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Article
Environmental Management and ISO
14000
Copyright © All rights reserved.
By Randy Oglesby
Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.
Introduction
Today’s environmental regulations affect not only the larger
industrial and manufacturing organizations, but small to medium size
businesses as well. For
example, medical facilities, neighborhood dry cleaners, auto parts stores,
and even local supermarkets in some states are now confronted with the
myriad of problems associated with storage, handling and disposal of
hazardous materials. Hazardous
wastes and materials are now tightly controlled and their discharges are
freely and openly reported through community and worker right-to-know
regulations. Federal regulations have grown thirty percent in the 1990’s
and although the Federal EPA is responsible for setting the minimum levels
of compliance, many states go beyond what is required by federal
regulations. In the last few
years, with the proliferation of community right-to-know legislation, even
local fire departments and county agencies have become players in the
game.
Environmental management has been,
and too often remains, reactive, fragmentary, and focused on crisis
intervention rather than crisis prevention.
However, for several reasons (increased public awareness, economic
benefits, etc.) environmental management is now evolving into a more
systematic approach. Proactive
organizations are changing environmental management from an add-on
function to one that is integral to business strategic planning and
operation. These forward
looking organizations are no longer depending solely on end-of-pipe
controls for environmental protection, but are addressing pollution
prevention and other environmental issues throughout all aspects of the
design, manufacturing, and distribution process.
The advent of a new internationally recognized standard, ISO 14000,
sets the framework from which an organization of any size can develop a
proactive environmental management system.
ISO 14000 Environmental Series Standards
ISO 14000 is a series of voluntary international standards drafted by the
International Organization of Standardization, a Swiss-based, worldwide
organization of national standard bodies from over 110 countries.
The series outlines an internationally common set of guidelines
covering environmental management systems and tools.
Although not required, ISO 14000 provides a means for third-party
registration and/or self-declaration as evidence that an organization has
met the standard’s requirements. It is important to note that the ISO 14000 standards are process
– not performance standards. That
is, these standards do not require a particular level of environmental
performance, but offer organizations the building blocks that will help them achieve their own goals.
Benefits
The primary benefit of a documented environmental management system is the
comfort level it provides. Such
a system provides management with the confidence that processes and
functions of the organization having environmental consequences (or
potential consequences) have been identified and a plan is in place to
prevent and reduce the environmental liabilities associated with those
processes and functions. In
addition, and environmental management system that is fully and faithfully
adhered to can have the following “spin off” benefits:
- Improving
cost controls;
- Satisfying
investor criteria and improving access to capital;
- Obtaining
insurance at reasonable cost;
- Conserving
input materials and energy;
- Facilitating
the attainment of permits and authorizations;
- Reducing
incidents that result in liability;
- Enhancing
image and market share;
- Assuring
customers of commitment to demonstrable environmental management;
- Maintaining
good public/community relations;
- Meeting
vendor certification criteria;
- Demonstrating
reasonable care;
- Fostering
developmental solutions;
- Improving
industry-government relations.
Environmental Management
Applying a systematic method of managing environmental liabilities
will assist in assuring minimal vulnerability in compliance-related
matters. This approach is
also the most cost effective means for managing environmental aspects of
an organization. In addition,
without a structured approach, internal review or audit programs may not
be sufficient to assure that the organization is meeting and will continue
to meet its legal and policy requirements.
A proactive environmental
management system based on the ISO 14000 standard can provide the tools to
achieve the comfort level and confidence, which results from knowing that
compliance issues are being addressed and the necessary actions are being
taken.
Conclusion
As the growing concern for maintaining and improving environmental quality
continues, the environmental performance of an organization becomes
increasingly important to internal and external interested parties.
Thus, to address these concerns, organizations must turn their
attention to the potential environmental impacts of their business.
Achieving sound environmental performance requires commitment to a
systematic approach and to continuous improvement of an environmental
management system.
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