Overview of Management Systems Used By EHS Professionals

Overview of Management Systems For EHS Professionals

Click on link above to download presentation slides from " Environmental and Safety Management Systems For EHS Professionals"

Is A Gap Analysis Required Under ISO?

For many organizations considering developing a formal Environmental Management System (EMS) or Safety Management System (SMS) or becoming registered under ISO 14001 or now ISO 45001, two questions asked early on are:

1. What will it cost? and,
2. How long will it take?

To answer these questions, many organizations will conduct a quick assessment of their current status, called a Gap Analysis. The Gap Analysis is a low cost assessment which can usually be completed in one to two days. The Gap Analysis produces an inventory of existing programs which could be used in developing the EMS/SMS. The Gap Analysis evaluates these programs to determine if changes will need to be made, and to what extent, in order to conform to the ISO 14001 or ISO 45001 standard.



Flammable Liquid and Ignitable Hazardous Waste Storage Room



The Gap Analysis is typically formatted as a checklist of questions addressing the various elements of the ISO 14001 / 45001 standard. Based on the results of the Gap Analysis, the organization will understand the areas where improvement will need to be made, and can then do basic resource planning to determine the optimum strategy to move forward, including cost and schedule.


Hazardous Waste Storage Drum In Flammable Cabinet



Caltha LLP provides expert technical support to organizations wanting to improve their EMS or SMS or to become registered under ISO 14001 or ISO 45001. One of Caltha’s key services is help organizations conduct their Gap Analysis and resource planning. For more information go to ISO 14001 and Environmental and Safety Management Systems Services page.

 

Caltha LLP | Your EH&S Compliance, 

Auditing and EMS/SMS Partner

Maintenance of Legal And Other Requirements List For Pennsylvania Facility

Caltha LLP Project Summary

Project: Update and Maintenance of Legal and Other Requirements Listing
Client: International Steel Manufacturer
Location(s): Pennsylvania

Key Elements: Review of regulatory requirements, preparation of ISO 14001 documentation of legal and other requirements

Overview:  Caltha was contracted by the client to provide technical support to maintain their listing of "Legal and Other Requirements" which was prepared to conform to ISO 14001 Clause 4.3.2. An environmental management system that conforms to ISO 14001 must include a procedure to identify legal and other requirements that the organization believes are applicable to its operations. The organization also needs to have a system to be able to access the current version of these requirements.

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Hazardous Waste Storage Drum In
Flammable Cabinet


The list of requirements is also essential for complying with other Clauses of the standard. This list becomes the scope of scheduled compliance audits the organization must perform. Caltha provided a technical update to the organization's existing listing of requirements, which included several new regulations that had been recently promulgated on both the Federal and State level.

The most recent update included important changes to the hazardous waste management requirements and Pennsylvania stormwater permit requirements, included in:

• Hazardous Waste Generators Improvement Rule,
• Solvent Contaminated Wipe Management Rule,
• 2016 Revised PDEP Industrial Stormwater Requirements.

Flammable Liquid and Ignitable Hazardous Waste
Storage Room



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

 

Caltha LLP | Your EH&S Compliance, 

Auditing and EMS/SMS Partner

Sanitation Certification Self Audit Checklist

Many business sectors require assurance of sanitary conditions, either to meet regulatory or industry standards, or to manage the risks of negative outcomes from not meeting minimum sanitation goals. These include health care sectors, medical device sector, food sectors, hospitality sectors or any other facility where employees or customers could come in contact with microbes on clothing, linen, equipment, work surfaces and other media.

Defining Underlying Business Risk

Some businesses rely on an external or internal certification to demonstrate they have adequately controlled risks associated with sanitation. Internal or external auditors will often review these certifications, noting the presence or absence of a current certificate. However, the business risk to be controlled is not simply the absence of a certificate, but the presence of less than sanitary conditions (i.e., not meeting the objective of maintaining sanitation above established criteria).

Sanitation Certification Self-Audit Checklist

To evaluate the underlying business risk and controls, the review of a certificate should be followed up with a review of the underlying data and control systems. Below are some suggested self-audit questions which could be used to assist in evaluating the business control systems in place related to sanitation certifications:

• Is a formal certification document required by either regulation or company policy? Does the certificate contain all required elements? Is it current?
• Is the entity issuing the certification independent of the process? i.e, is the certificate issued by the same company or department performing the sanitation?
• Have quantifiable criteria been established?
• Are underlying data available for review and do they support the certification?
• How were samples collected? Does sample collection procedure ensure representative sampling of the materials or media being certified?
• How are samples tested? Has an accepted laboratory method been used? Has appropriate chain of custody been documented?
• Is the testing entity independent of the sanitation process? i.e, is testing done by the same company performing the sanitation or providing sanitation chemicals being evaluated?

