Managing the Hotspots (Operational Controls)
To satisfy the commitments in your environmental policy, you’ll want to control certain operations and activities. Determining which operations should be covered by documented procedures and how those operations should be controlled is a critical step in designing an effective EMS. You will most likely find that you have existing procedures that address a large portion of your activities that relate to the environment. These may or may not be documented.
Getting Started
- What operations are related to significant impacts and legal requirements (use your flowcharts developed from the environmental aspect identification process - Phase II)
- Review your existing procedures (including health and safety) with the people who will implement them - is there a better, cheaper, faster, greener way?
- How do we control this operation now?
- Are controls adequate to meet our objectives and to ensure compliance?
- If additional controls are needed, what types of controls make sense?
- Who are the personnel responsible for carrying out the tasks to ensure proper management?
- Are records generated through this activity (e.g. manifests)?
- What type of monitoring/measurement is needed?
- Is periodic maintenance needed?
- What expectations should we communicate to suppliers and contractors*?
*Suppliers and contractors may provide goods and services that have a direct impact on your organization’s environmental performance. You will want to cross reference this with the significant environmental aspect list to ensure they take appropriate measures to control the significant aspects that are associated with their goods or services.
Keys to success
- Identify the procedures or work instructions that may already exist that are related to your significant aspects
- Utilize personnel who work with significant aspects to modify or develop new documented procedures or work instructions
- Integrate health and safety requirements into the procedures.
- Keep it simple! The procedures do not need to be 10-15 pages long.
Check list
- Are there documented procedures or work instructions for your organization’s significant aspects?
- Have they been truth tested - have personnel on the shop floor reviewed them?