Take the heat out of ISO 14001
Although the majority of manufacturing companies in the UK now claim to have a formal environmental policy, only a small percentage of these implement a formal EMS. One of the biggest problems is coordinating an EMS in multi-site and multi-function organizations, but this, as Andrew Taylor, operations director of EHS Projects Ltd explains, is exactly what fire-fighting equipment producer London Security has achieved
London Security plc group decided, in 2002, to pursue ISO 14001 certification across its European operations. The group is primarily concerned with the provision of fire-fighting equipment and services across the UK and in Europe.
It has six UK subsidiary companies manufacturing and selling portable fire extinguishers, hose reel systems, fire alarms, fire detectors and safety signs. It also provides service support for these products and fire safety training. The main manufacturing company within the group is based in West Yorkshire, England, while other companies within the group are primarily service support companies.
The reasons for seeking ISO 14001 certification were first because the owners of the group regarded environmental concerns as of primary importance for the business. Second, it was to gain commercial advantage over competitors, particularly with regard to local authority contracts.
Most local authorities in the UK now possess or are developing EMSs based on ISO 14001 or registration under the Eco-management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS). Vetting of environmental credentials of suppliers is key for these authorities and as such London Security had already received numerous questionnaires in respect of environmental probity. It was felt that ISO 14001 certification would allow London Security to rise above competitors in this selection process.
Initial EMS development at the main manufacturing plant was undertaken by the Engineering Employers Federation. Subsequently environmental specialists from EHS Projects Ltd provided external expertise to develop, support and coordinate EMS implementation across all sites because London Security did not have the personnel resource. EHS Projects' experience of working with local authorities was also useful in ensuring key issues of concern to the authorities - such as transport - were addressed in the management system.
A template and phased approach
The concept of developing a template to apply to all sites was agreed from the outset. Conducting phase one at the main site meant most activities, products and services found at the other sites were effectively addressed. The list of environmental aspects identified would also be sufficiently comprehensive to be applied elsewhere.
Phase two then meant the extension of the scope of the system to reflect the different conditions and issues at the other sites. The system had to be customised to reflect the nature of the individual operations while still remaining a global EMS capable of being applied across the group.
The phases were thus deployed:
- phase one - development and implementation of EMS at the main manufacturing site was commenced in 2002 and ISO registration achieved early in 2003
- phase two - a roll-out programme to extend the EMS to the various service companies operating in the UK. This programme commenced in August 2003 and was completed in June 2004
Initial problems
The use of halon (the commonly recognized trade name for a range of halogenated hydrocarbons used as a fire extinguishing media) gas in fire extinguishers was being banned in most organizations from 2004 under the Montreal Protocol (which restricted the supply and use of ozone depleting products). The company was still collecting this in bulk on-site with potential problems for waste collection, transfer and storage without a waste management licence.
Pressure was put on the company to find a viable use for the halon before the deadline and fortunately a successful contract for its authorized use was found in time. Here a client supplying aerospace applications (one of the few exemptions to the phase-out requirements) was able to utilize all the supplies.
Another problem was that the main site was a 1950s fireproof design - ie lined with asbestos. The demolition of a large section of the site had to be managed before assessment, so implementation of an effective contractor vetting process was key. Environmental credentials were sought, assessed and validated before any works were permitted. Extensive site surveys and long-term remediation plans were required. This took the management programme well beyond the normal 12-month programme operated by many companies.
The most significant challenge for certification was the correct use of London Security's product to help prevent uncontrolled events at sites which could lead to environmental problems. This presented the organization with an indirect potential impact (see clause 4.3.1 of ISO 14001) meaning it was associated with preventing pollution at client sites. The benefits or significance of this were impossible to quantify, however the assessment considered the range of typical client sites which could be affected if the control of fire prevention measures was not adequate.
System scope
The management system needed to address product manufacture, sales and servicing considerations and the scope of the system had to be broad enough to cover both on- and off-site work managed under two different management structures. As a result the system had to define a series of management responsibilities across all operations as well as the normal site-based procedures or environmental notices etc. Additionally a sales and servicing environmental handbook was developed.
The system developed at phase one had to be fine-tuned to make sure that the sites could operate the procedures as written. For example references for specific locations, departments and job functions were replaced with more generic versions that every site could use. Work was also done to identify which aspects were applied at each site and whether there were any issues not covered by the procedures derived from the phase one template.
All sites could now demonstrate better control of issues by operating within a common EMS, which led to reduced exposure to environmental risks. At the same time, they were given a degree of autonomy in setting up individual targets and responsibilities for environmental issues.
Environmental awareness training
Training was a major issue at all sites, and to ensure that environmental issues were being effectively addressed specific training was given to all employees targeting the environmental risks associated with their particular job. The company used information from their own environmental procedures to produce training courses for management, shop floor workers and sales/service operatives. Awareness of environmental issues was then assessed with audits. The main difficulty was designing the training to be relevant to every function and site. A combination of feedback and audit findings assisted the organization in tailoring courses to fit the various roles.
Useful advice
1. Organizations should allow for at least an extra six months in
their certification timetable, just in case reassessment is required.
2. Coordination between sites in a group of companies will dramatically
reduce the workload and increase the ability of the group to report
and demonstrate sound environmental performance.
3. Conducting a trial run at one site or even in one section of the
business is useful to get the templates necessary and assess effectiveness
before extending the EMS throughout the organization.
4. Greater access to information will enable more local ownership
and help spread the effort required to maintain and develop the EMS
and improvement programmes.
About the author
Andrew Taylor is operations
director for EHS Projects Ltd. He has a bachelor and masters degrees
in science, and is an associate member of the Institute of Environmental
Management and Assessment. Andrew has many years of operational and
plant management experience with a nationally reknowned building products
manufacturer and then worked with the EEF as an industrial adviser,
before becoming one of the founders of EHS
Projects Ltd.
About EHS Projects
EHS Projects Ltd was formed in 2002 to provide clients with a comprehensive
service beyond just the provision of expert advice, from the training
of and working with an organization's management team to the coordination
and management of major site works and improvements. EHS focuses on
traditional areas of management system weakness: environment, health
and safety, quality, site works and remediation. For more case studies
and information about services and support available visit www.ehsprojects.co.uk
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