The Environmental Management System Requirements:

An EMS is important because it manages measures and improves environmental performance and leads to efficient compliance with environmental requirements. It should:

• ·         Identify and assess environmental effects caused by company activities and Incidents,
• ·         Identify relevant regulations,
• ·         Identify priorities and objectives and set targets,
• ·         Facilitate planning, monitoring, auditing and reviewing of the system, and
• ·         Be capable of changing as circumstances change.
•  
  The organization shall establish and maintain an Environmental Management System (EMS) with the following requirements:
   
  
  1.      Environmental policy defined by top management
  2.      Planning
  ·         Environmental aspects
  ·         Legal and other requirements
  ·         Objectives and targets
  ·         Environmental management programmes
  3.      Implementation and operation
  ·         Communication
  ·         Environmental Management system documentation
  ·         Document control
  ·         Emergency preparedness and response
  4.      Checking and corrective action
  ·         Monitoring and measurement
  ·         Nbn compliance and corrective and preventive action
  ·         Records
  ·         EMS audit
  5.      Management review
  
  
  Detailed Measures to address Common Aspects in EMS Implementation:
  There are a number of aspects that are common to most of the EMS issues. These are:
  • Reduction in Water Consumption
  • Reducing Chemical Consumption
  • Energy Consumption
  • Reducing Air Pollution
  • Reducing toxicity
  • Reducing Noise pollution
  
  
  1 Reduction in Water Consumption:
  ( Many industries have water consumption, which is generally much higher than what they
  require. The impact of high water consumption include high wastewater treatment costs,
  higher water bills, and in some instances inefficient processes. This can in most cases be
  reduced by implementing various changes ranging from simple procedures such as fixing
  leaks to more complex options such as optimizing water use and reducing the number of
  process steps. Some suggestions are as follows:
  • Repair leaks, faulty valves, etc
  • Turn off running taps and hoses
  • Turn off water when machines are not running
  • Reduce the number of process steps
  • Optimize process water use
  • Recycle cooling water
  • Re use process water
  • Using water efficient process and equipment
  • Seeping floors
  • Reusing water from auxiliary processes
  
  
  2 Reducing Chemical Consumption:
  The majority of chemicals applied especially in the textiles industry and in particular to the
  fabric are washed off and sent to the drains. Thus, the reduction of chemical consumption
  can lead to a reduction in effluent strength and therefore lower treatment costs, as well as
  overall saving sin chemical costs. Various options for the reduction of chemical usage arc
  as follows:
  • Recipe optimization
  • Dosing control
  • Pre screen chemicals and raw materials
  • Chemical substitution
  • Correct storage and handling
  • Chemical recovery and reuse
  • Process changes
  • Improve scheduling
  
  
  3 Energy Consumption:
  As with water consumption, reduction in energy use can result in substantial savings and
  lower emissions from boilers or generating plants. Some energy efficient options include
  the following:
  • Good housekeeping
  • Reduce cooling loads
  • Install heat exchangers
  • Optimize Plant Environmental Conditions
  • Shutting off of lighting, air conditioning etc
  
  
  4 Reducing Air pollution:
  Air pollution is a menace to a number of industries. Some steps that can be taken to reduce
  the emissions to air include the following:
  • Decreasing emissions of organic solvents by changing to water based products
  • Using scrubbers to collect particulate matter
  • Optimizing boiler operations to reduce the emissions of nitrous and sulphur
  oxides
  • Pre screening chemicals using the Material Safety Data Sheets to ensure that
  chemicals are not toxic
  • Identifying sources of air pollution and quantifying emissions
  • Designing and manufacturing products that do not produce toxic or hazardous air
  pollutants
  • Avoiding fugitive air emissions from chemical spills through improved work
  Practices
  
  
  5 Reducing Toxicity:
  The reduction of toxicity is a suitable approach to cleaner production. Especially, in the
  textile industry, compounds that contribute to the aquatic toxicity of textile effluent include
  salt metals, surfactants, toxic organic chemicals, biocides and toxic anions. Some methods
  of reducing the use of these compounds are to:
  • Reduce metal content through careful pre screening of chemicals and dyes for
  metal content and using alternatives where possible
  • Eliminate galvanized plumbing as reactions with brass fittings can take place in
  the presence of acids, alkalis or salt and lead to the release of zinc
  • Reduce the amount of salt in the effluent by optimizing recipes, using low salt
  dyes, reusing dye baths and optimizing dyeing temperatures
  • Use biodegradable surfactants such as linear alcohol ethoxylates
  • Replace chlorinated solvents with unchlorinated alternatives
  • Replace the use of biocides with ultraviolet light as a disinfectant for cooling
  towers
  • Carefully pre screen chemicals for their toxic nature using material safety data
  sheets (MSDS).
  
  
  6 Reducing noise pollution:
  The following steps can be taken to reduce noise pollution
  • Install screens and sound baffles on fans
  • Regular maintenance of machinery
  • Fit anti vibration mounts on machines, and
  • Fit walls with sound absorbing materials