ISO 14001-Clause 4.4.

ISO 14001-Clause 4.4 Implementation and operation

This clause requires the organization to put into place controls over all activities which have, or may
have, a significant environmental impact. In effect, procedures will need to be implemented to ensure
that the everyday environmental activities of the organization occur as planned.

ISO 14001-Clause 4.4.1: Resources, roles, responsibility and authority

ISO 14001 Requirements

Management shall ensure the availability of resources essential to establish, implement, maintain and
improve the environmental management system. Resources include human resources and specialized
skills, organizational infrastructure, technology and financial resources.

Roles, responsibilities and authorities shall be defined, documented and communicated in order to
facilitate effective environmental management.

The organization’s top management shall appoint a specific management representative(s) who,
irrespective of other responsibilities, shall have defined roles, responsibilities and authority for

a) ensuring that an environmental management system is established, implemented and maintained in

accordance with the requirements of this International Standard,

b) reporting to top management on the performance of the environmental management system, for
review, including recommendations for improvement.

Explanation:

The Standard requires that, as a show of commitment, the organization shall provide resources –
especially human resources – in order to facilitate effective environmental management. The successful
implementation of an environmental management system calls for commitment from all employees in
the organization. The purpose of this sub-clause is to ensure that finance is available and that personnel
are assigned responsibilities for part of the environmental management system and have a clear-cut
reporting structure. Job descriptions, or project responsibilities from the management programme, may
cover this requirement. For your EMS to be effective, roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined
and communicated. In a small organization, the commitment of all employees is needed. Top
management plays a key role by providing the resources needed to ensure that the EMS is implemented
effectively. Ensuring this capability is one of the most important jobs of top management.Top
management should appoint a management representative. This representative
ensures that the EMS is established and implemented

reports on its performance over time; and

works with others to modify the EMS when necessary.

The management representative could be the same person who serves as the project champion, but this
is not mandatory. This can be an existing member of staff who, regardless of other duties, has
responsibilities for co-ordinating the activities of the environmental management system. There needs
to be a direct authority linkage. For example, in the case of a potential environmental problem, the line
of communication to senior management needs to be short so that action can occur readily.
Commitment begins, of course, at the top level of management, but it is accepted that in larger
organizations responsibility to be the management representative is often delegated to a less senior
individual. Management can use information on EMS performance to improve the system over time. A
business owner, plant or shop manager, or any number of other people might serve as an effective
management representative.

To determine the organization structure following steps may be taken:

Look at the scope of your environmental management program: What capabilities do we need? Who
needs to be involved to make the system effective? What training or other resources will they need?

Look at your significant environmental impacts: What operations / activities need to be controlled? Who
needs to be involved to ensure that controls are implemented?

Look at the results of previous audits or other assessments: What does this information tell us about the
effectiveness of our organizational structure? How could it be improved?

Look at the current responsibilities for environmental management: How can we enhance ownership of
environmental management across the organization? How can other business functions support the
EMS?

Look at your quality management and / or other existing management systems: What roles and
responsibilities exist in these management systems? Where are the opportunities for integration?