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MGMT Sys Int Can It Be Done
MGMT Sys Int Can It Be Done
Management
System Integration:
Can It Be Done?
by Mary McDonald, Terry A. Mors and Ann Phillips
I
n October 1996, the International Organization ever, though not all organizations necessarily
for Standardization, known as ISO, issued the agree.
final version of ISO 14001, an international Some organizations say, We have always done
standard for environmental management systems it this way. Other organizations say, This stan-
(EMS). With the approval of this standard, the dard brings little or no value added benefit to our
world of environmental management changed for- organization. We do not affect the environment.
Yet plenty of organizations say, This standard is
the best thing since sliced bread.
Each of these comments has merit, but the fact
remains that ISO 14001 is being discussed globally
In 50 Words by organizations that want to manage their environ-
Or Less mental impact. At the end of 2001, there were more
than 36,000 registrations worldwide and more than
An organization with an existing quality man- 1,600 in the United States.1 As of June 2002, there
were more than 40,000 ISO 14001 certifications inter-
agement system can implement an operational
nationally, with 2,040 in the United States.2
health and safety system while addressing Many organizations implementing ISO 14001
environmental issues, but it needs to consider likely have an existing quality management system
(QMS) in place that meets the requirements of ISO
several things prior to integration. 9001. In addition, many customers who require
their suppliers to be registered to a quality stan-
The benefits of integration include simplified dard such as ISO 9000 or QS-9000 are also likely
requiring their suppliers to move toward ISO
systems, optimized resources and a common
14001. Luckily, there are many common processes
framework for continual improvement. in ISO 9000 and ISO 14001.
One other management system similar to ISO
14001 addresses an organizations occupational
health and safety (OHS) issues. Though there is no ing and operating costs. Any cost savings asso-
international standard for OHS management, ciated with manufacturing or with operating a
OHSAS 18001 is a specification developed by 13 business represent reduced expenses, which
cooperating organizations, some of which provide become pure profit that enhances the bottom
registration services to organizations that want to line.
certify their QMS and EMS meet the requirements
of international standards. Overview of the Standards
Organizations have several reasons for spend- The ultimate focus of ISO 9001:2000 is to
ing time and money on implementing manage- improve customer satisfaction.3 This standard is
ment systems that meet the requirements of a based on the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) model.
standard, with some tied directly to the respective Customer requirements form the input to the prod-
standard: uct realization process, with the output being a
Customer requirements: Some organizations product or service that will affect customer satis-
require their suppliers and subcontractors to faction. An organization must measure customer
develop and implement ISO 9001 and ISO satisfaction and use this information when deter-
14001, so many organizations obtain certifica- mining the need to improve the process.
tion strictly because they want to retain their ISO 14001 is also based on the PDCA cycle.4 Top
customers. management sets the vision for an organization in
Trade barriers: Some organizations expect to its environmental policy; the EMS is then designed
encounter trade barriers, much like those asso- to support the policy. An organization must devel-
ciated with ISO 9001. Some organizations have op procedures to identify the ways it affects the
already encountered such barriers and have environment, identify relevant legal and other
obtained ISO 14001 registration to refute allega- requirements, and set objectives and targets that
tions regarding the organization and any anti- will continually improve the management system
environmental practices. and prevent pollution.
Insurance cost reductions: Some insurance An organization uses the planning information
companies promise reduced premiums for to develop operations that manage the environ-
organizations that have ISO 14001 EMSs. mental impact of its activities, products or services.
Organizations have also historically tried to Then top management reviews the performance of
reduce the occurrence of accidents to trim the EMS to determine the need to change the sys-
workers compensation and other OHS insur- tem to ensure it supports the organizations envi-
ance premiums. ronmental policy.
The right thing to do: Just as some organiza- OHSAS 18001 was developed by registrars and
tions implement ISO 9001 to improve the effec- organizations to fill a market demand to manage
tiveness of their QMSs, some organizations OHS issues.5 While it is not officially an interna-
implement ISO 14001 to demonstrate they are tional or national consensus standard, it is being
sensitive to environmental issues. Others adopted by many organizations as a logical and
implement OHSAS 18001 to demonstrate their complementary approach. This specification recog-
commitment to establishing processes to pro- nizes the similarities between environmental and
tect their employees in the workplace. OHS issues and is patterned after ISO 14001.
The smart thing to do: Some organizations Though it is organized like ISO 14001, it has been
implement OHSAS 18001 because they see its modified to reflect the different parties associated
similarities to ISO 14001 and consider the addi- with OHS issues.
tional top management support and organiza- An organization can get a high return on invest-
tional structure a valuable enhancement to their ment by taking advantage of the similarities
OHS programs. between the three standards and integrating their
Manufacturing and operating cost reductions: quality, environmental and OHS management sys-
Some organizations implement ISO 9001, ISO tems. Some organizations that have successfully
14001 and OHSAS 18001 to reduce manufactur- integrated portions or all of their management sys-
__________ ____________ 5. Hazard recognition training (training __________ ____________ d. Infrared spectroscopy (LM-04).
package three). __________ ____________ e. UV analysis (LM-05).
