Design Environmental Impacts Model of Chemicals in Integrated Management System (Case Study: in Chemicals Industry)

1. INTRODUCTION

      Environmental management, as part of a management system that seeks to provide organizations with an outline to protect the environment and respond to changing environmental conditions (ISO 14001:2015).

     In today’s competitive environment, there is a growing number of standards for management systems that contribute to sustainable development (Nadae et al. 2019), where the challenge for organizations is to integrate them into one effective and efficient system.

     Literature approached different aspects concerning the relationship between the organizations and the environment. This very important relation was clearly formalized through environmental standards development that defined EMS structure (Ionescu,2000, 2005; Kit-Fai et al., 2002; Melnyk et al., 2003; MacDonald, 2005; Rowland-Jones and Cresser, 2005; Lupu et al., 2006, 2012; Fortunski, 2008; Perotto et al., 2008; Herghiligiu and Lupu 2015; Tambovceva, 2010, Waly, 2017 and so on).

     ISO 14001 applies to any organization that wishes to improve and demonstrate its environmental performance to others through the presence of a certified EMS (Singh 2009, p.1); the new version is ISO 14001:2015.

     The list of potential benefits of pollution prevention can be very long and include also (U.S. EPA 2019; NOAA 2019; SCP/RAC 2019).

     Aspects would be things within the company’s control that directly or indirectly cause those impacts. Environmental systems such as an internal waste minimization program can be informal or can be formal and standardized, such as ISO 14001 (Kahraman and Baig, 2010). 

     The first step in managing the environmental impacts (risks) involves identifying all the chemicals that are used, handled, stored, or generated in your workplace in consultation with workers. The identity of chemicals in the workplace can usually be determined by looking at SDS and the label.

     Where the nature of the hazard is very serious, or chemical processes are complex, it may be necessary to obtain more detailed information from chemical suppliers, two of the most common labeling systems are:

1. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) (www.nfpa.org),
2. The Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS).

     These systems provide a number of keys to indicate the relative hazard of the material in the areas of health, flammability, and reactivity. The number system is from “0” for no hazards to “4” for extreme hazards.(Safe Work Australia, 2011a).

2. MATERIALS AND METHODS

The main purpose of the study is:

The main purpose of this study is to develop an environmental impact visual model (pictograms) in chemicals, industry to investigate the most important environmental parameters and their importance in order to mitigate environmental impacts in Chemical Risk Management (CRM) Based on requirements of environmental management systems (ISO 14001:2015) within the Chemical Manufacturing Industry by:

1. Identify ISO 14001:2015 Risk (aspects) requirements (where and how risk-based thinking will be applied) (Table 1 and Figure 1).
2. Identify and control the more important environmental aspects influencing the organization system:

1. Emissions to air.
2. Releases to water.
3. Releases to land.
4. Waste and/or by-products.

3. Establishing chemical risk Models Identify integrated chemical risk and environmental aspects.

1. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

According to clause 6.1.2 in ISO 14001:2015, Chemical Manufacturing Industry is required to conduct identifica­tion of environmental requirements Risk (aspects) from its operations according to (ISO 14001:2015), (Table 1 and Figure 1).

Table 1: Where and how risk-based thinking will be applied in (ISO 14001:2015):