Scenario: GreenFab Inc. Develops an EMS
Act Phase Steps 23-27
- Establish and Implement Corrective Action Plans
- For each nonconformance, they document root cause, select proper corrective action, assign a person and deadline. Example: install door interlock in paint booth, retrain operator, add an alarm if booth door is opened during spraying.
- They follow up and verify that corrective actions are effective (e.g. re-audit the booth door issue after implementation to confirm compliance).
- Determine the Status of Environmental Objectives
- They review each objective: VOC reduction, wastewater metal reduction, solvent use reduction. They ask: which ones have been achieved, which are behind, and which might be unrealistic?
- For those behind, they analyze why: lack of equipment, cost overruns, staff resistance, technical difficulty, or changes in process demand.
- They decide whether to carry forward, adjust, or drop objectives. For example, if the VOC target of 25% is too ambitious, they might retain a 20% target instead, or invest more resources to reach 25% later.
- Update EMS Policies and Procedures, and Communicate Any Changes
- If new controls or improved methods are adopted (e.g. new SOP for chemical handling, new ventilation strategy, revised monitoring frequency), they must formalize these changes.
- They submit changes through management for approval, update the procedure documents, revise the document control system, and notify affected departments. They train staff on the changes via refresher sessions, posters, and memos.
- Conduct Management Review
- The EMS team presents environmental performance, audit findings, status of objectives, resource adequacy, and recommendations to senior management (VPs, COO, CEO).
- Management evaluates whether the EMS is effective, whether to allocate more funding, whether to change objectives, and whether to change the EMS structure or policy.
- They document the outcomes of the review, including decisions made, and assign actions to departments for following up.
- Communicate EMS Successes to the Organization
- They publish results: "We achieved 22% VOC reduction in year one, reduced heavy metal discharge by 18%, diverted 35% of scrap metal from waste stream."
- They share via email blasts, intranet, posters, "GreenFab EMS Newsletter," and hold a celebration or recognize all individuals who made significant contributions (e.g. "Environmental Champions of the Quarter").
At that point, GreenFab begins a new cycle by returning to the Plan phase, using lessons learned to set revised objectives and improve the EMS further.