EMS Documentation Services 
Environmental Management Manuals
Communicating Your System for Protecting the Environment
Communicating Your System for Protecting the Environment
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
EMS Documentation Services - your solution partner
What is an Environmental Management System?
In its simplest of terms, an Environmental Management System (EMS) is an approach to identifying the ways in which the
environment is impacted by our work activities. An Environmental Management System helps to set priorities for action,
and it challenges each and every employee to continually look for ways to lessen those impacts, and to protect the
environment.
An EMS is defined as a self-correcting and continual improvement system that seeks to reduce environmental impacts
associated with a facility's activities while helping to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. It provides a
structured method for incorporation of environmental considerations into day to day operations while promoting continual
improvement of the environment and therefore, human health.
Environmental management systems do not require a pre-defined minimum
level of performance. For example, they do not prescribe that you recycle
all your waste chemicals, take at least 90% of your travel by public transit,
or purchase all your products from sustainable resources. Of course, if you
want to commit to these objectives, then they can form part of your EMS,
but it is up to you.
What an EMS requires is that you look at your company and identify what
your significant environmental impacts are, and what your legal requirements
are. This establishes where you are now. Once identified, you then can write
an environmental policy that describes your commitment to legal compliance
and continuous environmental improvement as a minimum. The rest of the
management system involves setting objectives and targets to progressively improve your environmental performance.
The EMS ensures that the objectives, targets and legal requirements are delivered. EMS Documentation Services
provides you with assistance in accomplishing each of the above steps, and with an EMS Manual that will describe in
detail your system to be used for improving the environment.
Advantages of an Environmental Management System
To meet the needs of the vast majority of organizations, EMS Documentation Services offers both a custom written
EMS Manual, and the internationally recognized ISO14001: 2004 EMS Manual. Each manual provides the essential
elements for an effective environmental management system, enabling your organization to communicate a clear policy
and reasonable objectives to positively influence the environment.
Additionally, organizations that pro-actively implement an environmental management system realize cost savings
and preferred supplier status. Through your Environmental Management System you can show your community that
you are a leader in protecting the environment.
About the Standard
ISO 14001 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) through
dedicated technical committees representing approximately 160 countries around the world. Its purpose is to enable an
organization of any type or size to develop and implement a policy committing it to the prevention of pollution. The
ISO14001 standard is designed to provide a tool to allow a site to control the environmental impact of activities, products
or services and to continually improve its environmental performance. The ISO14001: 2004 system is intended to provide
a framework for continuous improvement. These processes are based on the Plan-DO-Check-Act cycle.
Click on ISO14001 to see a list of each of the elements found in the ISO14001:2004 EMS Standard.
Sustainability
Sustainability practices fall into three areas of performance: 1.) compliance with rules such as state and federal
emission controls, and OSHA requirements; 2.) reducing environmental harm in our daily practices; and 3.) reversing
environmental impact altogether by offsetting the carbon impact of day-to-day operations with offsets such as planting
trees, purchasing carbon offsets, and wind generated electrical power.
Corporate Citizen
Being a good corporate citizen starts at "home" with a comprehensive review of the environmental impact of your
company's practices, From paper, water and energy conservation to waste management, recycling and commuting - the
opportunities for doing business without needless harm to the environment are plentiful. What's more, solutions exist that
save money and resources.
1. energy conservation 2. producing energy from renewable
EMS projects generally fall into
one of four categories:
resources such as water, geothermal, wind,
solar, or biomass
3. using recycled materials to create new
products
4. promoting alternative fuels.
Project Examples: 
CustomerService@emsdocumentationservices.com
Copyright 2007 - EMS Documentation Services, Portland, Oregon - All rights reserved
Copyright 2007 - EMS Documentation Services, Portland, Oregon - All rights reserved