Introduction

These model Operating Procedures have been written to give guidance on ways in which different aspects of an environmental management system (EMS) can be managed. If you already have your own way of controlling some of them, stay with what you have got, but do check that you have addressed all the relevant requirements of ISO 14001.

There are so many possible environmental aspects that it would have been difficult to have provided a model procedure for every one. I hope that some of the examples may be directly relevant to your organisation. If not, I hope that they give you enough guidance so that you can write your own procedures to control other aspects that you have identified as part of your own environmental management programme. The texts included here also address the legislation that is commonly found to apply to most organisations and to give examples of procedures that address some of the other legal requirements that may apply to you. Lastly there are the procedures dealing with the specific administrative requirements of ISO 14001. The link between these procedures and the clauses of the Standard is recorded in the model Environmental Management Manual.

The model Operating Procedures fall into the above categories, as follows:

• Observing the law: 1, 2, 4 9.

• Managing environmental aspects: 3 6, 8, 10 12, 14.

• Managing the EMS: 9, 10, 13 22.

So, select which models you need from the first two groups and write your own procedures for any other legal...