posted 22 June 1999 07:43 PM               

Look at the amount of electricity, natural gas and water you use.

Identify your waste streams. Not just the Hazardous stuff either. Look at your paper waste. Are you killing too many trees.

Are you using office materials that can be replaced by less hazardous stuff?

Look at the toilets. Are they water friendly or do they use 20 gallons a flush.

As an EMS Auditor I would look for the above and more.

posted 23 June 1999 11:49 AM               

The standard states that each organization is have a procedure to identify "the environmental aspects". The word "THE" is the catch (confused yet?) "THE" is non-prescriptive and can be interpreted as ALL.

"Environmental aspects" are basically anything the organization does that can interact with the environment. It must also be remembered that "Aspects" don't have to be negative. Positive "Aspects" also need to be identified if they exist. A positive "Aspect" could be a recycling program.

posted 25 June 1999 11:51 AM               

Let's say a 1000 employee organization seeking registration under 14001 does not have any of its operations that create waste water (not very likely but possible).

Now looking at basic human needs, each individual has to answer the call twice daily.

With an average flush of 5 gallons per, and a 200 day work year, this comes to 2,000,000 gallons of waste water.

In some areas of the world, like where I live and work in the Mojave Desert, I think we could say toilet usage would be a "Significant Aspect" and create a "Significant Impact". In fact I think in some places back East like Georgia, parts of Tennessee, and the Carolinas that are experiancing a drought right now, 2,000,000 gallons of water is real important.

That's why each organization is encombered with taking a look at everything and determining itself what is significant.

I, as an auditor, would look at this.

posted 05 August 1999 01:15 PM               

News from Maryland

Businesses: Immediate voluntary compliance of 10 percent reduction in water use. Must prepare emergency plans to reduce water usage by 10 percent and include provisions for immediate implementation if required at a later date. Businesses using less than 10,000 gallons per day are excepted.

How many ISO 14000 organizations are jumping through hoops now if they had previously not considered water (used in any capacity) as an aspect?

What if an organization today is going through initial registration or surveillance?
Will they make it if they haven't identified water usage? Depends on what the auditor had for breakfast - maybe the restaurant didn't serve him/her a glass of water because of the shortage.

This single topic illustrates how each item, no matter how seemingly insignificant, should be addressed.

posted 06 October 1999 04:42 PM               

The folks I'm auditing identify their only Aspect and Significant Impact as the solid waste they produce. They can show control (4.3.2) of it and a plan (4.3.3) for reducing it.