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The economic and social significance of operational environment protection for securing the site locations on long term has already goaded several companies in all industrial sectors to set up environment management systems (EMS) and to get these systems certified. PLAN: Organisations that have already in introduced an EMS define environment protection for their company in form of a corporate environment policy and basically strive to improve the operational environment management system. This means that direct environmental aspects (such as waste, waste water, exhaust gases, energy …) and indirect environmental aspects (such as procurement of materials or services, impacts on the environment by the use of products, ..) are assessed in respect to their environmental impacts, in order to identify the relevant characteristics for the reduction of the environmental pollution. On this basis, EMS organisations define environment goals and evolve measures for achieving them (environment programme). A company certified for its environmental system also has a standardised process for identifying and complying with the environment related requirements of laws, ordinances and rulings. DO: To achieve the improvement on the operational environmental performance, on the realisation of the environment program and on having legal compliance, the environmentally relevant processes have to be identified and defined in particular, internal and external environment communication channels have to be defined, trainings have to be conducted, written documentation has to be created and distributed in the company, and the environmental risks together with their preparedness on emergency cases have to be identified and defined together with the response for their avoidance. CHECK: To objectify the improvement of the environmental performance, an organisation with a certified environment management system has to measure and record the impact on the environment and it has to observe, analyse and evaluate the recorded facts. Internal audits are accomplished periodically to see if the company is acting in accordance to its specifications. If there is need for action because of facts detected at internal audits, at external requests, at complaints, at internal suggestions, this will trigger corrective and/or preventive actions and measures. ACT: The review of the EMS by the top management of a company closes the cycle of constant improvement (PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT). In the so called Management Review, there is the evaluation of the actual facts in relation to the planned and expected facts set as goals and intentions for the specific concluded planning cycle, in hence new goals and measures are set and defined for the new planning period as conclusion of the actual management review. Benefits of the EMS:
ISO 14001:2004 The ISO 14001 is the standard for environment management system that is applicable throughout the whole world. This international standard was published in the year of 1996 for the first time. In 2004, some changes, additions and concrete definitions had been made. In its core elements the ISO 14001:2004 basis on the structure of a quality management system, which is also organised in accordance to the PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT principle. For this reason, the integration of environment and quality into a common management system can be achieved easily. The TÜV AUSTRIA CERT GmbH is accredited as per the ISO 14001:2004 for the review (checking) and for the certification of environment management systems. EMAS-Ordinance (EC) No. 761/2001 A special form of the environment management system has been developed and is being used in Europe, The TÜV AUSTRIA CERT GmbH is authorised to conduct audits and certification of environment management systems as per the EMAS II. There is a team of authorised, competence and experienced environmental auditors. Summary:An environment management system can be implemented, applied and certified by the TÜV AUSTRIA CERT GmbH both, on the basis of the ISO 14001 and on the basis of the EMAS II. It helps the company on systematic improvement of its environmental performance. At the numerous benefits of an environment management system, the cost reduction in fact of the improvement of the efficiency at resources and the increased legal security are, in particular important facts. The most important difference between the ISO 14001 and EMAS II is the environment declaration that is to be published as per the EMAS II. The basic similarity of quality management systems as per ISO 9001 and of environment management systems as per EMAS II or ISO 14001 make it easy to integrate quality and environment into a management system. The TÜV AUSTRIA CERT GmbH, with its team of experienced auditors, can certify environment management systems both in accordance with the EMAS II as well as the ISO 14001, or as integrated management system for quality, safety and environment.
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