Managing compliance is managing waste, managing efficiently will ensure compliance
By developing and documenting sound work systems and procedures (such as an environmental management system), you can ensure that you are in control of your business and are less likely to experience failures, unexpected wastage or non-compliances.
Improvements can be made to...
Systems management
- Identify and assess environmental impacts of your business activities – a good way to start is to conduct a waste assessment.
- Review the effectiveness of all existing controls and work instructions.
- Identify what issues that need to be addressed and what practices need to be changed, and record this information.
- Develop an effective waste management plan as a minimum.
- Devise procedures and plans to reduce environmental impacts.
- Establish an environmental policy (that is achievable in your business) and communicate it to staff and external stakeholders such as suppliers and customers.
- Consider integrating environmental management activities into existing systems such as quality and/or safety.
- Plan for emergencies, develop contingency plans for potential incident scenarios.
- Measure and monitor your environmental performance on a regular basis.
- Involve staff, suppliers, customers, local community and other stakeholders in developing a long-term environmental improvement plan for your business.
- Consider establishing an environmental management system to ISO 14001 standard.
Staff responsibilities
- Ensure environmental management is an integral part of your business responsibilities.
- Form a cleaner production team and nominate a team leader.
- Brainstorm with the team (and other staff if possible) to develop a list of improvement options for eliminating or reducing wastage.
- Integrate environmental responsibilities such as for materials and energy efficiency into position descriptions.
- Use trained staff (or train your staff if required) to undertake monitoring of environmental performance and to review your systems on a yearly basis.
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