Environmental Aspects & Impacts

A

Program DevelopmentProgram Development

EnvironmentalAspects & Impacts

A system for identifying priorities and setting goalsBy David Ayers

AS COMPANIES BECOME MORE SOCIALLYconscious, SH&E professionals are often assignedenvironmental responsibilities as well as safetyresponsibilities. The modern environmental move-ment in the U.S. is closely associated with the 1962publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. “RachelCarson meticulously described how the pesticideDDT entered the food chain in the fatty tissues of ani-mals, including human beings, and caused cancer andgenetic damage” (NRDC, 2008).

In 1969, Congress declared in Sec. 101 of theNational Environmental Protection Act (42 USC §4331):

[I]t is the continuing policy of the federal gov-ernment, in cooperation with state and localgovernments, and other concerned public andprivate organizations, to use all practicablemeans and measures, including financial andtechnical assistance, in a manner calculated tofoster and promote the general welfare, to cre-ate and maintain conditions under which manand nature can exist in productive harmony,and fulfill the social, economic and otherrequirements of present and future genera-tions of Americans.

The more recent green movement and the trendtoward corporate social responsibility indicate thatmany companies are listening to stakeholders whowant clean, efficient operations that are protective ofthe environment. Many companies are finding thatsuch operations not only protect the environment butalso help the companies save money. This creates awin-win situation in which operations are analyzed

for environmental perform-ance and a cost savings is real-ized by reducing waste. Wastecosts time and money, not onlyin its disposal, but also in itsproduction in the first place.

Several environmental man-agement systems (EMS) havebeen published, most notablyISO 14001. This standard isdesigned to help firms managetheir environmental responsi-

bilities to all applicable regula-tions through an effective EMS.Whether a company pursuesISO 14001 or creates a customversion, a system to manage thecompany’s environmental re-sponsibilities is important.

Electing to use an EMS is thefirst step toward addressingenvironmental affairs in aproactive way. First, the compa-ny should have an environmen-tal policy. This is an overalldocument that explains whatthe company intends to do froman environmental standpoint.The environmental policy state-ment should show manage-ment commitment, be easy foremployees and the public tounderstand, and reflect thecompany’s vision and values.

This article examines howSH&E professionals with envi-ronmental responsibilities canidentify environmental aspectsand impacts, and introduces ascoring system that can be usedto determine environmentalpriorities, then set measurableenvironmental goals.

Environmental AspectsAccording to clause 3.3 of

ISO 14001:2004, an environ-mental aspect is any “elementof an organization’s activity,products or services that caninteract with the environment.”Goetsch & Davis (2001) state:

In simple terms an environ-mental aspect is anythingresulting from the organiza-tion’s activities, products orservices that has the poten-

David Ayers, M.S., CSP, CHMM, has been anSH&E professional for 14 years. He is themanaging director of compliance for the

National Ready Mixed Concrete Association inSilver Spring, MD, and holds an M.S. in Safety

Management from West Virginia University andan M.S. in Environmental Management from

the University of Maryland. Ayers is a memberof ASSE’s National Capital Chapter, and of the

Society’s Construction, Engineering andEnvironmental practice specialties.

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Environmental ImpactIn cause and effect, if one considers an environ-

mental aspect to be the cause, then the environmen-tal impact is the effect. An environmental impact isany change to the environment, whether adverse orbeneficial, wholly or partially resulting from theorganization’s activities, products or services.Essentially, the environmental impact is the result ofthe environmental aspect.

For example, suppose a company is dischargingwastewater to a nearby stream. A potential environ-mental impact of that activity is pollution to thewater. Table 1 (p. 27) presents some practical exam-ples of aspects and impacts from a ready mixed con-crete facility.

tial to cause an environmental impact, even ifit is presently controlled, or prevent suchimpact. The fact that the potential exists (ifsomething goes wrong, for instance) makes itan environmental aspect (p. 18).An environmental aspect can be either negative

or positive. Negative aspects include emissions tothe air or water, discharge of oil to the land or water,generation of hazardous waste, generation of solidwaste, community impact, and the generation ofdust and noise. Positive aspects include recycling ofused materials such as steel, aluminum, copper,glass bottles and paper, removal of pollutants fromthe air or water, and restoring land by removingdecontaminated soil.

