ISO 14001: what is an environmental management system?

An environmental management system (EMS) is a set of processes that helps a business find, control and reduce its impact on the environment. ISO 14001 is the international standard that sets out what a working EMS must include. You don't have to be certified to use it, but if you want certification, an independent auditor will check that your system meets the standard.

This guide explains what an EMS does, the core parts of ISO 14001, how the plan-do-check-act cycle keeps the system improving, and how to make a start.

What an EMS does

An EMS gives your business one way to manage its environmental impacts. Those impacts can include spills, waste, dust and stormwater runoff on a site, emissions from vehicles and plant, water and energy use, and the materials you buy and sell.

A good EMS does four things:

• Finds the impacts. It lists what your activities can do to air, water, land and wildlife.
• Sets the rules. It states the legal requirements and the commitments you've made, such as reducing waste to landfill.
• Assigns the work. It names who checks, fixes and reports each thing.
• Checks the results. It measures performance, reviews it and acts on what it shows.

Environmental law in Australia is mostly made by states and territories, and by the Commonwealth for some matters. Your EMS has to reflect the rules that apply where you work, so keep a current list of them as part of your planning.

Is ISO 14001 compulsory?

No. ISO 14001 is voluntary, and most of the rules it contains are not laws in themselves. The standard is useful for three reasons:

• It gives you a tested structure rather than building one from scratch.
• It shows clients, principal contractors and tender panels that you manage environmental risk.
• Certification requires an independent third-party audit, which gives an outside check on your system.

The current version is AS/NZS ISO 14001:2016, the Australian and New Zealand adoption of ISO 14001:2015. You can buy the standard from Standards Australia if you want the full text.

The core elements of ISO 14001

ISO 14001 is organised into clauses that cover the whole system. The table below summarises what each part asks you to do and what it looks like on a worksite.

Environmental aspects and impacts

An environmental aspect is an activity, product or service that can interact with the environment. The impact is the change that results. For example, using diesel is an aspect, and a spill that reaches stormwater is the impact. Rank each aspect by how likely it is to cause harm and how serious the harm would be. Your significant aspects are the ones that need controls and objectives.

Environmental objectives and targets

An objective states what you want to achieve, such as cutting waste to landfill. A target is the measurable step towards it, such as reducing general waste by 20% within a year. Keep them specific, measurable and dated, and assign an owner to each one.

Plan, do, check, act

ISO 14001 is built on the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle. Each stage feeds the next, and the cycle repeats so the system keeps improving.

• Plan. Identify the aspects and impacts, the legal requirements and the risks. Set the objectives and the actions to reach them.
• Do. Put the actions into effect. Train people, buy the equipment, write the procedures and run the controls.
• Check. Measure progress against the targets, audit the system and review what isn't working.
• Act. Fix the gaps, change the plan and start the next cycle.

The PDCA cycle is what turns the EMS from a document into a routine. If the check stage is skipped, the system drifts.

How to start an EMS

1. Get top management on board. The managing director or owner must commit time and money. Without that, the EMS is a side project.
2. Know your obligations. List the environmental laws, permits and client requirements that apply to each site.
3. Map your aspects and impacts. Walk each site and list the activities that could harm the environment. Rank them and choose the significant ones.
4. Write the policy and the objectives. Keep the policy short, and make each objective measurable.
5. Set up the controls. Write the procedures, train the people who do the work, and make sure the equipment is in place.
6. Monitor and audit. Track your targets every month and run an internal audit each year.
7. Review with management. Top management reviews the results, decides what to change and sets the next objectives.

Start with one site or one activity, such as fuel storage or waste handling. Prove the system there, then extend it.

What a construction site needs

A construction site often has the highest environmental impact in a business, so it's a good place to start. Common aspects include:

• Sediment and stormwater leaving the site
• Dust and noise
• Fuel and chemical storage
• Waste, including soil and demolition material
• Vegetation and waterways near the site

An environmental site management plan for construction sets out the controls for those aspects on a single job. Use an environmental risk assessment form to rank them before you start work.

Tips for a system that lasts

• Keep the documents simple. A procedure that nobody reads doesn't control anything. Use short procedures with photos where you can.
• Engage your people. The crew that handles the fuel and the waste knows what's going wrong. Ask them.
• Use the same language as your safety system. If you already run a WHS management system, connect the EMS to it. Many risks and records overlap. Our guide to a safety management system shows how the pieces fit together.
• Keep the records current. Auditors and clients ask for evidence, not promises.
• Review the policy every year. Make sure it still describes what you do.

Common mistakes

Writing the policy and stopping there. The policy is the start. The system is the controls, the records and the reviews.

Ignoring the small events. A minor spill that's cleaned up quickly still tells you something. Record it, find the cause and fix it.

Setting targets nobody owns. Each target needs one named person who reports on it.

Treating certification as the goal. Certification is a result of a working system, not a substitute for one.

How SafetyDocs helps

SafetyDocs has expert-written environmental templates, including environmental management system documents, objectives and targets registers, environmental incident and corrective action forms, and an AS/NZS ISO 14001:2016 internal audit checklist. Job, client and site details fill themselves in, and each job's activity log is a dated record of posts, photos, issues, and who read and signed what. Workers can raise an issue on a step with a photo, and when a document changes, everyone who signed is asked to sign the new version.

Common questions

Do I need ISO 14001 to comply with environmental law? No. The standard is voluntary. Environmental law applies whether or not you're certified. An EMS helps you meet those obligations consistently.

How long does it take to set up an EMS? It depends on the size and complexity of the business. A small business with one site can set up a basic system in a few months. Larger businesses with many sites usually take longer, and should phase the work in.

Can I combine an EMS with my WHS or quality system? Yes. Many organisations run an integrated management system. Shared policies, document control and internal audits save time, as long as each standard's requirements are still met. ISO 45001 covers health and safety in the same way, and our guide to ISO 45001:2018 explains how it compares.

What's the difference between an aspect and an impact? An aspect is the activity, such as storing fuel. The impact is the effect on the environment, such as contaminated stormwater. You control aspects. The impacts are what you're trying to prevent.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current law with your environmental regulator.