Operational control of ISO 14000
Operational control of ISO 14000
An organization needs to apply some type of operational controls to meet its environmental policy
commitments, achieve its objectives and targets, comply with applicable legal requirements and other
requirements to which the organization subscribes and manage its significant environmental aspects. To plan
for effective and efficient operational controls, an organization should identify where such controls are needed
and for what purpose. It should establish the types and levels of controls that meet the organization’s needs.
The operational controls selected should be maintained and evaluated periodically for their continuing
effectiveness.
1. Identifying needs for operational controls
An organization might use operational controls to
a) manage identified significant environmental aspects,
b) ensure compliance with legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes,
c) achieve objectives and targets and ensure consistency with its environmental policy, including the commitment to prevention of pollution and continual improvement, and
d) avoid or minimize environmental risks.
2. Establishing operational controls
Operational controls can take various forms, such as procedures, work instructions, physical controls, use of trained personnel or any combination of these. The choice of the specific control methods depends on a number of factors, such as the skills and experience of people carrying out the operation and the complexity and environmental significance of the operation itself.
A common approach to establishing operational controls includes
a) choosing a method of control;
b) selecting acceptable operating criteria;
c) establishing procedures, as needed, that define how identified operations are to be planned, carried out and controlled; and
d) documenting these procedures, as needed, in the form of instructions, signs, forms, videos, photos, etc.
3. Examples of such operations include
a) acquisition, construction or modification of property and facilities,
b) contracting,
c) customer service,
d) handling and storage of raw materials,
e) marketing and advertising,
f) production and maintenance processes,
g) purchasing,
h) research, design, and development engineering,
i) storage of products,
j) transportation, and
k) utility processes (e.g. energy and water supply, recycling, waste and waste water management).
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on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 4:40 pm and is filed under ISO 14000 standard.
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