Abstract: SH&Eprofessionals withenvironmentalresponsibilities canuse a scoring systemto identify environ-mental aspects andimpacts, determinepriorities and setmeasurable goals forreducing a company’simpact on the envi-ronment.

Thetrend toward

corporate socialresponsibility

indicates thatmany companies

are listening tostakeholders who

want clean, efficientoperations that

are protective ofthe environment.

28 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY FEBRUARY 2010 www.asse.org

team. Team members should bring different attrib-utes to the group to allow for a holistic solution.Table 2 lists some potential team members and theircontributions (EPA, 1999).

Once the team is formed, it must select a methodto document and track pro-gress. Many different strategiesexist for selecting which area toaddress first. One area to beaddressed should be all per-mitted and regulatory areas toensure that a company is oper-ating legally.

Example Scoring SystemA numerical scoring system

can be used to identify a com-pany’s top 5% environmentalaspects/impacts that will beaddressed. By addressing thetop 5%, the company will showcontinuous improvement. Asaspects and impacts are ad-dressed, scores will be lower.

Following is an example rat-ing formula (modified andadapted from original NationalSemiconductor Texas formula)to help prioritize environmen-tal aspects and impacts.(Probability x Consequence)+ Regulatory Requirements +

Concerns to Customers orCommunity x Resource

Requirements = Total Score

Probability: How OftenDoes the Aspect Occur?

5: routine; impact can occurthrough everyday opera-tions;

4: periodic; impact canoccur at regular intervalsmore than once/year;

3: occasional; impact canoccur at a frequency notmore than three times in5 years;

2: possible; impact not ex-pected at this plant, butcould still occur;

1: limited; impact not expect-ed at this plant; controlsystem designed to controlor minimize impact.

Consequences: What Is theEnvironmental Consequenceof the Aspect/Impact?

5: extreme; results in severe,disruptive or persistentecological damage or im-pacts to human health;

Examine Company Operations:Form a Multidisciplinary Team

Examining a company’s operations helps onedetermine what environmental aspects/impacts itproduces. One way to start this process is to form a

Table 2Table 2

Potential Team Personnel& Their Contributions

Table 1 presents prac-tical examples of envi-

ronmental aspectsand impacts from

a ready mixed con-crete facility.

Table 2 lists potentialmembers of a multi-

disciplinary team thatmight be formed to

examine environmen-tal concerns.

Table 1Table 1

Environmental Aspects& Impacts Examples

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Concerns to Customer or Community:How Concerned Is the Customer or Community?

3: extremely concerned;2: very concerned;1: mildly concerned;0: not concerned.

Resource Requirement Level: How Easyor Difficult Is It to Control the Aspect/Impact?

5: very difficult to control; requires many resources;4: difficult to control; requires many resources;3: requires moderate resources to control;2: requires some resources to address;1: easily controlled; requires few measures.Some of the formula inputs are easy to measure

while others are more subjective. On occasion, theteam will need to use its best judgment until enoughdata are available to change the category rating.Some companies also gather direct input from cus-tomers and from the communities in which theyoperate. This is a great strategy for showing resi-dents how the company is handling environmentalmatters responsibly. However, remember that thepublic may be emotionally driven to remove someelement (such as a toxic chemical, process or a stepin the manufacturing process) that cannot be elimi-

results in large-scale nonrenewable uses of ener-gy, water or other natural resources;

4: high; results in uncontrolled emissions to air,water or land or measurable impacts to humanhealth; results in significant use of energy,water or other natural resources;

3: moderate; results in controlled emissions to air,water or land or potential to affect humanhealth; use of natural resources reduced byenergy conservation and waste reduction andrecycling programs;

2: minor; minimal emissions to air, water or land;use of natural resources reduced by energyconservation or use of renewable resources,waste reduction and recycling programs anduse of recycled materials in products producedby and materials used by the facility;

1: no consequence.

Regulatory Requirements:Is the Aspect/Impact Covered by a Regulation?

5: regulated;4: potential to be regulated;3: company policy;2: voluntary;1: nonregulated.

Figure 1Figure 1

Example Aspect/Impact Tracking Sheet

Note: Adapted from National Semiconductor—Texas environmental aspects/impacts matrix. Actual tracking sheet would include a comments field.

