Major Stages in the Implementation of an Environmental Management System
Preparation
- approval of the project by management
- assessment of funding opportunities for the enterprise
- site inspection (first impression of the situation at the enterprise)
- workshop with management, section heads, assigned specialist officers
and the works committee ("kick-off-meeting")
- announcement of the management's decision
- creation of a regular group-meeting on environmental issues
Stocktaking
- determination of the time-frame to be considered in the stocktaking
- interviews of management, section heads, assigned specialist officers
and the works committee
- interviews of employees and staff
- sifting and primary assessment of all available information and documents
with relevance for the environment
- initial alignment with existing legislation
- initial consideration of relevant procedures, resources, auxiliary
materials and fuels as well as energy flows
- consideration of existing impacts on the environment as well as determination
of potential risks
- consideration of existing measures and means of environmental protection
- consideration of non-conformities with legal requirements within
the organizational structure
- if necessary, determination of further relevant information and documents
regarding the environment
Evaluation
- rough analysis of the data with the aim of defining/detailing further
steps
- compilation of a profile describing the current and ideal situations
(analysis of existing weaknesses)
- evaluation of the impact on the environment (e.g. ABC analysis and/or
by way of verbal argumentation)
- evaluation of environmental protection measures
- determination of required measures (with priority-setting)
- report to management and affected departments
Improvement measures
- inference of environmental protection measures from the results of
the first environmental inspection
- determination of cost saving potentials
- definition of sensible instruments of environmental control
- "Continuous Improvement Process"
- performance indicators
- benchmarking
- internal environmental information system
- standardized data-acquisition procedure
Development of the environmental management system
- formulation of an environmental policy for the affected company
- fixing of improvement measures in the environmental program
- creation of an implementation plan with specification of responsibilities,
means and deadlines
- definition of interfaces between quality assurance and industrial
and workplace safety
- conception of an organizational structure for environmental protection
within the affected enterprise (structure and sequence organisation)
- organisational structure
- responsibilities
- training / motivation
- internal/external communication
- emergency management
- documentation of the company's environmental protection measures
in an environmental management manual
- adaptation of existing organizational guidelines and instructions
- definition of environmental procedures and environmental work guidelines
- compilation of legally prescribed documentation, e.g. waste balance
statements in accordance with the Federal Waste-Management Act, internal
guidelines in accordance with the Regulation on Hazardous Goods etc.
- provision of employee training with regard to the different levels
of responsibility
Environmental audit
- definition of scope and aims of the environmental audit
- visit on site/location
- determination and documentation of errors and non-conformitiesn with
legal and other requirements
- assessment of the effectiveness and reliability of internal regulations
- final discussion with management and responsible memebers of staff
- creation of an audit report
- implementation and, if necessary, demonstration of required corrective
measures
Preparation for external certification or validation and registration
- compilation of an environmental statement (for environmental management
in accordance with EMAS)
- selection of certifying official
- validation of environmental statement / certification of the environmental
management system
- initiation of registration procedure (for environmental management
in accordance with EMAS)
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News Glossary Links Correspondence ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 |
