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Description

Environmental auditors are professionals who audit companies in accordance with the current environmental management standards (ISO14000). In other cases, these professionals may help companies to obtain this certificate and to implement the European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). The aim of the ISO14000 standards is to promote environmental management at companies, similarly to how the ISO9000 standards have promoted the management of quality. The EMAS (Echo-Management and Audit Scheme), meanwhile, is a voluntary environmental management system that allows companies and organisations to assess and improve their behaviour in the environmental sphere and communicate information to the public and other interestd parties. ISO14001-certified companies can join the EMAS if they fulfil a series of additional requirements (e.g. complying with environmental legislation, public information, worker participation, the constant improvement of environmental behaviour, etc.).

Tasks

  • Prepare the audit plan.
    Design the audit plan and discuss its application with the client.
    Draw up the working methodology, the procedures to be used and the timeline for the audit.
  • Together with the company being audit, analyse compliance with environmental regulations.
    Assess the quality control systems to determine to what extent it meets the relevant environmental regulations.
    Examine the reports and internal documentation relevant to the production and environmental control processes.
    Interview the workers and the senior staff involved in the processes under audit to determine whether the current environmental standards are being adhered to.
    Analyse data and reports to detect possible gaps in the control processes, duplication of efforts, or non-compliance with environmental quality standards.
  • Analyse the results and draw up an improvement plan.
    Draft a technical report on the basis of the information collected and specify the degree to which the production processes comply with environmental regulations.
    Inform the senior staff of non-comformities detected during the audit process and of possible corrective measures that should be put in place.
    Identify opportunities for improvement and draw up a summary detailing recommendations for establishing an action plan for the departments audited.
    Discuss the improvement plan with the relevant staff to ensure that the corrective measures are implemented.
    Perform regular checks once the company has obtained the quality certificate.
  • Where the environmental auditor is advising companies that wish to implement an environmental management and audit system:
    Perform a preliminary analysis of the company's activities, products and services, in order to identify the environmental aspects that are the basis for the client organisation's environmental management system.
    Design an environmental policy for the client company, as a tool to publicly communicate its priorities and intentions in this field; this environmental policy must be stated in writing and should have the support and approval of the senior management team.
    Create an environmental management system and the guidelines to implement and operate it, as well as the mechanisms to keep track of and measure the operations and activities that could have a significant environmental impact.

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Centre per al desenvolupament professional Porta22

Barcelona Treball (Porta22)
Llacuna, 156-162, 08018 Barcelona
bcn.cat/treball

900533175
Monday to Friday from 9 to 18 h

Generalitat de Catalunya
Unió Europea FEDER
Unió Europea FSE