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SUPERIORVALUE IN ANY LANGUAGE

fo, ak’nLuA-.- baluation, labeling, and life ,- cycle assessment Figure 1). The EMS

standard, IS0 14001, released in draft form in July 1995, is on schedule for full release in October 1996 (see box). The others will be released periodically ’throughout 1997-98.

IS0 14000 are voluntary standards simiiar to IS0 9000 in that they are man- agement standards rather than perfor- mance specifications and are based on the British Standard BS 7750 as well as other national models. Like IS0 9000, which does not call for or guarantee a quality product, IS0 14000 does not es- tablish required performance levels. In addition, some criteria are virtually iden- tical to both standards. IS0 14000 em- phasizes documentation just as IS0 90oO does, and it has the same types of r e quirements for an internal auditing func- tion and external audits by a third-party registration body.

IMPACT ON THE LAB Companies that handle, process, or emit environmentally regulated substances will need to address IS0 14000. R&D laboratories that are already in compli- ance with EPA regulations are prime candidates for implementing the new standard. They will already have pro- cesses in place for handling environmen- tally regulated substances. Therefore, formalizing the goals and objectives of these in-house processes should not prove too timeconsuming or ddficult.

Joe Cascio, chairman of the US TC 207 Advisory Group and program direc- tor of EH&S Standardization for IBM (Somers, NY) , believes that the scope of IS0 14000 goes beyond this limited defi- nition. ‘The standard would apply to any environmentally sensitive or environ- mentally aware company, whether the

~ organization is required to comply with any regulatory controls or not,” he em- phasizes.

However, organizations that have im- plemented IS0 9OOO are keenly aware of the expense involved. It is a bit of a stretch to thii that a company that does not handle regulated materials will im- plement the standard just to ensure that paper is recycled or energy resources (such as turning off unnecessary lights) are controlled. An EMS requires a lot of time, energy, paperwork, and money. It wouldn’t be practical to implement an EMS in lieu of an in-house program that could be decided upon and implemented in a few hours by a facilities manager.

Cascio predicts, however, that this standard will first be used by companies that demand that their customers have an IS0 14OO@registered EMS in place.

Figure 1. THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT STANDARDS

BEING DEVELOPED BY TC 207

IS0 14000 Environmental Management

Environmental management I svstem I

performance auditing

Life cycle assessment

I I I I 1 I Envi;;mgtal1 1 product standards 1 1 Organization evaluation I Product evaluation

THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION

The International Organization for cus on international standardization Standardization (ISO) in Geneva, was expanded to include manage- Switzerland, was founded in 1946 to ment standards, resulting in the cre develop a common set of manufadr- ation of a new Technical Committee ing, trade, and communication stan- (IC 176) chartered to develop quality dards. The 111 member countries management standards that were for- have developed more than 9,OOO in- mally released in 1987. This was fol- ternationally accepted norms on nu- lowed up in 1991 with the formation merous criteria, ranging from screw of ‘IC 207 to develop environmental threads to film speeds. management standards that will be

More than a decade ago, ISO’s fo- formally released in 1996.

IS0 1400 1 : ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS STANDARD

1. 2.

3. 4.

Scope References 2.1 Informative references Definitions Environmental Management System 4.0 General 4.1 Environmental policy 4.2 planning

4.2.1 Environmental aspects 4.2.2 Legal and other requirements 4.2.3 Objectives and targets 4.2.4 Environmental management program(s)

4.3 Implementation and operation 4.3.1 Structure and responsibility 4.3.2 Training, awareness, and competence 4.3.3 Communication 4.3.4 Environmental management system documentation 4.3.5 Document control 4.3.6 Opemtional control 4.3.7 Emergency preparedness and response

4.4 Checking and corrective action 4.4.1 Monitoring and measurement 4.4.2 Nonconformance and corrective and preventive action 4.4.3 Records 4.4.4 Environmental management system audit

4.5 Management review

TODAY’S CHEMIST AT WORK, NOVEMBER 1995 39

“Customers, such as the US govern- ment, who have a procurement policy may be the ones asking for this,” he states. “I expect that commercial pres- sure more than anythiig else will drive this standard. And, obviously, being reg- istered puts the organization in a more favorable position with EPA. There will be either a commercial compulsion or a regulatory advantage in implementing IS0 14000.”

