Corporate Services
Environmental Management System/ISO 14001
Environmental management has become a mainstream component in the firm's operations. As the world's environmental challenges take front stage on the national and international news, it has become all too clear that mediocre environmental performance will no longer be tolerated by the government, by the community, or by the consumer. ISO 14001 is a management system standard that can greatly enhance your environmental performance while boosting your bottom line profit.
The process starts with a careful review of the local, state and federal environmental laws and statutes that apply to the firm. Although this may be a difficult task, this initial collection and listing of the applicable regulations is where the benefits begin to accrue, especially for the small to moderately sized firm that does not have dedicated environmental specialists. Once the appropriate regulations are identified, then they must be examined to determine which sections apply. Environmental regulations are large and complex. Most companies that do not have dedicated environmental staff seek outside assistance in this area.
The process of identifying your environmental aspects, and determining which ones are significant can also be a challenge. Choosing inappropriate criteria when determining significance will result in targeting activities that have little or no real impact on environmental performance. Failing to align your criteria with your environmental commitments can lead to conflicts when funding is needed to accomplish performance improvement in areas that few care about. Furthermore, collecting, documenting and maintaining all that information on your aspects determination can become cumbersome.
Careful selection and implementation of a system of monitoring is also important. Integration with current monitoring systems can save time and effort. Failure to normalize the data may make analysis of trends difficult to impossible.
Finally, establishing an awareness of the importance of good environmental stewardship, and how the firm's activities and products can affect the environment, is essential. Sustained environmental improvement is difficult without the cooperation of every employee in the organization. Sustained economic payback from your environmental improvements is impossible without it. Case studies show that the vast majority of improvements that improve both environmental performance and the bottom line bubble up from the bottom of the organization, not the top.
The trainers and consultants at Baker College have helped dozens of companies design and implement environmental management systems that effectively improve environmental performance and profitability. We can assist in the identification of environmental regulations that apply to your firm, the identification of your significant environmental aspects, and the implementation of an effective monitoring and control system. We have the knowledge and experience to integrate your ISO 14001 system into an existing quality management system, or to create an integrated environmental, safety and health management system. Most importantly, we leave you with the tools and knowledge to sustain the system after we have left.
Environmental stewardship is no longer an option, but done right, it can be a source of competitive advantage.
Seminars and areas of consultation include:
- ISO 14001
- Integrating ISO 14001 with your ISO 9001 QMS
- Integrated EH&S Program Development and Maintenance
- Environmental Compliance
- Documentation Development
- Corrective/Preventive Action
- Training Program Management
For more information about Environmental Management Systems/ISO 14001 seminars and areas of consultation, complete the request form or call (810) 766-4242.