Unit 001: Engineering and environmental health and safety

Environmental Management Systems

Starter activity 1

State the top ten environmental issues listed by the United Nations

Instructions

• Fill in the missing parts of words to correctly list the top ten environmental issues

EMS

Given the opening activity, what do you think EMS can stand for…..

• E

• M

• S

nvironmental

anagement

ystem

EMS

A description………

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is:

a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.

Three keys points

From the video H&S VID020 can you determine the 3 key points of the EMS?

What does a EMS do

Review of H&S VID020

Three keys points

From the video H&S VID020 can you determine the 3 key points of the EMS?

1. Improved operational efficiency

• Holistic approach

• Reduce waste/resource

2. Builds on existing systems to reduce environmental impact

3. Raises company profile

How does an EMS work

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a framework that helps an organization achieve its environmental goals

Performance

The EMS itself does not dictate a level of environmental performance that must be achieved.

Each organization's EMS is tailored to the its own individual objectives and targets.

Compliance

An EMS helps an organization address its regulatory demands in a systematic and cost-effective manner.

This proactive approach can help reduce the risk of non-compliance and improve health and safety practices for employees and the public.

Compliance

The Plan, Do, Check, Act improvement cycle of an EMS has one extra step when considering compliance.

Check list

• Reviewing the organization's environmental goals

• Analysing its environmental impacts and legal requirements

• Setting environmental objectives

• Establishing programs to meet these objectives and targets

• Monitoring and measuring progress in achieving the objectives

• Ensuring employees' environmental awareness and competence

• Reviewing progress of the EMS and making improvements

Costs and benefits

Internal costs

• Staff/manager time (represents the bulk of EMS resources expended by most organizations)

• Other employee time

External costs

• Potential consulting assistance

• Outside training of personnel

Costs and benefits

Benefits

• Improved environmental performance

• Enhanced compliance

• Pollution prevention

• Resource conservation

• New customers/markets

Costs and benefits

Benefits

• Increased efficiency/reduced costs

• Enhanced employee morale

• Enhanced image with public, regulators, lenders, investors

• Employee awareness of environmental issues and responsibilities

Assessment for learning

You need be able to know the initiatives that can be taken by an engineering company with regards to complying to its own EMS.

Completing H&S WS063 will help reinforce your knowledge on the topic?