LEGAL ISSUES It is also quite plausible that organiza- tions will implement IS0 14000 for legal reasons. Not only is the new standard being promoted as a tool that will enable organizations to remain globally compet- itive in the environmental technology arena but, equally important, the legal consequences of ignoring environmen- tal issues must be taken into consider- ation. According to June MacArtor, environmental lawyer, teacher of envi- ronmental law at the University of Dela- ware, and environmental expert invited to discuss international environmental law with TC 207, “Corporations are be- ing held liable for any negative impact on the environment. Managers, engineers, and other employees responsible for noncompliance with environmental reg- ulations face the risk of criminal prosecu- tion.”

“In fact,” she continues, “EPA has just adopted a new environmental policy which states that if the company has en- gaged in criminal behavior, it could be shut down, although some state agen- cies offer immunity for companies who come forward. To my knowledge, seven states are considering legislation on this subject this year.”

Over the past decade, environmental regulations have grown exponentially. Today, EPA administers some fourteen major and hundreds of minor statutes as well as more than 10,000 regulations, each of which requires some form of pol- lution control and abatement. This has affected the bottom line of thousands of companies. EPA estimates that the cost of compliance within US industry is $122 billion per year.

“One of the ways around enforcement obstacles is to promote prevention and provide incentives for compliance,” MacArtor remarks. By controlling the waste streams, the exposure to both US and international regulatory and compli- ance requirements will be minimized. An effective EMS has the potential to r e duce a company’s overall compliance costs.

“In a consumer protection issue, this adds another layer of security that you’ve

40 TODAY’S CHEMIST AT WORK, NOVEMBER 1995

done all you could to protect your pub lics,” observes Thomas Quinn, CEO of the National Standards Authority of Ire land (NSAI, Dublin). “For instance, how do you defend your organization without the impartial support of a third-party reg- istration? Implementing this standard ensures that you’ve taken all due precau- tions.”

IMPLEMENTING I S 0 14000 Organizations registered to IS0 9000 should find it relatively easy to imple- ment IS0 14000. “There is some rela- tionship between IS0 9000 and IS0 14000,” Cascio explains. “Organizations with IS0 9000 in place are more likely to add IS0 14000.”

“Companies familiar with IS0 9000 can implement this standard in six months,” reassures Quinn. “It does r e quire a separate manual from IS0 9OOO but will fit into the same document con- trol structure. In addition, surveillance audits can be done at the same time as IS0 9000 audits in the future.”

The extent of the application of the standard will depend on the organiza- tion’s environmental policy, the nature of its activities, and the conditions under which it operates. To receive IS0 14000 registration, an organization will need to demonstrate to an independent external registrar that it has implemented all the elements of the EMS standard; it has an effective system for maintaining its com- pliance to applicable laws and regula- tions; and its management practices promote continuous improvement of its systems for environmental protection. As with IS0 9000, the requirement for in- dependent external audits is what will give teeth to the standard and ensure that the EMS is credible and functional.

THE CONTROVERSY Why do organizations such as the Inter- national Standards Initiative Ossaquah, WA) state that “registration to IS0 14000 may become a contractual and legal re- quirement”? And why are key figures in the standards arena, such as Reginald Shaughnessy, chairman of the IS0 9000 Technical Committee (IC 176), worried that IS0 14000 may “become an unfortu- nate combination of too many objec- tives”? Such concerns are raised because the standard focuses on regu- lated areas of business operations: con- trolled and uncontrolled emissions in the atmosphere, discharges to water, land contamination, and disposal of solid and other wastes.

