We work for a number of large companies where our service forms a part of their overall ISO14001 Environmental Management System.
The ISO state that:
Consistent with an organisation’s environmental policy, the intended outcomes of an environmental management system include:
- enhancement of environmental performance
- fulfilment of compliance obligations
- achievement of environmental objectives
The Tank Sampling Co. have worked with companies to achieve compliance to their consents to discharge for their trade effluent, so part of the overall aims of their EMS are completed.
Of course, the sampling and testing forms a small, but none the less important, part of the complete EMS policy.
An Example…
One of our customers, a large logistics company, commissioned us to visits their sites on a yearly basis as a part of their auditing programme. We have been performing site visits each year for a selected number of depots. Our brief has been to sample and test the trade effluent against the limits set down in the consent, but also to check that other conditions within the consent are met. For example, vehicle washing should take place in the designated area so that any effluent produced will be drained to the treatment asset (interceptor). If the correct wash area in not used, then the effluent could enter sewers untreated, thus breaching the discharge consent. Upon completion of the work, we compile a report that forms part of the overall audit report for each location.