Environmental Management Systems:
                      An Implementation Guide for
                  Small and Medium-Sized Organizations
                                 Start
                                 Start
                    Management           Environmental
                      Review                Policy
                               Continual
                              Improvement!
                  Checking /
                Corrective Action             Planning
                             Implementation
                            NSF International
                           Ann Arbor, Michigan
                             November 1996
               Environmental Management Systems:
       An Implementation Guide for Small and Medium-Sized Organizations
                       Written by:
                   Philip J. Stapleton, Principal
                  Glover-Stapleton Associates, Inc.
                  Anita M. Cooney, Project Manager
                      NSF International
                    William M. Hix Jr., Intern
                      NSF International
                         Acknowledgments
      This document was prepared with funding through a cooperative agreement with the U.S.
      Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Wastewater Management and Office of Compliance.
      NSF International gratefully acknowledges the following Steering Committee Members for their
      invaluable contributions to the design and content of this Guide:
          Jeffrey R. Adrian, The John Roberts Company
          Lemuel D. Amen, Washtenaw County Department of Environment & Infrastructure Services
          Stephen P. Ashkin, Rochester Midland
          Christine A. Branson, Industrial Technology Institute
          Ken Burzelius, Midwest Assistance Programs, LeSueur County
          Marci Carter, Iowa Waste Reduction Center, University of Northern Iowa
          John Dombrowski, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Compliance
          David Fiedler, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality - Environmental Assistance Div.
          Jim Horne, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Wastewater Management
          Wendy Miller, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency - Office of Compliance
          Charles Tellas, Milan Screw Products
          Bryant Winterholer, K. J. Quinn & Co., Inc.
      The authors of this Guide would like to thank Douglas Baggett of Hach Company, and Charles Tellas
      of Milan Screw Products, Inc., for sharing their experience and insight via case studies of their
      respective companies.
      The authors of this Guide would also like to thank Craig Diamond and Tom Ambrose of NSF
      International for their significant contributions to the development of this Guide.  Your suggestions
      and assistance were greatly appreciated.
      Environmental Management Systems:  An Implementation Guide for Small
                     and Medium-Sized Organizations
                            CONTENTS
      Introduction ........................................................................................................  1
      Section 1:  Why Your Organization Should Have an EMS ............................. 3
      Section 2:  Key EMS Concepts .......................................................................... 6
      Section 3:  Step-by-Step Action Plan ................................................................ 8
      Section 4:  Key Elements of an EMS ............................................................... 11
      Section 5:  The Registration Process ............................................................. 56
      Section 6:  Sources of Assistance .................................................................. 63
                            Appendices
      Appendix A - Case Studies
      Milan Screw Products.......................................................................................... 65
      Hach Company ................................................................................................... 70
      Appendix B - Background on ISO 14000 and Other EMS Standards ...........75
      Appendix C - Sources of Information and Other Contacts ...........................80
      Glossary of Acronyms ...................................................................................... 89
      Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 90
      Appendix D - Tool Kit
      Sample Environmental Policies ........................................................................... 92
      Sample Process Flow Chart  ............................................................................... 96