4.4.6 Operational Control
Purpose
To identify the operations and activities that are associated with identified, significant environmental aspects as they effect policy, objectives and targets.
The planning and maintenance of processes in order to control the conditions through documented procedures that control the impact upon environmental policy, objectives and targets.
Procedure
When planning the operations and activities, including maintenance, [enter-your-company-name-here] identifies the significant environmental aspects that are in line with the organisation’s environmental policy, objectives and targets in order to ensure that they are carried out under controlled conditions.
When a new activity or project is to be undertaken, the Environmental Management Committee shall examine the effect that such activity will have on the environment. The environmental impact is then compared with [enter-your-company-name-here]’s environmental policy, its environmental objectives and targets to determine the effect that such activity will have upon the achievement of these.
The Environmental Manager and the Environmental Management Committee shall then determine whether the activity or project should proceed or whether specific controls should be implemented to prevent or mitigate the environmental impact.
All reports, actions, decisions etc., associated with this process, shall be recorded and filed for future reference.
Where appropriate; procedures and checklists are developed for each new activity or project in order to guide suitably qualified and experienced personnel in the evaluation process. In addition, a risk analysis may be carried out to determine the magnitude of a potential environmental impact and the measures necessary to reduce or remove the associated risks.
Where the planning process identifies the potential for deviation from [enter-your-company-name-here]’s environmental policy, objectives and targets, additional procedures and work instructions are developed to prevent deviation.
The operating criteria are clearly stipulated in each procedure and work instruction. Specific attention is given to the qualifications and experience of each person who is required to make a decision that may impact upon the environmental outcome.
The Environmental Manager has the responsibility to ensure that these measures are implemented and validated before any activity or project is started.
Suppliers of goods and services
[enter-your-company-name-here] has established procedures that are designed to identify and regulate the environmental aspects of goods and services used by the organisation and to control their effect.
All suppliers are accredited and listed in the Preferred Suppliers Listing – Environmental. Each entry includes reference to the suppliers environmental management status and whether they hold accreditation.
Where this is available, a copy of the suppliers environmental policy statement and accreditation details are held with the register.
Any history of nonconformance is referenced against the supplier.
The Environmental Management Committee shall review the performance and status of each supplier every 12 months to ensure that they comply with requirements of the [enter-your-company-name-here] environmental management system.
When there is a nonconformance, the Environmental Manager shall determine whether the status of the supplier shall be downgraded and/or monitored for a given period.
When goods are supplied for the first time, the Environmental Manager is responsible for determining the effect that these goods will have upon [enter-your-company-name-here]’s environmental policy, its environmental objectives and targets. Any M.S.D.S., test results, specifications, etc., relating to the goods shall be examined for compliance and then stored for future reference.