Why is a code of ethics important?
-Sets the “tone from the top” for the organization’s cultures
-establishes ethical expectations
Environmental Management System (EMS)
Framework that helps an organization achieve its environmental goals through consistent review, evaluation, and improvement of its environmental performance
The most commonly used framework for EMS?
ISO 14001
Environmental Aspect
-Element of an organization’s activities or products or services that interacts or can interact with the environment
-the “cause” of an organization’s environmental impacts
Environmental Impact
Any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organization’s environmental aspects
Environmental Objective
Overall environmental goal that an organization sets for itself to achieve
Environmental Target
Detailed performance requirement arising from the environmental objectives that needs to be set and met in order to meet those environmental objectives
Each Environmental Target should be SMART
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-Bound
Risk
Uncertainty or a potential occurrence (can be positive or negative)
Opportunity
A risk with a positive impact
Threat
A risk with a negative impact
Conformity
Meets a requirement. In EMS, conformity is used vs compliance
ISO 50001
Energy Management System
ISO 45001
Occupational Health and Safety Management System
What is an Audit?
Objective examination and evaluation of one or more areas of an organization
Types of Audits:
- First-Party (Internal)
- Second-Party (External)
- Third-Party (External)
First Party Audit
Performed within an organization (internal) to determine its status against its own procedures, adopted external standards, or mandatory requirements
-typically conducted by auditors employed by the organization itself
-important because they help an organization identify gaps and systemic breakdowns in process
Second Party Audit
-Performed on suppliers, vendors, or service providers by a customer or a contracted organization (external) on behalf of a customer.
-important because they ensure contractual requirements between organization and vendors are being met
Third Party Audit
-performed by regulatory agencies and registration/certification bodies
-independence of the auditor from the organization is very important
-important because they provide independent verification that an organization is in compliance with laws and regulations
ASTM International: ASTM E2107-06
-standard practice for environmental regulatory compliance audits
-the only voluntary audit standard based on current US practices
-focuses on regulatory compliance
ASTM International: ASTM E2365-14
-standard guide for environmental compliance performance assessment
-focuses on air, water, waste prevention, waste management, and toxic reduction
EPA Audit (Self-Disclosure) Policy
-outlines EPA’s requirements for voluntary disclosure and serves to safeguard human health and the environment by providing several major incentives for regulated entities to voluntarily discover and fix violations of federal environmental laws and regulations
Incentives for self discovery and disclosure within EPA’s audit policy:
- Significant Penalty Reductions
- No Recommendation for Criminal Prosecution
- No Routine Requests for Audit Reports
9 conditions for Penalty Mitigation are:
- Systematic Discovery
- Voluntary Discovery
- Prompt Disclosure (within 21 days or less)
- Independent Discovery & Disclosure
- Correction and Remediation
- Prevent Recurrence
- No Repeat Violations
- Not an Ineligible Violation
- Cooperation
