Environmental Management Systems and ISO Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance September 13, 2001 Beth Graves EMS Project Coor. NC DPPEA

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Worldwide federation of national standards bodies from over 100 countries, one from each country. Non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 1947,located in Switzerland. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is US representative to ISO Not an acronym- from the Greek iso, meaning equal (isothermal, isosceles)

ISO Standards Family Management System standards EMS, auditing, EPE (14030) Product standards LCA (14040), labeling (14020)

ISO Standards A series of guidance documents and standards to help organizations address environmental issues. Ones below deal with EMS : Environmental Management Systems 14004: EMS general guidelines 14010: Guidelines for Environmental Auditing 14011: Guidelines for Auditing of an EMS 14012: Auditing - Qualification criteria

What is an EMS? Systematic way of managing an organization’s environmental affairs Based on Plan-Do-Check-Act Model (PDCA) Focused on Continual Improvement of system Addresses immediate and long-term impact of an organization’s products, services and processes on the environment. A tool to improve environmental performance

Becoming ISO certified ISO is the only certification standard Registration body examines EMS for conformity to the ISO standard Not a compliance audit, an EMS audit Facility awarded registration Does NOT mean that products are more environmentally friendly Does mean have a documented EMS that is fully implemented and consistently followed

To Whom Do the Standards Apply? Standard is Voluntary Large and Small Business & Industry Service Sectors (hospitals, hotels, etc.) City and County Government Applicable to all types of organizations, of all sizes anywhere in the world

Why Implement an EMS? To get your environmental ducks in a row! Struggling to stay in compliance and keep track of regulations/laws Environmental management just one of many responsibilities Establish a framework to move beyond compliance Vehicle for positive change; improved employee morale, enhanced public image Employee turnover Many individual parts may already be in place – just need to unify under the EMS umbrella!

Program Feedback Ford Environmental System Program Feedback Enhanced compliance (46%) Greater environmental awareness (85%) More responsive problem resolution (67%) Improved problem prevention (61%)

17 Requirements in ISO Env. Policy 4.2Document control Env. Aspects 4.3.1Operational control Legal and other req Emergency preparedness and response Obj. and targets 4.3.3Monitoring and measurement Env. Mgmt. Program 4.3.4Corrective/preventive action Structure and Responsibility 4.4.1Records Training, awareness, and competence EMS audit Communication 4.4.3Management Review 4.6 EMS documentation 4.4.4

EMS Model Policy Planning Implementation Checking Corrective Action Management Review Based on the P-D-C-A Model, Plan-Do-Check-Act

For More Information DPPEA offers free on-site EMS assistance and training DPPEA EMS web site: Barb SatlerBeth Graves, or (919)