Shaughnessy believes the greatest o b stacle to a successful implementation of IS0 14000 is the very enthusiasm that is

driving it. “My fear is that if th,, c 5: (-60 many systems, then there must be defi- nitions as to what things are. When this happens, the systems start to solidify and become restrictive,” he explains. “Part of the confusion is that people un: derstand specifications but do not have an adequate appreciation of standardiza- tion.” Indeed, some member groups are urging adoption of standards for perfor- mance so there can be a level playing field. This could create trade barriers, es- pecially in Europe.

If TC 207 is to make the standard uni- versal and usable by all countries and by organizations of all sizes, detailed pre- scriptive requirements should not be in- cluded. The questions of whether a government can resist making IS0 14000 a legal requirement as opposed to a voluntary one, or whether perfor- mance specifications can be avoided, are at the root of the controversy.

Cascio is adamant that IS0 14000 will not detail specific biosphere require- ments. “IS0 14000 will not contain startup performance tests, final perfor- mance goals, prescribed performance improvement rates, or mandated policy options, whether governmental or orga- nizational,” he states. Registration will, however, require evidence of EMS im- plementation as well as procedures to maintain compliance to applicable laws which, in turn, will require an awareness of what those laws are.

Some individuals fear that IS0 14000 will create trade barriers. However, Cas- cio says, “In 1990, individual countries were creating their own environmental standards. This leads to chaos and a seri- ous potential for trade barriers. IS0 14000 is not a performance standard and was written to minimize the potential im- pact on trade as well as to avoid multiple national standards.”

dards should remain guides that help or- ganizations manage their business, not define how it should be performed. If the inclusion of performance specifications can be avoided, IS0 14000 should pro- vide a means through which organiza- tions can demonstrate their commitment

continued on p. 49

~

Shaughnessy emphasizes that stan- .

CIRCLE 55 ON READER SERVICE CARD -

i SSO ’1 4900 fiom p. 40 * to environmental policies, regardless of

location. ‘ W e n the IS0 14000 is complete, one

intelinational standard should provide harmony in environmental standards worldwide,” MacArtor adds. This har- monization could replace a host of inter- national and regional standards.”

GATHERING MOMENTUM IS0 14000 will very likely develop and grow in much the same way as IS0 9OOO, but given the visibility IS0 9OOO has gen- erated for quality systems and its global acceptance, IS0 14000 should be adopt- ed much more quickly. Cascio expects this standard to be more popular than IS0 9OOO because he believes there are many more people interested in environ- mental issues than in quality ones.

In preparation, companies are becom- ing registered to equivalent national standards. ‘We’ve already registered a handful of companies to IS 310, the Irish Standard equivalent to IS0 14000. It’s early days yet, but all the indicators are that we will register a lot of companies to this standard,” Quinn states.

“Competition will push this, and if it works we won’t need massive govern- f- CIRCLE 55 ON READER SERVICE CARD

ment regulations,” MacArtor claims. “In addition, if companies refuse to buy from those who aren’t 14000 certified, that will also drive the adoption of the standard.”

The consensus is that the first big push to implement this standard will come from the marketplace, but the fact that numerous regulatory bodies have been closely involved with this standard since its inception cannot be discounted or brushed aside. Regulatory and gov- ernmental bodies around the world will have a vested interest in ensuring the ac- ceptance of IS0 14000.

Industry pressures may also play a part in the evolution of this standard. There are no performance specifications in IS0 14000 or in IS0 9000, and sector- specific industry standards such as QS 9000 for the automotive industry are b e ing created that may develop such re- quirements. Will such industry offshoots also follow for IS0 14000? Will governments create such requirements? If this happens, will trade barriers result? Only time will tell.

Despite potential market, industry, and government influences, this stan- dard provides an excellent forum for streamlining the environmental manage ment process within an organization, just

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as IS0 9000 provided an internationally consistent methodology for quality man- agement. For now, IS0 14000 leaves it to the organization to determine the envi- ronmental aspects it can control within the context of its operating environment.

