As companies are becoming more socially conscious, safety professionals are often assigned the environmental responsibilities as well as the safety responsibilities. Socially conscious companies are listening to the American people and their stock holders who want clean and efficient operations that are protective of the environment. Many companies are finding that not only can they protect the environment but they can also save money in the process. This creates a win-win situation in which the company operations are analyzed for environmental performance and a cost savings is realized by reducing waste. Creating waste cost time and money and not to just get rid of the waste but to even produce the waste from the start.
There are several Environmental Management Systems (EMS) with the most notable one being ISO 14001. ISO 14001 is designed to help companies manage their environmental responsibilities to all applicable regulations through an effective EMS. Whether a company chooses to pursue ISO 14001 or create an EMS system of their own instead, a system to manage the companies' environmental responsibilities is important. Having a system in place is important whether it's a system for production, quality, safety or the environment. When a company chooses to use an EMS, the company has taken the first step to addressing environmental affairs in a proactive way. First, the company should have an environmental policy. This is an overall document that explains what the company intends to do from an environmental standpoint. The environmental policy statement should show management commitment, be easy for employees and the public to understand and reflect the company vision and values. The environmental policy is that management commitment. Always read and understand your operating permits; know what you can and cannot reduce from an environmental liability standpoint. This article will introduce the reader to establishing and measuring environmental goals using the SMART acronym. The reader will also understand the importance of communicating progress to employees and management as well as what to do if an environmental goal is not achieved.
