ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS & IMPACTS – EVALUATION OF COMPLIANCE

The environmental analysis or environmental       aspects and impacts identification process is one of the most important part of any environmental Management System (EMS). As it lays the foundation for how the management system will run in the future and environmental improvements it should address. In basis terms, it will assess the environmental risk.

 

Environmental Aspect is defined as an element of a community’s activities or services that can interact with the environment.

Environment Impact is any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly  or partially resulting from a community’s activities or services.

Identifying and Evaluating Environmental Aspects and Impacts, there are numerous techniques and data sources to assist you in identifying and evaluating environmental aspects and impacts at your facility. You may already have experience using some of these techniques at your facility. Note that much of the data you have collected to date will be useful as you identify environmental aspects and determine their significance.

Please find the below sample procedure of ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS & IMPACTS – EVALUATION OF COMPLIANCE

DEVINANDHA CONSTRUCTIONS LIMITED

(DNCL)

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS & IMPACTS – EVALUATION OF COMPLIANCE
DNCL/ISP/003 | Rev 00 | 22.05.2013

Based on;

ISO 14001:2004 – Environmental Management System &
OHSAS 18001:2007 - Occupational Health & Safety Assessment Series

Copy Number: ________MASTER COPY______     issued to: ____Management Representative__

Control	Name	Designation	Signature	Date
Prepared by
Reviewed by
Approved by

1.0. PURPOSE

To identify the environmental aspects involved in the different activities if DNCL, products and services to determine those have a significant impact and to periodically review them

2.0. SCOPE

The scope of this procedure covers all activities, procedures and services that the company can control or over which it may have some control, taking into consideration the following:

•  Legal requirements
• Emission to air
• Release to Water
• Contamination of land
• Waste of all types and waste management
• Use of Raw materials and natural resources
• Environmental and community issue
• Noise, odor and visual impacts.

And the following conditions

• Normal conditions
• Start up Conditions
• Shutdown conditions
• Reasonably fore see able or emergency conditions

3.0. REFERENCES 

§            ISO 14001:2004 Clause 4.3.1

§            DNCL IMS Manual

§            Bahrain Environmental Directorate Legal Requirements 

4.0. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Management representative, HSE Officers and Department Heads are responsible for implementation of this procedure. 

5.0. INPUT & OUTPUT

5.1. INPUT

• ·         Activity, processes & services
• ·         Various data from manufacturers
• ·         Initial environmental review (if any)
• ·         Accident/incident data

5.2. OUTPUT

• ·         Conducting Assessment
• ·         Significant Aspect Register
• ·         Evaluation of environmental aspects & impacts and controls. 

6.0. PROCEDURE

6.1. Environmental Aspect-Impact study shall be reviewed annually or whenever there is a new or change in activity, process or services f DNCL. 

The steps involved in identification of environmental aspects are

1. Selection of activities/ products/ services

2. Identification of environmental aspects related to activities/ products/ services

3. Identification of environmental impacts resulted from those aspects.

4. Assessment of impacts and determination of their significance.

Step 1: Selection of activities/ products/ services

1.1. HSE Officers shall initiate this activity and shall be carried out department wise.

1.2. This will be carried out by a team consisting of HSE officers, HSE Managers, Supervisors  and consultants/ advisors (if required).

1.3. Each activities/ products/ services will be identified by a unique identification. 

1.4. All the above results will be recorded in DNCL Environmental Aspect-Impact Assessment register (DNCL-ISP-FM-009-40)

1.5. HSE Manager along with HSE officers will review and update all the activities/ products/ services minimum once in a Year or when there is a change or new activities/ products/ services has been introduced to DNCL.

Step 2: Identification of Environmental Aspects of activities/ products/ services

2.1. Based on history or any possible data collected on a given activities/ products/ services the team will determine the environmental aspects to each activities/ products/ services and the results shall be recorded.

2.2. Where there is no initial data available then experience and knowledge on                  each activities/ products/ services will be considered.

2.3. HSE Manager shall update whenever a new aspect is detected or in the event of new Legal and/ or other requirement are introduced which may have an impact on DNCL activities/ products/ services.

Step 3:   Identification of Environmental Impacts

3.1. The designated team shall identify the impact associated with each and every environmental aspect using past history, current situation and potential impacts and any legal and other requirements and business exposure that may affect the company.

3.2. The following areas will be considered for the identification of impacts

• Air Pollution
• Water Pollution
•  Land contamination

3.3. The HSE officer shall record the results of impact studies. 

Step 4: Assessment of impacts and determination of significance

4.1. Environmental impacts could be grouped into significant and non-significant ones.

4.2. The criteria used to determine whether the environmental aspect is significant or non-significant are;

Þ      Legal & regulatory significance

Þ      Severity

Þ      Probability

Þ      Business concern

4.3. Each concern shall be graded as;

•  Very Low
• Low
• Medium
• High
• Very high

4.4. Severity of an aspect will be based on legal and regulatory requirements and impact it caused.

4.5. Probability of an aspect is determined from its probability of occurrence.

4.6. Business concern will be based on cost, concern of interested parties, and effect on public image.

4.7. Based on the grading the significance will be determined.

4.8. The following table is will be used to find out the significance.

Criteria	Description	Score
class	Normal	N
	Abnormal	A
	Emergency	E
Value of Existing control	Very Low	4
	Low	3
	Medium	2
	High	1
	Very High	0
Legal Requirements	Very Low	1
	Low	2
	Medium	3
	High	4
	Very High	5
Severity	Very Low	1
	Low	2
	Medium	3
	High	4
	Very High	5
Probability	Very Low	1
	Low	2
	Medium	3
	High	4
	Very High	5
Effect on other A/P/S	Very Low	1
	Low	2
	Medium	3
	High	4
	Very High	5
Cost	Very Low	5
	Low	4
	Medium	3
	High	2
	Very High	1
Concern	Very Low	1
	Low	2
	Medium	3
	High	4
	Very High	5
damage	Very Low	1
	Low	2
	Medium	3
	High	4
	Very High	5

4.9. The level of significance is decided based on the addition of scores, 

Total Score	Level of significance
1 – 15	Insignificant
Above 16	Significant

4.10. All the above aspect-impact study shall be reviewed by HSE Officer and MR.

4.11. During Environment Aspect Impact Assessment all existing control measures will be checked for effectiveness and efficiency will be revised if required. 

7.0. MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS

DATA	SOURCE
Environmental Aspect identification and evaluation of significance impacts	Aspect-Impact register

8.0. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS & RECORDS 

The distribution register and master set will be maintained by Management Representative.

DESCRIPTION	RECORD	RESPONSIBILITY	RETENTION PERIOD
Environment Aspect-Impact register	(DNCL/ISP/FM-009-51)	MR	3 YRS
List of Significant Aspects & Impacts	(DNCL/ISP/FM-009-52)	MR	3 YRS

9.0. AMENDMENTS 

AMENDMENT HISTORY
REV	DETAILS OF AMENDMENT	DATE	PREPARED BY	REVIEWED BY	APPROVED BY
00	Initial Issue	22.05.2013	MR	PM	MD