The “Act” step closes the continuous improvement loop of EMS and involves regular management reviews of EMS. The reviews should involve personnel who has accurate information and are knowledgeable about the system, and those who have the authority to make decisions about the system.
The reviews conducted in this step are different from environmental audits. While environmental audits are conducted to evaluate the performance of the system, the reviews conducted in this step help to close the EMS loop. The reviews include operational changes to the system as well those imposed by external means, such as changing regulations. The reviews should be documented and shared with the EMS team. Outcomes of the reviews are used refine the EMS plans and develop appropriate implementation activities.
The EMS implementation process does not necessarily conclude with the Act step. The continuous improvement process requires going back to the initial steps in the EMS process and continuing the cycle on an ongoing basis.
After reviewing the concepts covered so far, complete the following activities or go back to the list of topics:
|
