ABSTRACT
As EPA enforcement against and the number of rules applicable to colleges and universities continue to rise, the ability of an EHS manager to maintain a college campus in compliance with rules becomes increasingly more difficult. As a result of these pressures, more and more campuses are starting to develop and implement Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Several international standards for EMS development have served as the basis for EMS including the ANSI/ISO 1400, which was developed in 1996 to address the need for a standard against which EMS could be measured. This standard offers a complete and internationally recognized process for EMS development and is inherently flexible in allowing different types and sizes of organizations to focus on issues they identify as most important. Organizations can develop an EMS that is ISO 14001 certifiable, or they can tailor a system to address their specific needs using a practical approach that borrows from the international standard.
An effective EMS provides an organized systematic approach for the 180development, implementation, review and continual improvement of a campus’, company’s or facility’s environmental management program. Before embarking on the EMS, a facility must clearly define the purpose, scope and objectives of the EMS. An EMS consists of three distinct phases: planning; implementation; and continual improvement. Each phase requires the completion of several substantial activities. For example, identifying environmental aspects and detailing a facility’s obligations to the applicable environmental regulations is a major activity in the planning phase of an EMS.
This paper provides the background of the ISO 14001 standard, explains the benefits of developing an EMS, gives an overview of the various developmental phases, and describes tools that companies can use to facilitate the planning, implementation and monitoring of the EMS. It underlines the importance of resource allocation, management support and personnel ownership for the successful execution of an organization’s EMS.
