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EMS Manual for Philadelphia Office - Sections 3 to 7
SECTION 3 — EMS PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONAL CONTROLS
Introduction
This section of our EMS Manual includes documentation, references and links that allow the user to locate relevant documentation associated with the following EPA Mid-Atlantic office EMS areas: our Environmental Management Programs and our Operational Controls.
EPA's Audit program is described in EPA Order Number 1000.24 CHG 1 (PDF) (9 pp, 45K, About PDF) "Management Integrity."
A. Suggestions and Non-Conformance Reports
The EPA Mid-Atlantic office maintains and monitors an electronic suggestion box for employees to informally submit their suggestions. The EMS Coordinator/Management Representative also keeps an electronic file of suggestions informally communicated by employees via email, telephone conversations, in the lunch room etc.
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Employee Suggestion/Award "Pollution Solution" Program (PDF) (2 pp, 11K, About PDF)
Throughout the year, you can nominate yourself or an employees whose action, accomplishment, idea or suggestion helps us achieve our EMS Goals. A Selection Committee will evaluate the nominations. Winners are eligible for time off awards for their ingenuity and dedication. If selected, you will also receive a certificate from and photo with the Regional Administrator and be mentioned in an article in the Protector. Unfortunately, EPA Contractors and Senior Environmental Employees are not eligible for time off awards, but will be recognized for their efforts.
Blank Non-Conformance Form (PDF) (2 pp, 9.6K, About PDF)
If any employee wants to lodge a more formal complaint or report an observation that is contrary to our EMS they may fill out the non-conformance form below and submitted it to the EMS Coordinator/Management Representative.
B. Work Plans for Achieving Objectives and Targets
The EPA Mid-Atlantic office has developed three workplans in the following areas to address our significant aspects and achieve our Objectives and Targets. These workplan document and list specific actions, the lead organization for each action, a timeframe to achieve or accomplish each action and the resources needed to achieve our Objectives and Targets.
Links to our workplans are listed below:
- Energy Work Plan (PDF) (1 pg, 8K, About PDF)
- Transportation Work Plan (PDF) (2 pp, 9K, About PDF)
- Waste and Purchasing Work Plan (PDF) (2 pp, 10K, About PDF)
C. Environmental Management Programs
The EPA Mid-Atlantic office Environmental Management Programs (EMPs) were created to address each of our significant aspect. EMPs describe the general program developed to achieve the EMS Objectives and Targets. The EMP pulls together and presents in one location pieces of our EMS including; the significant aspect(s), environmental impacts, objectives and targets, legal and other requirements and references workplans and operational controls for addressing specific activities and achieving EMS objectives and targets.
Below is a list of our Environmental Management Programs
- Transportation Environmental Management Program EMP-1 (PDF) (2 pp, 27K, About PDF)
- Electricity Use Environmental Management Program EMP-2 (PDF) (2 pp, 30K, About PDF)
- Paper Use Environmental Management Program EMP-3 (PDF) (2 pp, 26K, About PDF)
- Waste Reduction Environmental Management Program EMP-4 (PDF) (2 pp, 30K, About PDF)
- Green Products Environmental Management Program EMP-5 (PDF) (2 pp, 27K, About PDF)
In our next EMS Cycle the EPA Mid-Atlantic Region will develop programs for environmental preferable purchasing and for reducing, reusing and recycling.
Operational Controls (OCs) are "how-to's" or work instructions that describe the employee role and responsibility in managing and reducing the environmental impact from our activities, products, and services. For example we want to reduce the environmental impact from our use of resources like gasoline, electricity and paper, reduce our generation of waste and recycle more to prevent pollution. Below is a list of work instructions that address the following:
- Commuting and Business Travel (PDF) (6 pp, 82K, About PDF)
- Using Electricity (PDF) (10 pp, 127K, About PDF)
- Heating & Air Conditioning (PDF) (2 pp, 17K, About PDF)
- Printing and Copying (PDF) (2 pp, 20K, About PDF)
- 3rd Floor Copy Center (PDF) (4 pp, 50K, About PDF)
- Recycling and Reusing (PDF) (4 pp, 21K, About PDF)
- "Green" Meetings (PDF) (2 pp, 20K, About PDF)
- "Green" Purchasing (PDF) (4 pp, 27K, About PDF)
In the next EMS cycle the EPA Mid-Atlantic Region will develop operational controls for environmental preferable purchasing and green meetings.
Our OCs are aligned with the EMPs described above. OCs describe our activities and the technological, operational, procedural controls on these activities, how we maintain what we are doing and fix what we do if there is a failure. In addition the OC describes the records and responsibilities associated with these activities. In other words, our OCs describe what we should do, how we should do it, how we will maintain and fix it and who is responsible for it.
Our EMS Cycle or Schedule will run from October through September.
Section 4 contains or references all documentation that acts as a record of actions completed under the EMS, including carrying out the procedures. Our Operational Controls list other records and the person responsible for maintaining them. Most of our EMS records are available on this website. This includes the records associated with having identified significant aspects, conducting training, and conducting the EMS audit. Other EMS records including monitoring and measuring, team meeting minutes etc are maintained by the EMS Coordinator in his/her office.
SECTION 5 — EMS DEFINITIONS
Section 5 contains definitions of terms that might be useful to individuals coming to the EMS for the first time, or other common EMS terms for which a definition would be useful.
Section 6 contains documents or references that allow the user to locate documents that relate to the EMS. These include documentation that can be used by an individual to better understand EMS concepts or practices.
Section 7 contains documents or references that allow the user to locate documents generated by the EMS (excluding records or other information already included previously.)
Appendix A: The list of Identified Environmental Aspects of the EPA Mid-Atlantic office is on our website.
Revision History
Date of Action
Originally written: January 2003
Revised: March 2004, September 2004 and February 2009
Revised March 2010 - added November 2009 External Corrective Action Report
Author: EMS Team/EMS Coordinator
Reviewed
and Approved: Senior Management
Review History
Reviewed January 2010