__________ ____________ 6. HazCom training (training package six). __________ ____________ f. Liquid chromatography (LM-06).
__________ ____________ 7. Hearing conservation training (training __________ ____________ g. Gas chromatography (LM-07).
package two). __________ ____________ h. Intrinsic viscosity (LM-08).
__________ ____________ 8. Required personal protective equip- __________ ____________ i. Melt point (LM-09).
ment (safety glasses, gloves and hear- __________ ____________ j. Color (LM-10).
ing protection, where required).
__________ ____________ k. Visual inspection (LM-11)
__________ ____________ 9. Impact of laboratory wastes on the
environment. Proper waste disposal __________ ____________ 13. Records to be maintained by the
methods (LM-13). (Significant environ- quality assurance laboratory
mental aspect). technician (MP-02).
I have been trained on each of the items listed above and can safely perform the tasks specified on my job description.
______________________________________________________
Employees signature
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Sponsors signature Quality assurance supervisors signature
REFERENCE
1. Mary McDonald, Terry Mors, Ann Phillips and Eddie Phillips, Integrating Quality, Environmental, Safety and Health Systems, Government
Institutes, 2001.
customer complaints, product nonconformities, integrate with existing quality systems. For
accidents, illnesses or environmental incidents example, aspect identification and significance
in the workplace. In addition to reducing quali- determination, as well as legal and other re-
ty related risks, it can also reduce costs associat- quirements, do not readily fit with an existing
ed with environmental cleanups, workplace QMS.
injuries, illnesses, fatalities and fines from regu- Although organizations can integrate the sys-
latory compliance organizations. tems, they will still need to consult a specialist to
Integration of quality, environmental and ensure regulatory requirements are identified, met
OHS objectives into the overall business strat- and continually improved.
egy. This eliminates the idea that quality, envi-
ronment and safety are separate or nonessential Potential for Integrated Processes
parts of the business. The degree to which an organization integrates
An established framework for continual its management system will vary depending upon
improvement of quality, environmental and its specific needs. Each organization should evalu-
OHS systems. Management not only establish-
es goals and objectives for quality, environmen-
tal and OHS systems, but it also reviews them
at regular intervals to ensure progress is being
made. Management also identifies opportuni- An organization can get a high
ties for improvement. A formal corrective and
preventive action system identifies ways to return on investment by taking
improve the system and ensures all actions are
verified as being effective before they are closed advantage of the similarities
out.
between the three standards
Why Not To Integrate?
There are also limitations to integration, includ- and integrating their quality,
ing:
A tendency to develop overdocumented, environmental and OHS
bureaucratic processes. This is true for single
management systems and increases for systems management systems.
intended to meet the requirements of multiple
standards. Organizations tend to write lengthy,
complex procedures and work instructions that
gather dust because they are rarely used. This ate the management systems that apply to its
causes employees to grumble about the bureau- industry and look at how the processes within
cratic management system that doesnt let us do those systems can best be integrated to meet busi-
our business. ness needs.
Turf battles. If a QMS already exists, environ- The following processes are common among
mental and OHS professionals often resist tack- quality, environmental and OHS systems and can
ing their requirements onto the existing quality likely be integrated into one process that meets
system. Likewise, quality professionals often business needs:
resist contaminating the system with require- Document control.
ments that do not relate to the quality of the Record control.
product. Management review.
Limits on degree of integration. ISO 14001: Employee training.
1996 and OHSAS 18001:1999 are highly com- Design and development control.
patible and can be readily integrated. However, Operational controls.
some OHS and EMS requirements do not easily Measuring and monitoring device control.
Registrations of the World, ISOWorld, 2002, TERRY A. MORS is president of TEAM Consulting in
www.ecology.or.jp/isoworld/english/analy14k.htm. Dexter, MI. He earned a masters degree in environmental
3. ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001-2000 Quality Management
sciences and an MBA from Cleveland State University in
SystemsRequirements, ASQ Quality Press, 2000.
Ohio. Mors is a member of ASQ.
4. ANSI/ISO 14001-1996 Environmental Management
SystemsSpecification With the Guidance for Use, ASQ Quality ANN W. PHILLIPS is president of Quality Techniques in
Press, 1996.
Huntsville, AL. She earned a bachelors degree in chemistry
5. Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
from Furman University in Greenville, SC. Phillips is a
Specification, British Standards Institute, 1999.
6. Mary McDonald, Terry Mors, Ann Phillips and Eddie member of ASQ.
Phillips, Integrating Quality, Environmental, Safety and Health
Systems, Government Institutes, 2001.
Please
comment
MARY MCDONALD is president and principal of Individual
Solution Options/Quality Services Inc. in Austin, TX. She If you would like to comment on this article, please
earned a masters degree in industrial administration from post your remarks on the Quality Progress
Union College in Schenectady, NY. McDonald is a Senior Discussion Board at www.asq.org, or e-mail them
Member of ASQ and a certified quality auditor. to editor@asq.org.
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