There is widespread concern about environmental matters in all developed countries around the world, and public interest in this is now so great that the implementation and operation of an efficient and effective environmental management system (EMS) is as important to the financial well-being of a company as it is to the environment that it is intended to protect. Apart from incurring financial penalties when environmental protection legislation is breached, a greater problem that businesses face is that poor environmental performance can lead to a boycott of a company’s products and services by customers, with consequential serious damage to its financial health.
In extreme cases, the general public may also take direct action that hinders or even shuts down a company’s operations.
ISO 14000 is a descriptor for a set of standards that have been developed in response to this global concern about the environment. These standards represent a consensus agreement by national standards bodies around the world about the procedures that need to be followed in establishing an effective EMS. The primary standard amongst this set is ISO 14001, and the fundamental aim of this book is to cover the procedures that should be implemented by a company in order to satisfy the requirements laid down in this standard.
Environmental management to ISO 14001 standards is of similar importance to quality management to ISO 9001 standards in today’s businesses, and the linkage between the two will be stressed in the text. Apart from the need to satisfy the stringent environmental control legislation that exists in most developed countries, the image of a company is damaged if pollution incidents occur, particularly if these are identified by environmental pressure groups, and this can have a severe impact on the marketability of products and services provided by the company. Conversely, ISO 14001 certification can have a very positive impact on a company’s business, in view of the widespread public interest that now exists in environmental protection.
Whilst many texts are available that cover the management considerations in implementing environmental protection procedures that satisfy ISO 14001, these usually give little guidance about the necessary engineering procedures that are involved, or the associated financial implications. This text is intended to fill that gap, and its primary aim is therefore to provide a cross-disciplinary approach that bridges the management field and the engineering field. The book firstly presents the requirements of ISO 14001 environmental management systems, secondly summarizes the company management schemes and procedures required for implementation of ISO 14001 systems, and thirdly discusses the engineering considerations and procedures necessary to ensure the successful operation of ISO 14001 systems. The relevant financial considerations are discussed throughout.
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