Friday, January 27, 2012

Environmental Management Systems for the Construction Industry

Environmental Management Systems, EMS, Construction Plans, Construction

Nowadays harmonised Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are commonly modified in the company world. To be sure, environmental management systems first initiated in Japan (in the electronic market) within the 1980’s and later spread to USA and Europe. In latter regions, EMS was adapted initially by high polluting industries for example chemical and power later it was gradually introduced towards the other industries that had lesser environmental impacts.

Benefits

Many construction businesses all over the world are facing several environmental challenges. For example, stringent and complicated environmental laws and regulations, growing compliance costs and heavy penalties for violation could affect any construction company’s survival when it comes to profitability and growth. In addition to such growing challenges, escalating public demand for environmental concerns has catalysed the construction businesses to believe differently or look for innovative methods to boost or sustain their solvency.

Similarly, many construction organizations (either small or huge) have demonstrated that a sound EMS isn’t only advantageous in many methods but additionally a novel method to remain competitive inside a highly volatile market.

It really is a well-known fact that countless quantity of construction businesses globally have immensely benefitted by means of implementation of EMS. For example, the advantages are numerous:

•             Lowering expenses via prudent use of resources and waste minimisation

•             Ability to comply with stringent environmental laws and regulations. Thereby, decreasing dangers delays and avoid penalties.

•             Ability to monitor or keep track of environmental problems pertaining to all phases of construction projects

•             Increased competitiveness and discover industry opportunities via environmentally friendly construction services supplied to environmentally sensitive customers

•             Facilitate effective communication and dialogue amongst all stakeholders involved internally too as externally. In other words, fostering much better relationships with regulators or law enforcement agencies including the communities.

•             Enhanced corporate image as a socially and ecologically responsible construction company, top to LEED (Leadership in Power and Environmental Style) certification.

•             Creating a very involved (or motivated) and responsible staff or possibly a responsive environmental team within the organisation

What exactly is An Successful EMS?

An successful EMS means not merely keeping the external operating atmosphere wholesome but additionally keeping a safe and wholesome operating condition through Occupational and Healthy (OH&S) procedures. In essence, the former involves implementation of ISO14001 and the latter comprise of occupational health and safety measures stipulated in OHSAS18002:2008. This shows EMS and OH&S measures must fuse together for effective implementation of an EMS in a construction company.

ISO 14001 stipulates the specific requirements for an EMS. It essentially applies to environmental concerns which the construction organisation has the control more than and at the very same time such issues can have an influence on its performance.

In essence, ISO14001 comprised of:

•             Environmental Management System (EMS)

•             Environmental Auditing

•             Environmental Labelling

•             Environmental Performance Evaluation

•             Life cycle assessment (ISO 2002)

0 comments:

Post a Comment