4.5 Testing

4.5.1 Monitoring and Measurement

The organization shall apply a systematic approach to measuring and tracking their environmental performance on a regular basis. Monitoring involves the collection of information, such as results of measurements or observations within a specified period of time. Measurements can be either qualitative or quantitative nature. Monitoring and measurement have many goals in the environmental management system, such as

a) tracking progress in the implementation of policies to achieve objectives and targets, as well as continuous improvement,

b) gathering information to determine the significant environmental aspects,

c) monitoring of emissions and plums to ensure compliance with applicable legal and other requirements that must comply with the organization,

d) monitoring the flow of water, energy or raw materials to ensure that the objectives and targets,

e) providing data to support and evaluate the operational control

f) providing data for assessment Environmental effectiveness of the organization, and

g) providing data to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental management systems.

To achieve these goals, organizations need to plan what indicators should be measured, when and where, and what methods should be used at the same time. In order to concentrate resources on the most important dimensions, organizations need to identify the main characteristics of the processes and activities that can be measured and that provide the most useful information.

NOTE: Further information on the performance, see Section 4.3.3.3.

The measurement should be carried out under controlled conditions using the appropriate processes to ensure validity of results, such as the appropriate calibration or calibration of monitoring equipment and measurements, using trained staff and adequate quality control methods.

If you want real results, it is necessary to calibrate the measuring equipment at specified intervals or prior to use, standards-based measurements, traceable to international or national measurement standards. If no such standards exist, you must register in the protocol, based on what sized. Written procedures designed measurement and tracking can help to ensure consistency of measurement results and increase the reliability of the data.

Measurement and monitoring must be analyzed and used for assessing progress and identifying areas requiring corrective action or improvement.

4.5.2 Evaluation of compliance

Organizations must establish, implement and use the procedure of the periodic evaluation of compliance with legal requirements that apply to environmental aspects of its activities in the commitments to ensure compliance. Organizations must register in writing the results of this assessment.

Assess compliance can include as many legal requirements, and one requirement. To assess compliance with a variety of methods can be used, including such processes as

a) audits,

b) analysis of the documentation and / or protocols

c) inspection of production facilities,

d) polls

e) analysis of the project or activity

f) results of standard samples or tests and / or verification sampling / testing, as well as

e) The bypass facility and / or direct observation.

Organizations need to establish the frequency and methodology for assessing compliance, corresponding to its size, type and complexity of its structure. On the periodicity may be influenced by such factors as the efficiency to ensure compliance in the past or certain legal requirements. It may be useful to periodically conduct an independent analysis.

Program of conformity assessment can be combined with other assessment activities. These activities may include audits management system, assessment or health and safety inspection or verification of the quality assurance system.

Similarly, the organization shall periodically assess compliance with other requirements to which it must comply with (for further guidance on other requirements, see § 4.3.2.2). Organizations may want to create a separate process for such assessments, or it may choose to combine these estimates with compliance with legal requirements (see above), the process of management review (see 4.6) or other assessment processes. The results of these periodic assessments shall be made ​​in writing.

4.5.3 Nonconformity, corrective and preventive actions

In order for an environmental management system is constantly to be effective, organizations must use a systematic approach to identifying actual and potential non-compliance, make the correction, and take corrective and preventive actions, preferably preventing the problems. Under the discrepancy means failure to comply. The requirement may be related to the management system or environmental performance. There may be situations where part of the system may not function as planned, or will be complied with environmental requirements.

Examples of such situations may include: a) the effectiveness of the system:

failure to establish environmental objectives and targets;

failure to distribute the duties required environmental management system, such as the responsibility for achieving objectives and targets, or for preparedness and response, and

c) inability of the periodic evaluation of legal compliance.

d) environmental performance;

e) failure to achieve targets for reducing energy consumption;

f) maintenance requirements are not met in accordance with the plan, and

g) non-operational criteria (eg, allowable limits).

Internal audit of the environmental management system, described in Section 4.5.5, is one way to determine the periodic discrepancies. Determination of non-compliance may also be part of the daily responsibilities of persons who are closest to the work, which must pay attention to potential or actual problems.

After the establishment of non-compliance should be investigated to determine the cause, so that corrective action can be focused on the relevant part of the system. In developing the plan to eliminate inconsistencies organization should consider what actions to take to eliminate (reduce) the problem, what changes are necessary for the correction of the situation (to restore normal operation), and we need to do to resolve this problem (to eliminate the cause). The nature and time of execution of such actions shall be appropriate to the nature and scope of non-compliance and the impact on the environment.

If a potential problem fixed, but the actual discrepancy exists, it is necessary to take preventive action, using a similar approach. Potential problems can be identified using techniques such as extrapolation of corrective actions based on actual discrepancies in other relevant areas where similar activities carried out, trend analysis and risk analysis.

Management should ensure that corrective and preventive actions, as well as the systematic verification of their effectiveness.

Implementation of procedures for the settlement of such actual and potential nonconformities and for corrective and preventive actions helps to ensure consistency in this process. Such procedures should ensure the allocation of responsibilities, authorities and determine the steps to take when planning and implementing corrective and preventive actions. When actions taken lead to changes in the environmental management system, the process should provide updated and approved by all relevant documentation, training systems and recording and transmitting information about these changes to all who need to know about them.

4.5.4 Control of records (protocols)

Protocols are evidence of ongoing work and results of an environmental management system. The main characteristic of the protocols is that they are permanent and are generally not revised. The organization should determine what protocols are needed to effectively manage environmental issues. The minutes shall include:

a) information on compliance with applicable legal and other requirements that must comply with the organization,

b) detailed description of discrepancies and corrective and preventive actions

c) results of audits of environmental management system and management review,

d) information on the environmental characteristics of products (eg, chemical composition and properties)

e) evidence of fulfillment of target / targets,

f) information on participation in training,

g) permits, licenses or other forms of provision legal authority

h) results of inspection and calibration, and

i) Results Operations control (Maintenance, construction, manufacturing).

Effective monitoring of these protocols is necessary for the successful application of environmental management systems. Main characteristics of the environmental protocol include a means of identifying, collecting, indexing, archiving, storage and preservation in good condition, retrieval and use.

4.5.5 Internal Audit

Internal audit of the environmental management system should be in the organization at regular intervals to collect and provide information on compliance management system planned activities and the proper (or improper) implementation and use of the system. They can also be conducted to identify opportunities for improving environmental management system of the organization.

Organizations need to create an audit program to create a direction in planning audits, and audits to determine necessary to meet the targets of the program. At the core of the program should be based on the nature of the organization's operations with regard to environmental aspects and potential impacts, the results of previous audits and other relevant factors.

It is not necessary that every internal audit covers the entire system, provided that the audit program provides a periodic audit of all units and functional elements of the organization, system components and the total environmental management system.

Audits should be planned and conducted objective and impartial auditors with the assistance of technical experts, where appropriate, selected by the organization or from external sources. Their combined experience should be sufficient to meet the targets and the subject of specific audits and provide assurance of the reliability of results.

The results of internal auditing environmental management systems can be provided in report form and used to correct or prevent certain discrepancies, achieving one or more targets of the audit program and provide data for management review.

NOTE: Guidelines for auditing environmental management systems, see ISO 19011.