EHS Management Strategies and Systems Implementation
STC works with our clients to improve their business performance by strengthening, developing and implementing their EHS management systems. Our specialists integrate their technical knowledge of environmental compliance management, occupational safety, industrial hygiene, and fire safety with their capabilities in developing and improving effective management systems. These efforts may be based on the ISO 14001 or OHSAS 18001 standards, on the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Management System, or on approaches such as EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track (NEPT) or OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). Other efforts are specifically tailored to a company’s corporate policies and performance objectives. STC has helped clients achieve ISO or OHSAS certification when that is their objective; in other cases, we have helped improve management performance independent of potential future certification.
STC’s principals and key staff are known worldwide for their expertise in management systems assessment and development. Our ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems Implementation Guide, first published in early 1999, has increasingly been recognized as the premier document of its kind. This book’s many suggested written procedures, support tools, guidance documents, templates, and case studies turn EMS concepts into practical realities ready for use in the “real world.” Our OHSAS 18001 and VPP Implementation Guide, published in 2003, similarly provides unparalleled practical guidance for implementing health and safety management systems. Thus it is fair to say that we quite literally wrote the book on these topics!
STC assists our clients by conducting management systems assessments, gap analyses and audits, and pinpointing the tasks needed to gain maximum effectiveness or meet certification requirements. Detailed recommendations help clients improve their systems and procedures. Our senior consultants know how to certify facilities for conformance with the international standard and can assist in design, implementation, and improvement of clients’ procedures. STC also trains clients’ own EHS staff members in assessment techniques and procedures.
For more information about EHS management strategies and systems implementation, contact Barbara Ruble at (410) 625-1952 or bruble@stcenv.com.
Some representative clients for STC’s specialized EHS management systems assessment and consulting programs include:
Gas and Electric Utilities (confidential):
STC has assisted several different utilities in evaluating their EHS management systems. In evaluating the management system of one client, STC assessed expectations for the management system in a top-down approach, and then compared those expectations with actual implementation using a bottom-up approach. By comparing management’s expectations with what the field was actually doing, STC was able to help bring the two into better alignment and help the utility focus efforts on its most important issues and most meaningful achievements. For another utility, STC supplements the client’s audit team with subject matter experts that also have management systems experience. By combining compliance and management systems audits, the time on site is reduced while still enabling focused corrections and effective long-term preventive.
Semiconductor Firm (confidential):
STC conducted an EHS-MS assessment of this company’s worldwide manufacturing sites, including a benchmark of its management systems against both competitors and industry leaders. Based on this benchmark study, STC developed a detailed action program designed to allow the company to achieve top quartile performance within two years.