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STEP-BY-STEP ACTION PLAN: Building an EMS might sound like an overwhelming task for a small organization, but it doesn’t have to be. Time and other resources are limited in any small organization, so it is important that your resources are used wisely. One way to do this is by following a simple, effective plan.
The importance of careful planning cannot be overemphasized. Taking the time to figure out what you need to do, how you will do it, and which people must be involved will pay big dividends down the road. Using a team approach for building your EMS is a good way to improve commitment and ensure that the objectives, procedures and other system elements are realistic, achievable, and cost-effective.
The following EMS Action Plan contains suggested steps to develop and implement an EMS.STEP2 , EMS Development and Implementation Guide are laid out to use the steps of the EMS Action Plan to create an EMS. STEP3: EMS Template is a sample EMS that corresponds to the documentation requirements noted in STEP2.
- EMS Action Plan
• Laying the Groundwork
• Laying the Groundwork Obtain Management Commitment - The first step in the EMS-building process is gaining top management’s commitment to supporting the EMS. Management must understand the benefits of an EMS and what it will take to put an EMS in place. Choose a Champion - A champion is a management representative who has the necessary authority for leading the development and implementation effort and for serving as a liaison to customers and regulators. Form an EMS Team - A team made up of representatives from key management functions, production, and service areas. The team will identify and assess issues, opportunities, and existing processes. Build Support/Involve Employees - Build support for your EMS by making a presentation to your company’s managers and employees on what an EMS is and why the company is developing one. Conduct a Preliminary Review - Conduct a preliminary review of your current environmental programs and systems, and compare these against the criteria for your EMS. Plan the Process - Create a plan for the EMS effort.
• Develop EMS Documentation: The EMS Manual - Although EMS Documentation is an EMS Implementation element, it is addressed here because each EMS element must be documented throughout the development process. This is a good point to begin the organization of the EMS manual, since each ensuing step involves documenting activities that become part of the manual.
• Establish a Communication Plan - Communication is another EMS Implementation element. However, communication is an integral part of the EMS development, with more effective communication improving the efficiency of your EMS development. Therefore, it is necessary to start the process of developing communication procedures at this point to ensure that resources devoted to EMS development and implementation are used efficiently.
• Create an Environmental Policy Statement - The EMS Team will begin the process of developing an EMS by writing your company’s environmental policy statement and deciding how much effort you want to expend at the start. This policy will be focused on the priorities of each specific organization.
• Planning - Formulate a plan to fulfill your environmental policy. In order to accomplish this: Identify Environmental Aspects - Your company’s environmental aspects are any of your activities, products, or services that can interact with the environment. The environmental impact is any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, resulting from the environmental aspects. Identify Legal and Other Requirements - In order to comply with laws and regulations that apply to your company, you must first know what the rules are and how they affect what you do. An effective EMS should include processes to identify and communicate applicable legal and other requirements, and ensure that these requirements are factored into the company’s management efforts. Establish Objectives and Targets - Determine which environmental aspects are significant and prioritize them to determine what you want to address first. Develop Environmental Management Program - Establish an environmental management program that addresses all of your environmental objectives. The organization does not have to address all of its significant impacts at once, but must commit to work on each in an appropriate time frame that is right for the facility.
• Implementation - Develop the capabilities and support mechanisms necessary to achieve your environmental policy, objectives and targets. In order to accomplish this: Develop Operational Controls - To ensure that your environmental policy is followed and that your objectives are achieved, certain operations and activities must be controlled. Develop Emergency Preparedness and Response Procedures - Emergency plans and procedures must be developed to ensure that there will be an appropriate response to unexpected or accidental incidents. Designate Organizational Structure and Responsibilities - For your EMS to be effective, roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined and communicated. Establish Document Control - To ensure that everyone is working with the proper EMS documents, your organization should have a procedure that describes how documents are controlled. Train Employees - Once the procedures and other documents have been prepared, you are ready to implement the EMS. As a first step, train your employees on the EMS, especially with regard to the environmental impacts of their activities, any new/modified procedures, and any new responsibilities.
• Checking/Corrective Action - After the EMS is up and running, be sure to assess system performance. In order to accomplish this: Establish Monitoring and Measurement Procedures - Monitoring and measurement enables you to gauge your environmental performance and analyze root causes of problems. Establish Nonconformance and Corrective/Preventive Action Procedures - When system deficiencies are encountered, your organization will need a process to ensure that problems (including nonconformities) are investigated and corrective actions are identified and implemented. Establish Records Procedures - Records prove that your organization is actually implementing the EMS as designed. Develop Audit Procedures - Audits identify EMS deficiencies so that they can be resolved.
• Establish Continuing Improvement Management Review - To ensure success and continuing improvement, regular reviews of your EMS are needed. Management reviews should be scheduled regularly to check on progress of the EMS and of the environmental programs set up to meet targets. How much work each of the steps entails depends on how large your company is and the scope of work that you decide to undertake. It is not necessary for your EMS to include all your operations, especially for your first effort. As your experience in managing environmental concerns along with your daily operations continues, you can develop your EMS further.
Through the established channels I will immediately report the issue based on the specifics and magnitude of the threat. I would have previously ensured that the Company i work for has an Emergency Response Plan and HSE Management System in place, which will spell out the actions that are incumbent upon me and how i must proceed. My immediate concern will be for personnel safety.
Certainly you would try to minimize the pollution, for that you the project should be started with planning and pro provision. check the work on daily bases whether it effect the environment badly then proper methods to be adopted for its control.
I will show the consequence of the same as initially it may benefited the company but in long run it will harm the company.
