Sunday, September 29, 2013

Policies your business needs to have

By Frank Leon


Environmental policies are not compulsory for companies the way health and safety policies are. However, contractors are often required to implement environmental policies as one of the conditions stipulated before being given any new contract.

There are no sets of rules that spell out how an environmental policy should be designed, but in order for this document to be effective it should incorporate frameworks of actions and involve specific environmental objectives and targets. It is also proper to understand that an environmental policy should be tailored for a specific company reflecting on an organization's mission and vision.

There are no specific rules on how environmental policies should be designed, however, in order for the document to properly serve its purpose as intended, the policy should incorporate a framework of action that clearly spells out the company's environmental objectives and targets. This policy should be customized to suit the operations of a specific company clearly reflecting on an enterprise vision and mission, and their impact to the environment.

You should desist from duplicating other people's policy, or buying some online "off the shelf" policies, because it is very embarrassing when you realize that a competitor inside the tender room is also holding an identical environmental policy document.

You should begin by giving a brief introduction of your company by describing its history, and products and services. In case there is a parent company or subsidiaries, do not forget to mention them.

In case your company is seeking to attain an ISO 14001:2004, which is regarded as the most established standard for environmental management system, then your must adhere to certain requirements. One of these key requirements is that the company must comply with environmental legislation, prevent pollution, and enhance its environmental performance.

In case your organization is planning to receive ISO 14001:2004 accreditation, then your company's must meet certain requirements, and among them is commitment to improve on environmental performance, preventing pollution, and complying with all environmental legislations.

Your company should aim for ongoing better environmental methods. Your company should be aiming to consider any industry specific regulations as well as compliance with environmental legislations and rules. You should state all your objectives and targets while considering using natural resources such as solar and wind in order to minimize waste. It is also advisable to use recycled materials provided that they are commercially justified.

Companies are highly encouraged to use recycled materials, minimize on traveling as much as possible while regularly servicing vehicles so that their efficiency can be maintained. You can also collaborate with business partners and suppliers in order to ensure that they also mitigate on the environmental impact.

The completed environmental policy document should be signed and dated by the most senior person in the company so that it can have more weight when being read. This senior person can be the Managing director, operations manager, or head of finance. This same document should be widely distributed to all employees working for the company, and if possible should be published on the company's internet, intranet or website for easy retrieval.




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