Benefits of Social Media Presence For Environmental & Safety Professionals

Value of Social Media Presence for EHS Professional from Loren Larson, CHMM, CPEA

Presentation to Alliance of Hazardous Material Managers on value of social media presence for both EH&S professionals and for professional organizations.

Compliance and Sustainability Training For MN and ND Industry

Caltha LLP Project Summary

Project: Environmental Awareness / Sustainability Training Module For Facility Management
Client: Grain Processing & Food Manufacturing Corporation 
Location(s): Minnesota, North Dakota


Key Elements: Regulatory training, Sustainability, Permit compliance, Employee training, Webinar


Overview: Caltha LLP was retained by this grain processing and food manufacturing corporation to prepare and present a training module that provides corporate and facility managers with basic compliance training to assist them in managing EH&S compliance activities at multiple facilities. The training was developed to be specific to the corporation's facilities and products and included:

• Company's commitment to sustainability / Sustainability policy
• Background on environmental regulations and key issues at company's locations
• Overview of company's key procedures

Training was created as a recorded live webinar which can be replayed as needed.


For more information on Caltha LLP EH&S Training services, go to the Caltha LLP EH&S Training Page

Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Training For Food Manufacturer

Caltha LLP Project Summary

Project: Environmental Awareness / Sustainability Training Module For Facility Management
Client: Grain Processing & Food Manufacturing Corporation
Location(s): Minnesota, North Dakota

Key Elements: Regulatory training, Sustainability, Permit compliance, Employee training, Webinar

Overview: Caltha LLP was retained by this grain processing and food manufacturing corporation to prepare and present a training module that provides corporate and facility managers with basic compliance training to assist them in managing EH&S compliance activities at multiple facilities. The training was developed to be specific to the corporation's facilities and products and included:

• Company's commitment to sustainability / Sustainability policy
• Background on environmental regulations and key issues at company's locations
• Overview of company's key procedures

Training was created as a recorded live webinar which can be replayed as needed.

For more information on Caltha LLP services, go to the Caltha Contact Page

ISO 14001 Cosultant In Minnesota

In September 2015, the revised ISO standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) was released, designated  ISO-14001:2015. The new ISO 14001:2015 is similar in many respects to the prior ISO 14001 standard, however it does make numerous changes which will require operations that currently meet the  ISO 14001:2004 to make important changes to how their programs are planned and implemented.. Organizations are granted a three-year transition period after the revision has been published to migrate their environmental management system to the new edition of the standard. After this transition period, companies that opt for third party certification will have to seek certification to the new version of the standard. The former version, ISO 14001:2004, and any certification to it, will be out of date.

Caltha LLP provides technical support to organizations seeking ISO 14001 certification or to upgrade their existing programs to meet the new requirements. Caltha also provides technical support to organizations wanting to improve their environmental and sustainability programs by implementing portions of the ISO standard, without aspiring to gain third party certification. Contact Caltha LLP for further information.

Click here to see examples of Caltha LLP ISO 14001 related projects.

What Are Legal and Other Requirements Under ISO 14001?

One of the more challenging aspects of conforming to the ISO 14001 standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) is addressing “other requirements” The term “other requirements” is always associated with “legal requirements” within the standard and has the same obligations. An organization must identify its “other requirements” and periodically assess compliance.

Legal requirements are more easily understood by most organizations; these are identified in laws, rules, regulations, and in permits that the organization is subject to. However, “other requirements” are those obligations the organization has taken on that go beyond legal requirements. Some examples may be trade organization standards for responsible care of chemicals, agreements for labeling of products, or voluntary industry product stewardship programs.

It is important to recognize that under ISO 14001, once an organization makes a commitment to meet these types of requirements, they have the same importance as legal requirements under ISO 14001. This means that the organization must periodical assess its compliance (i.e, audit) with these other requirements.


Caltha LLP provides expert technical assistance to organizations wanting to become registered under ISO 14001 or to improve their EMS. For more information go to ISO 14001 and Environmental Management Systems Services website.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website 

 

Environmental Management Systems - Cornerstones to Sustainable Systems

Whether immediately evident or not, management systems are imbedded in most operations. This is true not only of the environmental and safety aspects of an operation, but most other segments of the business, from product development and accounting, to filling customer orders. Systems audits consider the effectiveness of the systems built to accomplish a specific objective.

The underlying goal in developing a management system is to prepare a sustainable system – one that is adequately robust that it can still operate effectively even if changes occur within the operation. One common change that could impact systems is staffing changes, as key individuals transition to other positions or other companies. A SUSTAINABLE management system will be able to accommodate changes, so that the objective (e.g., regulatory compliance, accurately filling orders, etc.) is continuously met.


Below are four characteristics of sustainable management systems:

Commitment of Staff. One of the common perceptions of the “systems” approach is that it takes the burden off individuals to accomplish the objective. Although somewhat true, it is important to recognize that the burden often shifts to many individuals, each of which has a specific task to complete.

The commitment of all staff who assume a role within the system is critical to sustainability. If any one individual fails to fulfill their role, the system will begin to fail. Over the short-term, others may compensate for the lack of commitment by taking on more roles, but ultimately the system will fall apart because it is not operating as it was designed.

Effective Training. Sustainable management systems will assure that training is not only given as scheduled, but will also assure that the training is effective – ineffective training is the root cause of many, if not most, system failures.

“We train and train, but they just don’t get it”. If this is the case, it is time to consider the root cause – the problem is more likely with the training, rather than with the trainees.

In sustainable management systems, training is not limited to the classroom. “On the job” training is just as important and often is more effective. However, it requires the commitment of managers and supervisors who can provide it.

Frequent Feedback. Systems often fail because no one recognized a system breakdown was occurring until it was too late. Sustainable systems are not perfect systems – but, they are developed to assure that systemic problems are identified and corrected early. By self-correcting, the overall system not only improves and becomes more robust, it also adapts to the changes within the organization.

Management Commitment. No system can be sustained without clear management support, which is connected to the top levels of the organization. Local management support is important, but without top management endorsement, systems tend to become “pet projects”, ending with any changes to management staffing or structure.


Developing sustainable management systems takes careful consideration and planning. Referring to the four areas described above will enhance the sustainability of the system and will improve the ability of the system to evolve as the organization changes.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at
info@calthacompany.com
or
Caltha LLP Website