This Article is related with using tool for Environmental Improvement.
Maintaining an effective continuous improvement programme is a key requirement of ISO14001:2004.
A useful tool I often use to help clients identify where to look for environmental improvements is to draw a picture or plan of the work place and identify the outputs and inputs to and from the area, the workplace or the building they occupy. These inputs and outputs should include: fuel, energy, consumables, supplies and raw materials, products, reports, waste streams, emissions etc.
We can then look at each of those inputs and outputs and identify those that have a significant affect on the environment and target them for improvement or reduction actions.
For example: in our offices we have services and raw materials coming in including: electricity, water, paper, print cartridges and going out we have: products, reports, quotations, postage, effluent, spent print cartridges, scrap paper, heat lighting tubes etc.
Using a picture like the one above, we can list these out in the boxes attached. This gives us a good starting point as to aspects we might consider where we can reduce our impact on the environment. We could reduce the paper consumed by printing both sides, by e-mailing quotations and invoices, we could re-cycle our spent ink cartridges, reduce our electricity usage by not keeping equipment on stand-by overnight.
Having decided which aspects to tackle, we can start to measure our current usage and set targets for reduction, or if the plan is to change our processes we can set targets in the form of change dates. Once the targets are set, we can measure our progress and input the results to our management review process. (ISO 14001 clause 4.6)
As our environmental management system becomes more mature, we will find that the easy pickings have already been addressed with improvement actions, and finding new projects and further opportunities becomes more difficult as time goes on.
But we can return to our original picture or plan of the workplace and add more detail. This time we might consider each separate work team or individual and consider environmental aspects associated with how work is passed between them or we might consider aspects and impacts associated with purchase and disposal of office fittings or capital equipment.
My on-going work with clients has proven that using a simple diagram showing inputs and out puts to our business as a whole (or to each of our business teams in a larger organisation) can be an effective way of focusing on our environmental aspects (as required by ISO 14001). We can then use the information to identify opportunities for carbon reduction and environmental improvement.
The subtle signs of domestic abuse.
This Article is related with Domestic Abuse. Domestic abuse is about power and control and various types of Domestic Abuses are defined here.
Understanding Domestic Abuse: A Comprehensive Overview
Domestic abuse, a critical social issue, is primarily about power and control rather than mere anger or loss of control. It manifests in various forms, affecting millions irrespective of gender, age, or socioeconomic status. This article delves into the nuances of domestic abuse, exploring its types, prevalence, and the underlying dynamics of power and control that define it.
ISO 9001 – Measuring Customer Satisfaction – Using Surveys – Do they work?
This Articles is related with the Consumer expectations,benefits and their satisfaction. Well you must judge for yourself, but I think the real issue is "are these companies meeting customer's expectations?
