Environmental Management Systems

 

Environmental awareness is rapidly increasing to the point where there is as much pressure placed on companies to achieve control over resources and waste as there was to achieve quality standards.
From office-based organisations, to the largest chemical or mining company - all can save money through effective environmental controls.

We can provide;

- Project co-ordination to assist companies implement an environmental management system and, where possible, integrate this into an existing ISO 9001 based system.

- Training to ensure understanding and support for a company-wide environmental policy


Environmental Management – Where There’s Muck There’s Money

Financial payback should be all the incentive that companies need to adopt good business practice yet many seem reluctant to accept this as a philosophy. Too many organisations are still trying to adopt management standards for the sake of a certificate.
The advantages to be gained from quality or environmental standards should impact across the whole organisation and especially ‘the bottom line’. Many organisations have adopted management standards such as ISO 9001 in the simplest possible manner to combat external pressure, often from their customers without realising that what they should be doing is establishing the most effective way of running their business.There is a growing pressure on all companies to comply with an ever-increasing set of constraints from a wide variety of sources. This requires consideration of the question “What do we get out of all this”?

In comparison to Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001), where companies have found that financial savings only become apparent after two or three years of better process control, a good Environmental Management System (ISO 14001) can bring almost immediate results and cost savings. In fact, those companies with the worst environmental record can be those who gain most in the short term.

There are many pressures that influence company management, including;

  • - The need to control cash flow and investment
  • - Compliance with an ever increasing range of legislation, which will gradually be more and more effectively monitored.
  • - Customers are demanding ever higher standards
  • - Investors and Insurers require security
  • - Interested Parties and pressure groups are demanding ‘greener’ products Competition is showing its commitment
  • - Increasing support for at every level for a genuine concern for the environment.

The only answer to all of these is an integrated strategy based on good business sense and commitment.

Why is it then that companies are often reluctant to apply environmental management principles to their business strategy?

The answer may be quite simply that management can only see the cost involved in obtaining yet another certificate, while quietly ignoring the hidden costs occurring through waste in the organisation. Unlike quality management where the certificate has become almost a ‘license to trade’, as yet environmental management is still an option. However, it is an option that WILL provide a payback whether you reach the certification stage or simply adopt the principles. If you can answer yes to the following questions you are already well on the way to an effective environmental policy:

Alan A. Griffin Associates can offer a wide range of advisory support to companies approaching an environmental policy or management system. From the initial review through to preparation of objectives and targets, our professional staff can simplify the work involved and help to produce a cost-effective system.

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