ISO 14001:2015 Implementation in my company

[Colin]

Hi Stuart, a step you didn't mention that I usually do early on is an environmental review of the existing activities of the business. Go out with your clipboard and look, listen, smell, detect, or whatever else you choose to identify where the issues may lie.

The output from this is pretty much your aspects register, from which you can determine the impacts - taking into account risks and opportunities as you go.

All down to preference whether you do it that way or not but I too would bring the scoping of the system forward in the list - no point working on something that may not end up being required.

 

[LSH6195]

Hi Eric,

Your steps actually make more logical sense.

Many thanks for getting back to me.

Time to knuckle down and crack on....

Regards,
Stu

Eric,

I hope I can pick your brain from your experience for my case as I am unsure if for an Architectural firm that handles building designs. My question is does Life Cycle Assessment and EIA apply to their business as they can only influence (but not control) the final choice of 'Green materials", though they have piles of local requirements from the building authority.

Thank you

 

[Sidney Vianna]

My question is does Life Cycle Assessment and EIA apply to their business as they can only influence (but not control) the final choice of 'Green materials", though they have piles of local requirements from the building authority.

I am no architect, but, obviously, the outcome of a building architectural design has significant environmental impacts. In a location with lots of sun and hot temperatures, year round, if a building is designed with copious amount of glass in it's external surfaces, leading to "greenhouse effect", it will require much more forced ventilation and cooling, which leads to excessive energy consumption and all of the impacts associated with it.

 

[MRWardell]

I have had this discussion for many years when engineering firms are ISO 14001 certified. It is the company that is certified, not the product. They are designing for a client, and therefore (may) have a limited ability to influence the customer. My experience has been that they might make suggestions to a client that would enhance the environmental performance of the building, but would not be responsible for ensuring that the design was "green", only that it met legal and other requirements in the execution of the design and the final building, if built to the design, would meet applicable building, fire and other codes and legal requirements. My two cents...