Case Studies - Environment
Achieving Registration to ISO 14001
The Project
Harris RCS is an established subcontract machining company based on the Bayton Road Industrial Estate in Coventry. In 2002 the company decided to implement an environmental management system (EMS) as part of its strategy to become a provider of specialist, precision machining services to the automotive and aerospace sectors.
As with many suppliers to the automotive and aerospace industries, registration to ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management, is a pre-requisite to business. The company already had an approved quality management system, but not the necessary in-house knowledge or resources to develop an EMS.
Harris RCS were keen for their EMS to be easy to maintain and readily accessible by everyone in the company. As a result, the company engaged Pro Enviro to help them implement an EMS and deliver environmental training to everyone on site using our Business Essentials™ and WebCT™ products.
Business Essentials™ is a bespoke, Internet-based tool designed for storing and distributing company policies and management systems. It can be linked to our E-Learning platform, WebCT™, which gives users access to a large range of online learning materials.
The Completion
To complete the project we used a step-by-step programme that would help Harris RCS achieve their target within 9 months and still enable them to concentrate on doing their main job - getting work out of the door.
The Step-by-Step EMS Implementation Process Used at Harris RCS |
Outputs |
| 1. Undertake a Site Environmental Review | Environmental Review Report |
| 2. Develop an Environmental Team | Trained personnel who will be able to manage the EMS |
| 3. Identify Applicable Environmental Legislation & Audit Compliance | Register of Applicable Environmental Legislation Procedure for Monitoring Legal Compliance |
| 4. Identify Significant Environmental Aspects and Impacts | Register of Significant Environmental Aspects Procedure for Identifying and Assessing Environmental Aspects |
| 5. Establish Environmental Objectives, Targets for Improvement | Environmental Improvement Programme & Environmental Policy Statement |
| 6. Develop EMS Documentation | EMS Manual, EMS & Operational Procedures |
| 7. Assistance with Support Documentation |
|
| 8. Identify Environmental Training Needs | Environmental Training Plans & Certificates of Completion |
| 9. Develop Audit Plans and Oversee Internal Auditor Process | EMS Audit Schedule & Trained Internal Auditors |
| 10. Attend Management Review Meetings | Management Review Agenda and Minutes |
| 11. Liaise With External Assessors and Attend External Assessment Visits | Dates and Schedules for External Audits |
Regular project meetings were held with the Environmental Team to build up their knowledge and ensure the project ran smoothly.
The EMS was designed to be compatible with Harris RCS's existing quality management system, thus avoiding duplication wherever possible.
As the project progressed, it became apparent that Harris RCS would need additional support. To keep them up-to-date with changes in environmental legislation, we agreed to supply quarterly environmental legislation updates. Although there are subscription services available, which do exactly that, they can be expensive and not very user-friendly. We also helped to undertake a complete audit of the EMS to check it was working effectively before the external auditors made their visit.
The completed EMS was transferred to a specially designed portal, along with the company's existing quality management system. Everyone on site was shown how to use the portal and access their individual training portfolios. As the training material is Web-based and accessible at anytime, employees were able to fit the training modules around their work.
The Achievements
Before the EMS project started, Harris RCS was like many small machining companies - obsolete oils and materials stored around the shop floor, oily rags and empty drums disposed in the general waste bin, floor washings emptied into the drain. Implementing an EMS made them aware of their legal duties, focused their attention on managing resources more efficiently, and has shown them the benefits of making employees more aware - a cleaner and tidier working environment.
During the project, various improvement projects were identified and undertaken including:
- Disposing of obsolete materials and equipment, which created much needed extra working space for the operators
- Cleaning up the site by removing an old oil tank and preventing oil contamination to protect the value of the site
- Rationalising oil purchases by only ordering specific oils, reducing material costs
- Storing oils in one location in drip trays, helping the company manage its oil inventory and reducing contamination from spills
- Setting up a central waste file which included waste contractors licences and waste transfer/consignment notes in compliance with waste regulations
- Implementing spill procedures and spill kits to ensure spillages are dealt with properly by all employees
These and other improvements along with a robust EMS led to Harris RCS being awarded the ISO 14001 standard by BSi in January 2003.
The Benefits
The benefits of implementing an EMS at Harris RCS have included:
- New customers, new orders
- Understanding of and compliance with environmental legislation
- Improved storage of hazardous substances
- More efficient use of materials
- Better management of waste
- Improved working environment
- Environmental hazards reduced
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