4 steps to identify and evaluate environmental aspects

What is the environmental aspect?

Environmental aspects are how your operations, services, or products impact on the environment. For example, one of the environmental aspects of car washing can be a cleaning agent (surface cleaner..) that has the potential to contaminate water sources (this pollution has an environmental impact).

The example of the connection below between activities, services, aspects, and impacts.

Environmental impact is a change to the environment. Environmental aspects cause environmental impacts.

In the following steps, you will find a basic, systematic approach to identifying, evaluating, and managing environmental aspects.

1. Definition of EMS scope

Before you begin dealing with environmental aspects and impacts, you must first define the scope of your EMS. You can choose to apply ISO 14001 to the entire organization or just to a specific unit, location, or product. Once you have made this decision, you have defined the EMS scope. Since, all activities, services, and products that fall within your defined scope must be considered when you determine your environmental aspects and impacts.

2. Identify environmental aspects

First, explain the terms activities, services, and products. Operations are part of the core business (e.g., process steps, manufacturing steps). Services means ancillary services that support core operations (e.g. boilers, heating and cooling, maintenance). A product is the good that you offer to the market. An environmental aspect of a product could be, for example, the product's excessive packaging or the product's level of recyclability at the end of its life.

According to ISO 14001, "The organization shall establish a process to identify environmental aspects and identify those aspects that have or may have a significant impact on the environment." You should also record environmental aspects, which are updated, and take into account new or modified activities, products, or services.

Aspects can be divided into direct and indirect. Direct environmental aspects are related to the organization's activities, products, and services, over which the organization has direct management control (e.g. how you manage waste at your facility). However, for non-industrial organizations, the focus will frequently be on the indirect environmental aspects of their operations (for example, how your subcontractors manage waste at your facility), chain-controlled aspects, and customer-controlled aspects).

To determine your environmental aspects, you need to research how your organization's operations, products, and services affect the environment. Determining environmental aspects often considers, for example, emissions to air, discharges to water and soil, use of raw materials, waste, and natural resources, impact on biodiversity, etc...

All parts of a company's activities within the defined scope must be considered when determining environmental aspects, not just core manufacturing or service activities. For example, most facilities have a maintenance department, offices, cafeteria, heating and cooling systems, parking, and contractor and supplier operations - each with its own may have an impact on the environment.

Various techniques can be used to compile a comprehensive list of environmental aspects and impacts at the facility - e.g. Value Chain Methodology, Process Flow Methodology, Materials Identification/Identification, methods of compliance with legal requirements, etc.

Good practice is to involve a cross-functional team from key areas of the operation.

For each type of activity, product, or service, you need to list your key environmental aspects - this will help create an overall list or matrix of environmental aspects and impacts.

3. Evaluate significant environmental aspects

The purpose of evaluating environmental aspects is to focus on the most important (e.g., the 20-80 rule). You do not need to manage all environmental aspects - only those that, according to your criteria, are declared significant.

Critical environmental aspects are the main focus of your organization's environmental management system.

Depending on the type, nature, and complexity of an organization, there are many techniques available to conduct assessments to determine the significance of environmental aspects. When evaluating to determine significant environmental aspects, you should consider:

• Potential for environmental damage

• The level and frequency of the aspect

• Importance to the organization's stakeholders

• Requirements of relevant environmental laws

Each organization must establish its criteria for significance based on systematic consideration of its environmental aspects and their actual and potential impacts.

4. Manage significant environmental aspects

Every significant environmental aspect should be controlled by establishing one or more of the following controls: responsible person (ISO 14001; 5.3), training plan (ISO 14001; 7.2, 7.3) or procedure, checklist, and/or maintenance schedule (ISO 14001; 8.1). The level of control should be appropriate to the nature and risks of the significant environmental aspect. Each of the above is part of the daily routine.

Environmental management systems can be more complex than necessary. The key to any effective environmental management system is getting the environmental aspects right from the start. Identifying environmental aspects properly will not only save you time but also enable you to achieve huge benefits with your environmental management system once it is implemented.

To request ISO 14001 consulting and training services - Contact us :

ITVC GLOBAL LIMITED

6th Floor Commercial Building, No. 22 Ly Tu Trong, Minh Khai Ward, Hong Bang District, Hai Phong City.

Tel: 02253 261 208 - Hotline: 0914 564 579

Fax: 02253 292 718

Email: itvc.haiphong@itvc-global.com