The team can use aspreadsheet to docu-ment results andtrack progress. Thespreadsheet can alsoautomatically calcu-late scores as they areentered into the fivedifferent categories.

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Several selection strategiesexist. One effective approach isto focus on regulatory itemsfirst, then company policiesand finally voluntary aspects.

In addition, the team shouldask management representa-tives how they would like tosee these issues addressed.However, what if the manage-ment team wants the team todetermine the environmentalpriorities? One simple strategyis to follow the money. Wheredoes the company spend themost money and on whatitems? An often overlookedand valuable resource is theaccounting or finance depart-ment. This group pays the billsand often has metrics and datato provide a starting point.

Management by walkingaround (MBWA) is anotherstrategy. Walk around the facil-ity and observe the company inaction. Perhaps the facility iswater intensive or appears to

use a lot of electricity. Look for areas of waste. Askemployees for their ideas. Environmental conserva-tion contests are a great way to get valuable ideasand reward employees for examining their areasfor waste.

After determining at least five environmental pri-orities, the team can present three to the manage-ment team for approval. The others can be held inreserve to be used if the management team does notapprove the first choices. These other priorities alsocan be addressed at a later point if the first three pri-orities are completed before deadlines. However, itis best to focus on just three priorities so the team canmeasure progress toward goals.

Setting GoalsOnce the team identifies environmental priorities,

it must set goals. The key to setting environmentalgoals is prevention of pollution. Prevention of pollu-tion is the “use of processes, practices, materials orproducts that avoid, reduce or control pollution,which may include recycling, treatment, processchanges, control mechanisms, efficient use ofresources and material substitution.” These goals aresimilar to those found in production and quality.They must be specific and measureable to be effective.

To ensure that goals are specific, ask the five keyquestions:

•Who: Who is on the team?•What: What do we want to accomplish?•Where: Where is the concern (can be an area of

the plant or entire plant)?•When: By when should this be accomplished

(starting and ending)?

nated without affecting final product output. In suchcases, community members are demanding thattheir points of concern be addressed yet the compa-ny is unable to change the process.

Another example of community involvementmight be with a facility’s generation of dust. Thecompany will be able to share its inspection andmaintenance records, and discuss its policy of regu-larly sweeping plant property to control dust.

Input from customers is also an option as theymay have certain goals and metrics they are hopingto achieve. Many socially conscious companies arerequiring that suppliers be socially responsibleabout the environment as well. When this is done,some customers may ask that additional cost sav-ings be passed on (e.g., by lowering unit cost perwidget). This is not a bad strategy, and the companyshould be aware that it exists.

Developing a spreadsheet (Figure 1, p. 29) willhelp the team document results and track progress.There is no set format for this spreadsheet. Checkwith the quality department or whoever handlesdocument control for the company to see how tobest synchronize efforts.

The aspect/impact tracking sheet has an area todescribe the activity (high-level process), the specifictask, the aspect, whether that aspect is adverse or ben-eficial, operational controls in place (standard oper-ating procedures, employee training and otherengineering controls), impact and whether this activityis considered a normal or upset condition. The spread-sheet can be used to automatically calculate scores asthey are entered into the five different categories.

After aspects and impacts are identified andscored, they can be sorted by a given parameter.

Table 3Table 3

Examples of Specific, Measurable Goals

The team also mustensure that each

goal is measureable.Ideally, the goals

should be communi-cated to employees,

and departmentmanagers should be

able to explain toemployees how theenvironmental goal

affects them andwhat they can do to

contribute to success.

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its environmental goals. Both groups profit in someway. For example, some companies collect paperand aluminum cans for youth group fundraisingactivities. Most companies devise a system wherethe outside parties collect the recyclables each week.

Such arrangements also can help with house-keeping. One company was being overrun by emptydrums and wooden skids. General practice had beento throw skids in the dumpsters, while the drumswere triple-washed then disposed of in the dump-sters. Realizing there might be a better way, the com-pany contacted a drum reclaimer and wooden skidreclaimer. The reclamation firms came to the facilityeach week and removed the items for free. Thecompany also saved a small amount of moneyby reducing the amount of solid waste weight inthe dumpsters.