By evaluating the overall system in place to ensure sanitation, rather than just the presence of a certificate, the internal auditor can provide much better insights on the reliability of the system to ensure that sanitation goals are being achieved consistently.


Caltha LLP provides certified auditors to conduct third party audits, including vendor/contractor audits. Click here to review examples of past auditing projects.

EHS Auditors To Supplement Audit Teams Or Fill Subject Matter Expert Roles

Caltha LLP has environmental and safety compliance and management system auditors available for short-term assignments to supplement audit teams or to provide Subject Matter Experts for auditing projects. Click here to review recent audit project examples.

Caltha staff have experience conducting EH&S audits in most US States and Canada. Caltha also has performed media or regulatory specific audits, including:

• Product stewardship audits
• Product responsibility audits
• Waste - hazardous waste audits
• TSCA audits
• Air permit compliance audits
• Wastewater compliance audits
• Tank compliance audits
• Risk Management Plan audits

For more information on the availability of short-term auditors to supplement audit teams or to full specific SME roles, contact Caltha at info@calthacompany.com

Overview of Environmental and Safety Consultant Services

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ISO 45001 Safety Management Standard Draft Published

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has release a final draft of it proposed International Standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, designated ISO 45001. Publication of the final standard is likely to be in the first half of 2018.

The standard is being developed by a committee of occupational health and safety experts, and will follow other generic management system approaches such as ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. It will take into account other International Standards in this area such as OHSAS 18001, the International Labour Organization's ILO-OSH Guidelines, various national standards and the ILO's international labor standards and conventions.

For those organizations that have already developed safety and health programs under OHSAS 18001, the publication of ISO 45001 will be particularly significant. OHSAS 18001 will be withdrawn on publication of ISO 45001 and organizations currently certified to OHSAS 18001 will have a three year period to migrate to ISO 45001.

Click here for examples of Caltha projects related to management systems and specifically on health and safety.

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

Overview of EHS Management Systems For The Hazardous Materials Manager - EH&S Compliance Professional

The link below provides training slides from the CHMM Review Course on Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and Health & Safety Management Systems.

Presentation Slides: EHS Management Systems Overview for the Hazardous Materials Professional

Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the evaluation environmental rules, developing EHS compliance procedures, and preparing cost-effective EHS management programs. For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

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.

Multimedia Compliance Audits, Management System Audits, EHS Audits

Brief project summaries for consulting work completed by Caltha LLP. Project summaries archived here include compliance audits, multimedia audits, regulatory program audits, including air rule audits, hazardous waste - RCRA audits, wastewater and stormwater discharge audits, TSCA audits, EHS audits, safety audits, product stewardship, product responsibility audits, energy audits, EMS audits, management system audits, audit training and others.


Click here to see a summary of projects completed by Caltha LLP related to compliance audits, multimedia audits, regulatory program audits, air rule audits, hazardous waste, RCRA audits, wastewater and stormwater discharge audits, TSCA audits, EHS audits, safety audits, product stewardship, product responsibility audits, energy audits, EMS audits, management system audits.

Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the evaluation environmental rules, developing EHS compliance procedures, and preparing cost-effective EHS management programs. For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

RCRA and TSCA Compliance Audit For Multiple Facilities To Meet ISO 14001 Requirements

Caltha LLP Project Summary

Project: Combined RCRA and TSCA PCB Management Audit For 26 Facilities
Client: Electric Utility
Location(s): 26 locations

Key Elements: RCRA hazardous waste audit, TSCA PCB management, Used oil management, Universal waste management, ISO 14001

Overview: Caltha was retained to conduct a compliance audit of 26 facilities to assess compliance with:

• EPA hazardous waste rules (40 CFR Part 260-262)
• Minnesota hazardous waste rules (MPCA Chapter 7045)
• North Dakota hazardous waste rules
• Federal and State requirements for used oil management (40 CFR Part 279)
• Federal and State requirements for universal waste management (40 CFR Part 273)
• EPA Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requirements for PBC management (40 CFR Part 261)

Audits were conducted to satisfy ISO 14001 standards for scheduled audits, under ISO 14001 clause 4.5.2.1. Audits were completed with a combination of records review and on-site inspections.



