Advanced Natural Resources Stewardship and Environmental Advocacy
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Environmentalaudit_Zabbey_INRESNREM902.pptxEnvironmental Audit
Is used in a number of contexts to describe a variety of investigations into the environmental performance of a site or organization
Definition
Environmental audit is the systematic examination of how an organization affects the environment.
It may include all emissions air, land and water, legal constraints, the effect on the neighbouring community, landscape and ecology and considers products as well as processes.
Environmental audit goals
Environmental
audit goals
Assure
compliance with
existing
legislation or
the organisation’s
EMS
Identify
improvement
opportunities
and areas of risk
Assess actual or
potential
liability
Assure
efficiency of
business activity
Provide a
benchmark for
measuring
environmental
performance
Establish
Confidence of
Employees,
Neighbours,
Customers,
Suppliers and
The public
Determine
Actions needed
To remain
Environmental
And commercially
competitive
Compare
Standards with
Best practice
Advantages
Safeguarding the environment
Verifying compliance
Assessing training programmes and providing data to assist training
Aiding to build on good environmental performance
Identifying potential cost savings
Increases employee awareness of environmental policies and responsibilities
Enabling management to re-enforce good practice
Types of EMS
EMS internal audits (Preliminary environmental review)
EMS certification audits (Waste reviews)
Duty of care audits (Energy audit)
Supply chain audits (Contaminated land (Stage 1) assessments); due diligence/pre-acquisition audits
Stages of EA
Three main stages
Pre-audit phase
On-site steps
Post audit steps
Pre-audit stage
Audit scope is defined, team selected, date, time and other logistics sorted out
Audit stage
Involves visiting the site,
Observing the site, activities and personnel, and
Collecting all relevant information
Audit stage cont’d
Opening meeting
Introducing the auditor and auditee
Review audit plan
Create the right atmosphere
Ensure all understand what procedures will be used
Collect audit evidence –interviews, observation
Audit stage cont’d
Document review, include
Procedures
Records
Work instructions
Manuals –not required by ISO 14001
Closing meeting
Format of auditing
All EMS audits share common elements, which includes
Scope
Data review
Site investigation
Assessment of findings
reporting
EMS auditing (internal and certification)
EMS audit is the eyes and ears of the EMS
combined with the management review, it helps to give direction to the environmental management process.
ISO 14001 requires audits to determine that the EMS conforms to planned arrangements and has been properly implemented and maintained
EMS auditing cont’d
Additional guidance on audit principles, techniques and auditor competence is provided by ISO 19011
ISO 19011 defines EMS auditing as “the systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining audit evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which the audit criteria are fulfilled”
EMS Internal audits
Scope
Depends on the company audit protocol but is typically all or part of the EMS evaluated across all or part of the organization.
An alternative approach used by some companies is to audit the EMS with reference to a particular environmental issue, e.g. waste management.
Data review
Typically the data reviewed as part of an internal audit includes:
Procedures, manuals and policies;
Records associated with operational controls, monitoring, training etc.;
Non-conformance reports or complaints;
Previous audit reports ;
Environmental programmes or action plans.
Site investigation
Observation of aspects and environmental risks to ensure that the aspects register and significance evaluations remain up to date;
Interviews aimed at assessing awareness of issues and current control mechanisms, with particular emphasis on adherence to documented procedures;
Confirmation of overall compliance with the organization’s environmental policy through a combination of the above;
The identification of improvement opportunities based on the audit team’s experience of best practice both within and outside the organization.
Assessment of findings
Within the EMS internal audit the assessment of findings is typically aimed at:
Identification of non-conformance;
Identification of appropriate corrective action;
Identification of good proactiveness that should be communicated throughout the organization;
Recommendations for actions to achieve performance improvement/risk reduction;
Emphasis may vary depending on the organization’s audit procedure.
Reporting
internal audit report is a simple summary aimed at generating and recording any necessary action
It is often important to note those areas assessed which demonstrated acceptable standards of performance, as well as highlighting those areas where improvement is required
Supply chain audits
Scope
Varies hugely but may encompass:
Contractor/supplier policies and action plans relating to environmental performance improvement;
Contractor environmental performance on site;
Contractor/supplier performance associated with supply of goods and services
Supply chain cont’d
Data review
Dependent on scope and, therefore, ranging from a simple review of key policies and action plans, through to the variety of information sources that might be considered during a PER.
Site investigation
A site investigation may, or may not, take place depending on scope but, where it does, it may range from a simple inspection aimed at getting a feel for company standards and practices, to a more formal investigation akin to the PER inspection and interview process.
Assessment of findings
including:
Poor standards associated with activities undertaken directly on behalf of the client company;
Poor standards associated with other activities which, in the event of an accident, may tarnish the reputation of the client company by association;
Significant environmental impacts associated with the raw material supply, processing or distribution of products supplied to the client company
Reporting
Required to fulfill two primary purposes:
reference summary for client company personnel to enable a reputation risk or performance comparison to be made.
to provide the basis for any action on the part of the supplier/contractor audited as agreed with the client organization.
Waste reviews
Scope
process stream analysis – identifying input and output points;
quantification of input and outputs – mass balance evaluation;
analysis of losses and identification of waste reduction, re-use and recycling opportunities.
Data review
management reports (especially related to product or process specifications);
production statistics (especially yield rates);
material use reports
bills of materials and other purchasing records;
by-product and waste disposal records
effluent analysis;
product specifications (outgoing and incoming);
packaging specification (outgoing and incoming).
Site investigation
Varies in complexity from walk-through inspection to in-process trails aimed at quantifying specific losses at particular locations.
Assessment of findings
Focus on identifying clear priorities for action ranked on the basis of:
potential savings;
relative ease of saving with reference to time cost and any associated implication;
nature of material/waste saved (hazardous or non-hazardous, etc.).
Reporting
Required to fulfill two functions:
detailed reference to enable clarity of action by those involved in implementing any actions arising;
a clear presentation of opportunities with financial as well as environmental costs and benefits outlined. This is essentially a sales function aimed at securing support for changes required as part of the waste minimization process.
