Environmental Aspects and Impacts Register

Overview

This Environmental Aspects and Impacts Register is the central document of your EMS. It helps you systematically identify how your organization interacts with the environment and determine which interactions are significant enough to require management.

Features

• Process/Activity Mapping: Break down your operations into manageable steps.
• Aspect & Impact Identification: Dropdown menus for common aspects (e.g., energy use, waste generation) and impacts (e.g., air pollution, resource depletion).
• Condition: Categorize as Normal, Abnormal, or Emergency.
• Significance Scoring: A built-in calculator based on Severity, Probability, and Legal/Stakeholder requirements.
• Control Measures: Document existing controls and identify where new ones are needed.
• Lifecycle Stage: Identify which stage of the lifecycle the aspect relates to.

How to Use

1. List Activities: List all activities, products, and services within your scope.
2. Identify Aspects: For each activity, identify the environmental “inputs” (resources) and “outputs” (emissions, waste).
3. Identify Impacts: Describe the environmental change resulting from each aspect.
4. Score: Rate the Severity and Probability. The template will calculate the Significance Score.
5. Determine Significance: Define a threshold score. Anything above this is a “Significant Environmental Aspect” (SEA).
6. Plan Controls: For SEAs, define objectives and operational controls to manage them.

Tips for Success

• Be Thorough: Don’t forget office activities, maintenance, and contractor activities.
• Be Realistic: You can’t fix everything at once. Significance scoring helps you prioritize.
• Update Regularly: Review the register at least annually or whenever changes occur.