To date, IS0 14000 is the most com- prehensive effort yet to promote a com- mon international environmental language. As such, this standard repre sents today‘s single best prospect for the development of shared environmental policies and expectations worldwide. ‘The next five years will be very chal- lenging,” Shaughnessy predicts, “but 14000 is the right thiig to do in the long term.”

To obtain draft copies of IS0 14000, call 8W2481946 or 4142723575. A fee of $30 is required.

HELEN G ~ P E is a fieehnce writer and industry consultant specialking in issues a$ fecting the chemical pmcessing industry. She is currently writing a book on IS0 9OOOfor McGraw-Hill. She is also the author and publisher of the quarterly LIMS/Letter, written for the LIMS community. Subsm& tion information may be obtainedfiom Gillespie (phone, 408-2634439; &, 408- 263 4487 m i l , LIMSlettter@aol.com.).

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TODAY‘S CHEMISTAT WORK, NOVEMBER 1995 49

Chemists at Worlz

CHEMICAL BONDING OF A DIFFERENT ORDER

Today’s self-reliant chemists are looking outside the workplace f ir career development help-and associations are lining up to provide it

W. David Gibson

ften stereotyped as lone wolves of the lab, chemists are actually 0 quite a collegial bunch. Wit-

ness the host of professional associa- tions that welcome chemists as members. Camaraderie is just one at- traction. Such groups may also offer members first looks at scientilic break- throughs, business strategies, and publi- cations as well as opportunities for continuing education, interdisciplinary insights, peer recognition and en- chanced credentials, public outreach, and a voice in the debate about policies that shape the practice of chemistry an the business of the chemical industry.

Although many associations h e been around for a long time, th e’s something that makes them esp cially relevant to today’s career-minde chem- ists, says Judd M. Miller, a spo i esman for the American Society of Association Executives (M). That something is change sweeping through the American workplace. Industry restructurings have shaken traditional assumptions about job security and loyalty. The push to a team focus at work may signal less em- phasis on individual career progress. Ad- vanced academic degrees are less a ticket to a job than a ticket to stand in line. And with the rush to speed prod- ucts to market, specialized technical ex- pertise is only as permanent as the short time until the next big discovery.

The upshot is that, when it comes to career development, chemists and other professionals are increasingly responsi- ble to themselves, says Miller. Today‘s self-reliant chemists are looking outside the workplace for career development help-and associations are lining up to provide it. Amid swirling change, he

50 TODAY’S CHEMIST AT WORK, NOVEMBE

maintains, associations are a flexible hub that professionals can cling to. Associa- tions can’t promise job security, but they can offer continuity-steadying careers even in turbulent times.

But associations also have to keep up with the times in order to stay relevant, warns Miller. They have to tailor offer- ings to meet the changing needs of members and prospective members in order to jus@ the expenditures in dues, time, and energy. For associations, the challenge is to be sure that membership benefits are continually realigned to meet the professional advancement goals of individual chemists.

For chemists, the question is what as- sociation, or mix of associations, best suits their objectives. As Miller puts it, “Choosing an association is a very per- sonal choice.”

DIFFERENT STROKES For holders of chemical degrees, the m g e of choices can be wide and varied. Some associations are large and national in scope; others are small and localized. Some are highly selective and ddficult to join; for others, all you do is sign aboard. Then, too, different associations have very different missions: Some deal with science generally, some are concerned specifically with chemistry, and some stress the business of designing and marketing chemical products. And most, to a greater or lesser degree, deal with the subject of life experiences a chemis- try professional is likely to encounter.

The membership withiin any associa- tion can likewise be diverse. The Com- mercial Development Association ~

(CDA) includes members from job sec- tors such as research and development, manufacturing, finance, environmental management, marketing, and sales. A common denominator is a focus on chemistry, because 90 percent of the membership hails from the chemical in- dustry. Another commonality among the 700 members is an interest in the disci- pline of commercial development, which involves all the skills needed to bring technology to the marketplace.

1995 1062-094X/95/$3.50 0 1995 American Chemical Society