An Environmental Management System requires a documentation system to collect, analyze, register, and retrieve information

An EMS Documentation System should:

• Describe core elements of EMS
• Provide directions to related documents
• Support employee awareness
• Facilitate evaluation of the system and environmental performance

What are Documents?

Documents offer guidance or explain actions to be carried out. Documents are materials that provide management directions. Environmental policy, internal standards and operating procedures, Process information, Organization charts, and Emergency plans Records are a special kind of document which provides verification of things that have happened. Environmental records include training records, audit results, reviews, monitoring records, waste disposal records, etc. Records must be maintained to demonstrate conformance to EMS requirements.

Some of the documents and records you may be associated with ISO 14001: 2015

• Environmental Policy
• Environmental objectives and targets
• Roles, responsibilities, and authority for EMS
• Communications from external interested parties
• Procedures essential for operational control
• Monitoring and measurement of key operations that have potentially significant impacts
• Compliance with laws and regulations
• Management review