Environmental Management Systems and YOU
You may be thinking of installing an Environmental Management System, (EMS) or you may have a customer who won't do business without you having one. What's it all about? You may be thinking. What is it going to give me?
Having an EMS is a statement of management commitment to Improvement of the Environment. The ISO 14001 Series of Environmental Standards are an Internationally recognised series similar to the ISO 9001 is for quality. In an age of increasing public awareness and attitudes towards environmental issues, having an internationally recognised badge could be the difference between success and failure. The two main drivers of an EMS are the organisations registers for Environmental Aspects and Impacts and its Applicable Legislation. By taking the time to look at what aspects of the process have potential to impact on the environment an organisation has the opportunity to establish controls or improvements to either remove altogether the aspect or significantly reduce the frequency, duration or severity of its impact. In association with this the awareness of compliance requirements to the applicable legislation is favourably viewed by regulatory bodies such as the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, SEPA.
Where management commitment exists, SEPA believes that EMS's can assist organisations in understanding their systems and processes, and can identify opportunities for reduced use of energy, water and raw material, as well as driving improvements in employee participation, recycling and an increased understanding of the applicability of environmental legislation.
Working towards or maintaining an EMS, is a long term commitment to the sustainable economic growth of a business. It will not only make you more aware of your processes and legal requirements, it will help you to improve and save money in the long run.
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