Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection

”Integrated Environmental Management”

- Course Notes -
Master Study Programme: Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy
Year of Study: 1

First Name and Family Name: Carmen Teodosiu

Email: cteo@tuiasi.ro

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

Course 9 : CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

REVISED AND NEW REQUIREMENTS

(total no. of requirements: 13)
• “React” to the non-conformity:
- Actions to control it
- Deal with the “consequences”

• Determine if:
- Other similar nonconformities do or potentially could exist
- Changes if necessary to the EMS
- Reference to corrective action procedure eliminated
- Documented information is required as evidence of nature of nonconformities

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

REVISED AND NEW REQUIREMENTS

(total no. of requirements: 13)

NEW REQUIREMENTS:
• Revised and new requirements:
• Continually improve also adequacy and suitability of the EMS
• Consider outputs of analysis, evaluation and management reviews

One of the key purposes of an environmental management system is to act as a

preventive tool.

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

IMPLEMENTATION
ISO 14001:2015, Clause 10.1

The organization shall:

• determine opportunities for improvement and implementation
• necessary actions to achieve the intended outcomes of its EMS
The organization should consider the results from:
• analysis and evaluation of environmental performance,
• evaluation of compliance, internal audits and management review when taking action
to improve.

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

IMPLEMENTATION

What does improvement include?

• corrective action,
• continual improvement,
• breakthrough change,
• innovation
• re-organization.

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

NONCONFORMITY AND CORRECTIVE ACTION (I)

ISO 14001:2015, Clause 10.2
When a nonconformity occurs, the organization shall:
a) react to the nonconformity and, as applicable:
 1) take action to control and correct it;
 2) deal with the consequences, including mitigating adverse environmental impacts;
b) evaluate the need for action to eliminate the causes of the nonconformity, in order
that it does not recur or occur elsewhere, by:
 1) reviewing the nonconformity;
 2) determining the causes of the nonconformity;
 3) determining if similar nonconformities exist, or could potentially occur

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

NONCONFORMITY AND CORRECTIVE ACTION (II)

c) implement any action needed;

d) review the effectiveness of any corrective action taken;
e) make changes to the environmental management system, if necessary.

Corrective actions shall be appropriate to the significance of the effects of the

nonconformities encountered, including the environmental impact(s).

Documented information needed on:

• the nature of the nonconformities and any subsequent actions taken;
• the results of any corrective action.

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

Clause 10.3, ISO 14001:2015

• The organization shall continually improve the suitability, adequacy and effectiveness
of the EMS to enhance environmental performance.
• The rate, extent and timescale of actions that support continual improvement are
determined by the organization.
• Environmental performance can be enhanced by applying the EMS as a whole or
improving one or more of its elements.

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
Clause 4.6.2, ISO 14004:2010

Continual improvement is a key attribute of an effective environmental

management system.
Continual improvement is accomplished through:
• the achievement of environmental objectives and targets
• the overall enhancement of the environmental management system or
any of its components.

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

Clause 4.6.2, ISO 14004:2010

Some useful sources of information for continual improvement include:
a) experience gained from corrective and preventive actions,
b) external benchmarking against best practices,
c) intended or proposed changes applicable to legal requirements and other
requirements to which the organization subscribes,

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
Clause 4.6.2, ISO 14004:2010
Some useful sources of information for continual improvement include:
d) results of environmental management system and compliance audits,
e) results of monitoring of key characteristics of operations,
f) results of progress towards achieving objectives and targets, and
g) views of interested parties, including employees, customers and suppliers

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

Clause 4.6.2, ISO 14004:2010

Examples of improvement include:
a) establishing a process for evaluating new materials to promote the use of less
harmful materials,
b) improving an organization's process for identifying applicable legal requirements so
that new compliance requirements are identified in a more timely fashion,
c) improving employee training on materials and handling to reduce an organization's
generation of waste,
d) introducing waste water treatment processes to allow water reuse,

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro

 ”Integrated Environmental Management ” – Course Notes

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT

Clause 4.6.2, ISO 14004:2010

Examples of improvement include:
e) implementing changes in default settings on reproduction equipment to print two-
sided copies at a printing office,
f) redesigning delivery routes to reduce fossil fuel consumption by transportation
company(ies),
g) setting objectives and targets to implement fuel substitution in boiler operations and
reduce particulate emissions.

C Carmen Teodosiu_tuiasi www.study.tuiasi.ro www.learning.tuiasi.ro