There was possibly a time when SMEs could claim that they weren't big enough to have an impact on the environment, so they didn't require training or certification. There was, perhaps, a belief that only huge conglomerates, mining empires, oil rigs, major pharmaceutical companies and the like could ever be held responsible for the state of the environment.
Not so today. And increasingly not so in the future!
The future of our environment is everybody's responsibility - because we all have an impact. Individuals, families, small businesses, schools, hospitals, major corporations, and so on. The size of the impact may vary, but it is still an impact.
Environmental Standard ISO 14001
The importance of how we run our lives and our businesses is reflected in the importance given to International Standards, such as Environmental Standard ISO 14001. And the fact that it has once again been updated, to truly reflect what is happening in the world.
The growing interest in Environmental Standard ISO 14001 has seen an increase in environmental awareness training courses, as more and more organisations take responsibility for their actions.
Decades ago, much of a business's everyday operations went on behind closed doors and we were none the wiser. So long as the product appeared on the shelf, we were happy.
But today, all stakeholders in an organisation want to know what's going on behind those doors - employees, customers, investors, contractors, suppliers. You name it, we're all in on the act - and rightly so. For without that external pressure, change would not take place.
Environmental care
A smart business puts environmental care right at the centre of its operations, along with quality assurance and safety. And in many respects, all three are connected.
Operating in such a way as to damage the environment could ultimately be detrimental to employees; producing products that are environmentally unsound does nothing for quality assurance, and so on.
Sound environmental management covers many different aspects of an organisations, including the type of waste it creates and how it disposes of it; the chemicals and processes it uses in the manufacturing of its product; the efficiency of its use of natural resources; its power and water usage, and the heating and cooling of its premises.
And before anyone throws their arms in the air and proclaims, 'Greenies', there is another side to environmental responsibility that even the most sceptical business owner should acknowledge.
More efficient
It's actually very simple - by reducing, reusing and recycling you are actually creating a more efficient operation that will reduce your costs and increase your profit.
Environmental Standard ISO 14001 maps out a framework that an organisation can follow to set up an effective environmental management system, and it can be used by any business regardless of its activity or sector.
Using ISO 14001:2015 will provide assurance to company management and employees, as well as external stakeholders, that environmental impact is being measured and improved.
As with any Standard, there are different stages to go through, and the first step is to talk to a specialist management system consultant.
Assessed for environmental impact
An environmental awareness training course will ensure everyone is up to speed within your organisation.
Being an environmentally responsible employer is very important, in the example it sets for your employees, and example they can carry on into their personal lives.
It is also an element of your business that can be combined with those other key issues we mentioned earlier - quality assurance and safety.
Demand for quality
Providers such as SC Training Centre are providing the skills necessary for organisations to keep all their stakeholders happy.
Since the GFC, shoppers have been more savvy in their choices, insisting that if they pay the price, they get the quality. And if they don't, they certainly have a choice of suppliers to try.
'Good enough' is no longer a viable option for businesses. Excellence is what they should be aiming for, in not only the quality of their goods, but also their care of the environment and care of their employees.
And creating quality goods pays off. Long-term, quality assurance costs much less than quality control. The first ensures that quality goods that satisfy the customer are produced first time around. The latter requires the business to replace shoddy goods - COST - and dispose of the returned goods - COST - which it had already spent time and money producing - COST!
It's not rocket science!
