Contact Information:
EnSafe Inc.
Environmental,Management & Technology Consultants
Phone: 901 372 7962
E-mail: pwood@ensafe.com

Biography: Phil Wood has 15 years' of progressive responsibility in environmental programs emphasizing industrial and regulatory compliance and permitting. For EnSafe, he currently directs the EMS, merger and acquisition services, and international business development.

His experience includes regulatory compliance audits, environmental management system audits, Phase I and II environmental site assessments, solid and hazardous waste facility permitting, Superfund and RCRA corrective actions, evaluating site conditions, site cleanup, storm water pollution prevention plans, and oil and hazardous substance spill contingency plans.

Mr. Wood was a member of the U. S. subcommittee to ISO committee TC 207, and involved in developing the ISO 14000 international environmental management system standards [Technical Committee 207/subcommittee 2 C Working groups 2 (Environmental Auditing) and 4 (Environmental site assessments)].

Key Words: Environmental Management System, EMS, Planning, Management Support, Management Representative

Abstract:

Objective & Scope - This paper will discuss the meaning of "management support" in the development, implementation and maintenance of an environmental management system (EMS) by focusing on the designation of the Management Representative (MR) and the planning process.

Issues, Developments and Conclusions - We all know that successful implementation of any new initiative will be dependent on management support, and environmental management system (EMS) implementation is no different. In fact, working under a management system is often such a different approach to operations that employees will not even take notice unless they clearly see that it is important to management. This requires visible and active support by management. Of particular importance is the designation of the person who has the responsibility for development and implementation of the EMS, the management representative (MR).

Management, knowing that it is an environmental management system, often takes the easy way in designating the MR by defaulting to the environmental coordinator (EC). The best decision would be to select the MR based on who in the organization is most capable of successfully managing the development and implementing of the system, and then be able to properly maintaining the system so it fulfills the promise of continual improvement.

EMS development and implementation requires a manager first and an environmental expert second. There are several important criteria for selection which management would be well advised to consider. The MR must be highly organized and possess the leadership and management skills necessary to build teams, manage projects, influence opinion, and implement decisions. The MR is often in a low-level position that has no management authority where success is based solely on the force of his or her personality and ability to convince others on certain paths of action. It is also critical that the MR has already made the transition from solely a compliance viewpoint to a system vision. Management must carefully select a MR who has the initiative and the will to champion the system implementation in order to ensure success.

Success of an EMS is also dependent on visible and active involvement by top management. This is most effectively accomplished in the process of setting objectives and targets. The first phase of this process should focus on system objectives to get the EMS in place and working. This has an indirect influence on environmental aspects. The second phase should shift to a focus on performance objectives and targets, which have a more direct influence on aspects. The general goal of any EMS should the evolution from a reactive system of managing environmental affairs, concerned only with reaching and maintaining compliance of media programs, to a proactive system where the implementation of effective cross functional management procedures creates an organization-wide EMS with self-correcting programs. The responsibility for environmental performance will then extend beyond the bounds of the environmental department.