, acceptable levels of a monitored or

measured characteristic are exceeded, an environmental objective or target is not met, a

neighbor or member of the public complains about an environmental issue from your site, a

documented procedure or work instruction is not followed, and so on.

S.4 Control of records. Documentation in the general sense includes records. A

record is a historical piece of lntcrmanon-cresu'ts achieved from a process or otherwise

evidence of an activity performed. Documents in the stnct sense. on the other hand, are live

pieces of information-they usually provide guidance on what to do, and need to be kept up

to date.

5.5 /nternaf audit. Internal audits of an environmental management system provide

information to management on whether the system conforms to planned arrangements and

has been properly implemented and maintained. Ideally, an internal audit looks forward and

evaluates the effectiveness of a management system in fulfilling the commitments made in

the management system policy and in achieving the objectives and targets established for

the management system. For an environmental management system, the important high

level commitments are the prevention of pollution, compliance with legal and other

requirements, and continual improvement.

6. Management review. Management review is an opportunity for top management to take a

hohstic and strategic look at the continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness of the

environmental management system, and approve actions to improve the system, thereby reducing

exposure to environmental nsk and improving the environmental performance of the organization.

The standard does not stipulate the frequency of management reviews or their format. They

do not have to be in the form of a meeting. Management reviews can therefore be conducted without

meetings, but the standard requires records to be kept. Most organizations with effective
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
61

management review conduct them annually, half-yearly or quarterly. Management reviews .

conducted any more frequently than quarterly tend to be more operational than holistic and strategic.

Quarterly management reviews may be appropriate while an env'ronmentat management system is

being established and implemented. Management review frequency can usually be reduced to half­

yearly and eventually annually as the management system matures.