Case Study
In 2002 Ideal Heating, a leading heating products manufacturer, engaged us to assist in the development of an ISO 14001 certified EMS. Certification was achieved in February 2003. Since then we have assisted the company to
(a) maintain the certification
(b) save significant resources and costs
(c) achieve certification to the Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon Management and
(d) achieve an award in the BiTC Environmental Index.
Formal EMS - ISO14001
Up to 1 hour FREE energy/environmental consultation - click here.
ISO 14001 is the internationally recognised standard for the environmental management of any organisation. It can be applied to organisations large and small through all sectors, whether public or private. In short, it can be applied to any organisation. Whilst other standards such as BS 8555 and EU EMAS may be preferred in a minority of situations, the ISO 14001 Standard is by far the most acknowledged in the UK and world-wide.
Why implement a formal EMS?
It is important that the organisation has established a business need for a certified EMS before committing the resources to developing one. An ISO 14001 EMS is a systematic process of identifying, controlling and minimising the significant environmental aspects and impacts of any organisation. As such, it needs the full support of top management. The system has the potential to add sustainable value to any organisation, provided it has the required top-level commitment to allocate resources and enthusiasm for continual improvement. All areas of the organisation are involved in the development process.
How do you implement the ISO 14001?
The development and implementation process follows the classic management system cycle of PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT. An Initial Review will identify the significant environmental aspects of the organisation and establish main tasks / resources required.This will also either confirm or question the need for certification, (if you are not seeking ISO accreditation then a more cost-effective solution is available through the Informal EMS). If the conclusion is that ISO 14001 certification is appropriate, we offer the practical guidance and documentation appropriate for your organisation.
For large organisations our experience is that the EMS needs to be bespoke and will no doubt require some level of integration with other management systems, including for example group policies and procedures, health and safety systems and quality management procedures. We have developed an expertise in this area over many years, including the development of Integrated Management Systems using the BSi PAS 99 specification. (click here for more information on IMS).
In general for a large organisation, the expectation is that certification can be achieved between 12 and 18 months following top level approval to proceed. The level of assistance required will depend on the complexity of the EMS to be developed and the resources that the organisation can dedicate to the project. The main tasks, time scale and allocation of resources will normally be proposed in an Initial Review, including a project plan.
For a FREE, no obligation quote for your organisations, please contact us on 01482 841164 or email steve@esltd.co.uk