After going through these steps, suppose thecompany does not achieve its environmental goals.Reexamine the team’s steps. Perhaps the goals weretoo ambitious (which is okay as long as there was aneffort to achieve them). Track progress at least week-ly and meet as a team on a monthly or quarterlybasis. Adjust strategy as necessary. Discuss optionsand chart a new path as the situation dictates.

The company also may find that after severalyears of setting environmental goals that it is diffi-cult to achieve a goal such as a 2% reduction insomething. As the company examines the processesand improves its processes, environmental goalswill be more difficult to achieve. Capitalize on incre-mental goal achievement. If the company goal is toreduce paper usage by 25% and at the 6-month markthe data indicate a 20% reduction, communicate thatstatus to employees.

ConclusionSH&E professionals are being asked to take on

more and more environmental responsibilities.Identifying environmental aspects and impacts aswell as environmental goal setting and measure-ment may be among those responsibilities. There isno set system for doing this, but an EMS that easilyblends into the existing company culture is an effec-tive approach. Achieving environmental goals willpay off in dividends, not just monetarily but alsowith an enhanced reputation as the company oper-ates in as environmentally friendly a manner as pos-sible and is a good neighbor to the community. �

ReferencesCarson, R. (1962). Silent spring. New York: Fawcett World

Library.EPA. (1999). EPA’s design for the environment: Incorporating

DfE into your gap analysis. Washington, DC: Author. RetrievedDec. 16, 2009, from http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/iems/tools/gap.pdf.

Goetsch, D. & Davis, S. (2001). ISO 14001 environmental man-agement. New York: Prentice-Hall Inc.

Meyer, P. (2007). Creating smart goals. Simpsonville, SC: TopAchievement. Retrieved Sept. 9, 2008, from http://www.topachievement.com/smart.html.

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (2008). Thestory of silent spring. New York: Author. Retrieved Aug. 23, 2008,from http://www.nrdc.org/health/pesticides/hcarson.asp.

•Why: What is the reason(s), purpose or bene-fit(s) of accomplishing this goal? (Meyer, 2007).

Answering the why question is critical. Em-ployees, supervisors and managers may ask whythey should help with the environmental goals.Having others agree that goals are important leadsto buy in. Without management and employee buyin, some progress is possible, but the goal may neverbe met or exceeded. In addition, specific goals showothers that the team has developed a well thought-out plan and measurement system.

As long as the team can answer the W questions,it will have specific goals (Meyer, 2007). A specificgoal may sound something like “ABC Concrete willreduce paper usage in printer/copiers by 25% byDec. 31, 2010, by setting the copier mode to alwaysprint double-sided. Also, reinforce with the work-force to only use printers/copiers when necessary. ”A general or nonspecific goal may sound somethinglike “ABC Concrete will reduce paper usage by25%.” A specific goal sets into motion a plan toachieve substeps along the way with a specific end-ing date and goal measurement.

The team also must ensure that each goal is mea-sureable. To do this, the team establishes criteriaagainst which to measure progress. Ask questionssuch as: How many? How much? How will wemeasure progress and know that we are done (orfalling behind schedule)? (Meyer, 2007).

The first step is to make sure the goal can be meas-ured. For example, it will be difficult to quantify thegallons of water saved per cubic yard of concrete pro-duced if there is no way to measure baseline wateruse first. Make sure the company can measureprogress per a fixed unit and not along a floatingbaseline such as dollars saved per widget produced.A fixed unit goal can state “amount of (electricity inkW, gallons of water, hazardous waste produced orsolid waste produced) per widget produced.” Thisway the company can measure progress even if thecost of waste disposal, water and electricity increases.

Table 3 presents several examples of specific andmeasureable goals. Ideally, the goals should be com-municated to employees, and department managersshould be able to explain to employees how theenvironmental goal affects them and what they cando to contribute to success.

The company also must have a system to com-municate progress and goal status. Environmentalgoals such as those listed in Table 3 will pay forthemselves over a given period. This payback peri-od will vary depending on the goals, and may notalways be in the form of money. For example, thefacility used as an example in Table 3 is planting 30pine saplings along the north fence. This activity canbe measured and included as part of the company’sannual report or it may just be a nice footnote toinclude in maintaining good community relations.

The company can involve outside parties in goalsetting. For example, the team could researchwhether an outside group would like to be part ofthis effort while also helping the company achieve