For more information on Caltha LLP auditing services, go to the Caltha Compliance and EMS SMS Audit Page



Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the evaluation environmental rules, developing EHS compliance procedures, and preparing cost-effective EHS management programs. For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website 

 

2013 Environmental, Health and Safety Overview Course - Bloomington, MN May 8-10

Course Dates: May 8 through May 10, 2013
Course Location: Bloomington, Minnesota

The North Star Chapter of the Alliance of Hazardous Material Professionals provides an annual regulatory overview course for environmental, health & safety professionals. The Regulatory / CHMM Overview Workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the major regulatory programs, topics and concerns in environmental, health & safety management. Although some participants attend the course to prepare to take the Certified Hazardous Material Manager (CHMM) exam, many environmental professionals take the Regulatory / CHMM Overview Workshop to enhance their breadth of competence in their professions and/or to get up-to-date.

Course Content

• Federal Statutes Overview
• Liability and Compliance
• Clean Water Act
• Clean Air Act
• Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
• Community Right-to-Know (SARA Title III - EPCRA)
• Chemistry of Hazardous Materials
• Toxicology
• Geology
• Radiation Principles
• Asbestos
• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
• Hazardous Materials Transportation
• OSHA
• Accident Scenario
• Environmental Management Systems
• Environmental Considerations in Real
• Estate/ Due Diligence Assessments
• Underground Storage Tanks
• Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Waste Analysis
• Hazardous Waste Treatment Technologies
• Waste Reduction/Minimization and Pollution Prevention
• Compliance Audits
• Motivation of Employees with Respect to Environmental Matters
• CHMM Code of Ethics

For more information go to:
2013 Regulatory / CHMM Overview Workshop

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 

 

Regulatory Updates - Environmental Management and Compliance

In addition to this ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATORY COMPLIANCE page, Caltha LLP maintains several websites to provide regulatory updates and discussion of current environmental, health and safety topics, as listed below. Interested parties can register to receive automatic notification when a new topic is posted.

SWPPP - Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans - Stormwater Permits - Stormwater Training
Discussions and comments on stormwater permitting programs in all States, including industrial, municipal (MS4) and construction sites. Topics include general stormwater permits, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans, monitoring, training, spill prevention and control, SPCC compliance.

Water Quality Standards - Aquatic Toxicology - NPDES Permit Limits
Discussion of a variety of topics related to State and Federal water quality standards, ambient water quality criteria, sediment criteria, NPDES & site-specific discharge standards, water quality management, aquatic toxicology, aquatic community impacts, and water quality assessment.

Environmental Sustainability - Sustainable Environmental Management Systems
Discussion of sustainability topics, including pollution prevention, waste reduction, material reuse, environmental management systems, product stewardship, and international environmental standards.

Environmental Due Diligence - Site Assessments - Phase I ESA - Environmental Liability
Discussions and comments regarding environmental due diligence, environmental liabilities, CERCLA liabilities, Phase I environmental site assessments, corporate liabilities, environmental compliance liabilities, quantitative environmental liability assessment.

Regulatory Briefings
Regulatory Briefings are published periodically by Caltha to highlight new or proposed regulations on a wide range of environmental, health & safety topics. These briefings are generally 2- to 4-pages in length and provide an overview of the regulations and discuss potential impacts on the regulated community. Participants must sign up to receive an email link to new Regulatory Briefings as they are posted.

Caltha LLP provides specialized expertise to clients nationwide in the environmental permitting & compliance, environmental management systems, and preparing cost-effective EHS compliance programs.

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

Regulatory Compliance and ISO 14001 - Are They Equivalent?

“A manufacturing facility has worked for nearly two years to develop programs and procedures to become ISO 14001 registered. At the end of a three-day registration audit they gain registration under ISO 14001 through a well respected third-party registrar.

The following month, the facility is subject to a routine compliance audit directed by its corporate EH&S Department. The audit identifies numerous deficiencies and findings in the facility’s compliance with environmental regulations.”

The obvious question asked by plant management is "does ISO 14001 registration have any relationship to compliance with environmental regulations"?

The answer is certainly yes, however it can not be assumed that simply because a facility is ISO 14001 registered it is also in compliance with applicable regulations.

In the example described above, the compliance audit is actually part of the environmental management system (EMS), not an independent measure of the effectiveness of the EMS. An ISO 14001 compliant EMS requires that the organization periodically assess its compliance with applicable regulations. The key measure of the effectiveness of the EMS is how the corrective actions are addressed once a compliance issue was identified, and were corrective actions effective.

If similar compliance issues continue to be identified during subsequent audits, there may be a breakdown of the EMS that needs to be addressed. However, the organization should not be surprised if compliance issues are identified during audits moving forward. Overall, by assessing compliance and responding appropriately, the organization will be on track to continuously improve of its EMS.

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