When opportunities for improvement are identified, they should be evaluated to determine what actions should be taken. The actions for improvement should be planned, and changes to the environmental management system should be implemented in accordance with those plans. Improvements need not take place in all areas simultaneously.
Practical help – Examples of improvement
Improvements can be made either within or outside the process of setting and reviewing environmental objectives and targets. Some examples of improvement include
a) establishing a process for evaluating new materials to promote the use of less harmful materials,
b) improving an organization’s process for identifying applicable legal requirements so that new compliance requirements are identified in a moue timely fashion,
c) improving employee training on materials and handling to reduce an organization’s generation of waste,
d) Introducing waste water treatment processes to allow water reuse,
e) Implementing changes in default settings on reproduction equipment to print two-sided copies at a printing office,
f) Redesigning delivery routes to reduce fossil fuel consumption by transportation company(ies), and
g) Setting objectives and targets to implement fuel substitution in boiler operations and reduce particulate emissions.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
4.6.2 Continual improvement
General guidance – Continual improvement
Continual improvement is a key attribute of an effective environmental management system.
Continual improvement is accomplished through the achievement of environmental objectives and targets and the overall enhancement of the environmental management system or any of its components.
4.6.2.1 Opportunities for improvement
An organization should continually evaluate its environmental performance and the performance of its environmental management system processes to identify opportunities for improvement. Top management should be involved directly in this evaluation through the management review process.
The identification of environmental management system deficiencies (including actual or potential nonconformities also provides significant opportunities for improvement. To realize such improvements, an organization should not only know what deficiencies exist, but understand why they exist. This can be achieved by analyzing the root causes(s) of environmental management system deficiencies.
Some useful sources of information for continual improvement include
a) experience gained from corrective and preventive actions,
b) external benchmarking against best practices,
c) intended or proposed changes applicable to legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes,
d) results of environmental management system and compliance audits,
e) results of monitoring of key characteristics of operations,
f) results of progress towards achieving objectives and targets, and
g) views of interested parties, including employees, customers and suppliers.
Continual improvement is a key attribute of an effective environmental management system.
Continual improvement is accomplished through the achievement of environmental objectives and targets and the overall enhancement of the environmental management system or any of its components.
4.6.2.1 Opportunities for improvement
An organization should continually evaluate its environmental performance and the performance of its environmental management system processes to identify opportunities for improvement. Top management should be involved directly in this evaluation through the management review process.
The identification of environmental management system deficiencies (including actual or potential nonconformities also provides significant opportunities for improvement. To realize such improvements, an organization should not only know what deficiencies exist, but understand why they exist. This can be achieved by analyzing the root causes(s) of environmental management system deficiencies.
Some useful sources of information for continual improvement include
a) experience gained from corrective and preventive actions,
b) external benchmarking against best practices,
c) intended or proposed changes applicable to legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes,
d) results of environmental management system and compliance audits,
e) results of monitoring of key characteristics of operations,
f) results of progress towards achieving objectives and targets, and
g) views of interested parties, including employees, customers and suppliers.
4.6 Management review
General guidance – Management review
An organization should periodically review and continually improve its environmental management system, with the objective of improving its overall environmental performance.
4.6.1 Review of the environmental management system
An organization’s top management should, at intervals that it determines, conduct a review of its environmental management system to evaluate the system’ continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. This review should cover the environmental aspects of activities, products and services that are within the scope of the environmental management system.
Inputs to the management review may include
a) results of internal audits and evaluations of compliance with applicable legal requirements and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes,
b) communication from external interested parties, including complaints,
c) the environmental performance of the organization,
d) the extent to which objectives and targets have been met,
e) status of corrective and preventive actions,
f) follow-up actions from previous management reviews,
g) changing circumstances, including
1) changes in the organization’s products, activities and services,
2) results of the evaluation of environmental aspects from planned or new developments,
3) changes in applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes,
4) the views of interested parties,
5) advances in science and technology, and
6) lessons learned from emergency situation and accidents,
h) recommendations for improvement.
Outputs from the review of the environmental management system may include decisions on
- the system’s suitability, adequacy and effectiveness,
- changes to physical, human and financial resources, and
- actions related to possible changes to environmental policy, objectives, targets and other elements of the environmental management system.
Records of management review can include copies of meeting agenda items, lists of attendees, presentation materials or handouts, and management decisions recorded in a memo to file, reports, minutes, or tracking system.
Each organization con decide for itself those who will participate in the management review. Typically, this includes environmental staff (who compile and present the information), managers of key units (whose operations include significant environmental aspects or who are responsible for key environmental management system elements, such as training, records, etc.) and top managers (who evaluate the performance of the environmental management system, identify improvement priorities, and ensure that follow-up is effective).
An organization should periodically review and continually improve its environmental management system, with the objective of improving its overall environmental performance.
4.6.1 Review of the environmental management system
An organization’s top management should, at intervals that it determines, conduct a review of its environmental management system to evaluate the system’ continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. This review should cover the environmental aspects of activities, products and services that are within the scope of the environmental management system.
Inputs to the management review may include
a) results of internal audits and evaluations of compliance with applicable legal requirements and with other requirements to which the organization subscribes,
b) communication from external interested parties, including complaints,
c) the environmental performance of the organization,
d) the extent to which objectives and targets have been met,
e) status of corrective and preventive actions,
f) follow-up actions from previous management reviews,
g) changing circumstances, including
1) changes in the organization’s products, activities and services,
2) results of the evaluation of environmental aspects from planned or new developments,
3) changes in applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes,
4) the views of interested parties,
5) advances in science and technology, and
6) lessons learned from emergency situation and accidents,
h) recommendations for improvement.
Outputs from the review of the environmental management system may include decisions on
- the system’s suitability, adequacy and effectiveness,
- changes to physical, human and financial resources, and
- actions related to possible changes to environmental policy, objectives, targets and other elements of the environmental management system.
Records of management review can include copies of meeting agenda items, lists of attendees, presentation materials or handouts, and management decisions recorded in a memo to file, reports, minutes, or tracking system.
Each organization con decide for itself those who will participate in the management review. Typically, this includes environmental staff (who compile and present the information), managers of key units (whose operations include significant environmental aspects or who are responsible for key environmental management system elements, such as training, records, etc.) and top managers (who evaluate the performance of the environmental management system, identify improvement priorities, and ensure that follow-up is effective).
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