Implementing ISO 14000 - Currently ISO 9001 Registered - Development Schedule

[mike101338]

I have a question that I know does not have a concrete answer but am hoping that some of you with more experience than I can give me an answer from experience.

First some background. My company, rather small, has decided to implement an EMS. We are currently 9001 registered and I wrote the docs for that system. The timeframe that my board of directors has given me is to have implementation by December of 2004.

As I begin to establish a development schedule I am looking for the most effecient way to implement the system. Is it advisable to have two teams working simultaneously? One on identifying aspects, objectives and targets while the other one focuses on developing procedures and documents.

I recognize this could put the cart in front of the horse at times however I would think if I do a good job of communication between the two groups we could accomplish both. What does experience say?

Mike

 

[BadgerMan]

I would vote for not burdening an "aspects team" with all the system development issues. That's the way it was done within our organization and it worked out quite well.

 

[mike101338]

I whole heartedly agree with that statement. I guess the question comes down to can you have your aspects team working without the procedures in place to guide them through the process?

 

[BadgerMan]

One of the first EMS specific documents that I wrote was entitled EMS Planning. Its scope included identification of aspects, determination of significant aspects, setting of objectives and targets, and the creation of EMP’s. We also developed a training presentation (all stolen shamelessly from benchmarked materials) and trained the team members accordingly.

Integral processes related to the EMS were developed in parallel with the activities described above. Processes that were common to both the EMS and QMS needed little extra development.

 

[3xotic]

It also depends on the type of procedures being created. If we are talking about standing operating procedures for significant environmental impacts, then group 2 may need to wait for the aspects and impacts to be documented by group 1 and prioritized. After documenting the activities, aspects, and impacts and conducting prioritization, you should have a good starting point from which to focus on establishing procedural controls for those activities deemed to be environmentally significant. However, if we are talking about systematic procedures here, and the group designated with aspects and impacts documentation are aware of the unwritten procedures for aspects and impacts identification and prioritization, about to be documented by the second group, then you should be fine.

 

[mike101338]

yes we are talking systematic procedures at this point. I guess my concern is the method the aspect team would employ versus the procedure the drafting team would write.

As for the procedures to handle the critical activities I agree that cant happen until the aspect team has started and moved forward.

 

[3xotic]

Sounds like some coordination needs to happen...and a plan. I have personnel currently documenting our procedures for our EMS Manual, yet, at the same time, a separate group has been conducting prioritization of aspects and impacts. The key behind it all was a strategy for implementation. I had already decided how we were going to identify aspects and impacts, as well as how we were going to prioritize them (based on environmental risk, compliance status risk, public perception risk, health and safety risk, risk to mission). I then briefed this "unwritten procedure" to the aspects and impacts teams and conveyed the same to those documenting the procedures for the manual.

 

[Dr. L. Ramakrishnan]

Dear Friend,

I do not know if this experience of ours is of use to you, in your context. IN developing our ISO-14001 systems, we had trained all key personnel to carry out aspects and impacts analysis (including identification of significant aspects) using a procedure agreed upon by the whole management team. i.e. the procedure for identification of significant aspects was arrived at after discussing various models at the Management Team. Once the procedure was decided, all key personnel were trained to carry out the aspects/impacts analysis for the activity /products / services for which they were responsible. In this process the Management Representative (or the Resource Person) helped individual members when required. This way we could cover the whole organization for this analysis with the involvement of people concerned.

Best wishes, Ramakrishnan