What Is an Environmental Management System?

Organization is a key component of any successful business, but it’s especially crucial when you’re dealing with environmental compliance issues. How will you keep important documents organized and ready for an unannounced site inspection by a regulatory agency? How will you remind your staff of the tasks they need to complete before the due date for compliance? How will you stay on top of all this data when you’re constantly on the run? To help you organize your environmental compliance documents and stay proactive regarding important tasks and due dates, you might be interested in using an environmental management system. What is an environmental management system? We’re glad you asked . . .

What Is an Environmental Management System?

An environmental management system (EMS) is a program used to manage an organization’s environmental tasks in a comprehensive, neat, and well-documented manner. This allows the organization to meet environmental regulations, improve their overall performance, and reduce their impact on the environment.

Environmental management is an important part of any company’s success, but it’s crucial that you find the right environmental management system to meet your compliance needs. The program will need to fit into your existing management framework, and it must also respond to your current needs and adjust to changes that arise down the road. Additionally, you should seek out a program that comes with great support, from the initial set-up to troubleshooting to ongoing maintenance.

Wondering if you really need an EMS? Let’s look at some of the benefits you, your company, and your coworkers can expect to find and enjoy in an environmental management system:

• Create reminders to help you be proactive when it comes to important compliance tasks and due dates
• Schedule automated e-mails to be sent to assignees
• Have peace of mind, knowing that your data and files are backed-up daily (ideally in a separate location)
• Access your EMS anywhere you have an Internet connection
• Store all of your documents (including site-specific plans, permits, inspection checklists, training documents, and more) in one place, so that they’re easily accessible for a site inspection
• Query the system to create the report you need
• Manage your Safety Data Sheets electronically
• Receive technical support, including initial set-up help and continual maintenance

With the right environmental management system in place, you won’t have to worry about forgetting upcoming compliance requirements or being unprepared for a site inspection. You also won’t have to hassle your employees about their tasks, as they’ll be sent e-mail reminders. Once you find the right EMS for your organization, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it!

P.S. Do you have a complex site? Check out our blog post Management of Complex Sites.

Is your company looking for an exceptional environmental management system to help track and complete compliance tasks? You might be interested in Virtual Task Manager (VTM), a web-based compliance software package offered by Environmental Works. This easy-to-use program can help your company manage environmental compliance tasks, facility preventative maintenance tasks, and health and safety requirements. The intuitive, flexible program includes a number of benefits, and it can be tailored to fit your needs. If you’re interested in VTM, give us a call at 417-890-9500 to learn how the VTM management system could assist your company.