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Newsletter and Technical Publications
<Technical Workbook on Environmental Management Tools for
Decision Analysis>
- Monitoring, measurement and record keeping procedures to
document and monitor the results of specific actions and programmes as well as
the overall effects of environmental improvements.
- Corrective and preventive action to eliminate causes of actual
or potential non-conformances to objectives, targets, criteria and
specifications.
- EMS audits to check the adequacy and efficacy of the
implementation and functioning of the EMS.
- Management reviews, the formal evaluation by senior management or top
local officials of the status and adequacy of the EMS in light of changing
circumstances.
- Internal information and training to ensure that all employees
understand why and how to fulfill their environmental responsibilities within
the context of their work activities.
- External communications and community relations to communicate the
organization's environmental goals and performance to interested persons outside
the organization, and to keep them informed about specific environmental issues,
difficulties or other matters that may affect them.
Environmental Management Systems and their core elements have been described
in several guides and textbooks on EMS but are now also available through the
publication of standards. The most important of these standards is probably the
ISO-14001. The table of contents of ISO 14001 is given below:
ISO/DIS 14001: Environmental Management Systems - Specification with guidance
for use
| 0 |
Introduction |
| 1 |
Scope |
| 2 |
References
2.1 Informative references |
| 3 |
Definitions |
| 4 |
Environmental Management System
4.0 General
4.1 Environmental policy
4.2 Planning |
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4.2.1 Environmental
aspects
4.2.2 Legal and other requirements
4.2.3 Objectives and targets
4.2.4 Environmental management programme(s) |
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4.3 |
Implementation and
operation |
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4.3.1 Structure and
responsibility
4.3.2 Training, awareness and competence
4.3.3 Communication
4.3.4 Environmental management system documentation
4.3.5 Document control
4.3.6 Operational control
4.3.7 Emergency preparedness and response |
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4.4 |
Checking and corrective
action |
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4.4.1 Monitoring and
measurement
4.4.2 Non conformance and corrective and preventive action
4.4.3 Records
4.4.4 Environmental management system audit |
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4.5 |
Management review |
| Annex A |
(Informative) Guidance on the use of
the specification |
| Annex B |
(Informative) Links between ISO 14001
and ISO 9000 |
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The core elements in this standard are structured around the Deming Cycle,
given as Figure 1 below. Because of the cyclic nature of the model, the
environmental management system is very dynamic. A change or revision in any of
the core elements of the system will have a chain effect on other elements
Figure 1.
Deming Circle
The model is based on the premise that as the system improves, the
environmental performance of the company also improves.
The EMS is anchored on an Environmental Policy which has the following
characteristics:
- defined by top management;
- appropriate for the nature, scale, impacts of the activities, products,
services;
- commitment for continual improve-ment and prevention of pollution;
- commitment to comply with environmental legislation, regulations and other
requirements;
- framework for objectives and targets
- documented, implemented, main-tained, communicated to all employees;
- available to the public
An EMS therefore relies greatly on top manage-ment's commitment and
willingness to articulate and disseminate it through a clear policy statement.
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