Register of Environmental Aspects Introduction

This supplement to ISO 14001 Environmental Certification Step by Step shows a way of presenting the Register of Environmental Aspects.

The following pages show what typical entries could look like for some of the aspects which apply to most organisations. These are followed by other entries based on real examples, which show how other types of aspects can be documented. Where numbers have been included in some of the entries to give a measure of the impact, these have been derived from real organisations. Obviously you will insert your own numbers and make your own judgements on their importance.

Take note of the comments on severity in Chapter 6 of the book under 'Significance of environmental aspects and legislation'. Even though you may carry out an activity every day (frequency = 3) and that activity has a high environmental impact, the scale of your operation may be so small that the severity is low when compared with that of another activity which has a lesser environmental impact but which you carry on in large quantities. The first activity, in the context of your organisation, may therefore rank as severity = 2, whilst the second may rank as severity = 3.

For this reason, do not assume that the significance ratings given in the following examples are absolute. You may carry out the same activity as one of those described here but in your case it may justify a different rating.