An Environmental Management System is a system for ensuring that an organisation's significant impacts on the environment are controlled and minimised. ISO14001 is the de facto standard in Ireland for accrediation of Environmental Management Systems
To have an Environmental Management System will incur a cost in implementation and running. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the benefits exceed the cost.
Where organisations have an IPPC or Waste Licence, the EPA will require an Environmental Management System with a minimum number of elements. Where this is the case, there would be little additional cost in upgrading the system to ISO 14001. Having an accredited system may reduce the annual fee payable to the EPA as the risk ranking may be reduced.
Where organisations tender to large customers and the public sector (especially the UK public sector) the procurement rules give preference to organisations that have an Environmental Management System. Thus a certified Environmental Management System may make the difference between getting an order or not.
For smaller organisations that can move quickly, achieving ISO 14001 can be quick. We have achieved this for some organisations in as little as four months. We gaijed ISO14001 in just under four months. However, for larger organisations, the process may be longer. BS8555 provides a stepped approach with recognition of the steps on the way. This will allow public procurement organisations to give credit for partial implementation and thus the organisation will gain points in the tendering process.
Environmental Efficiency can help you implement an Environmental Management System in one step or in a number of stages to suit your time scale. Our service includes carrying out a base line environmental audit, identifying corrective actions, writing procedures and manuals, staff training and carrying out mock audits.
