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BEAM PLUS FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS SITE A SPECTS (S A)
V ERSION 1.2 S A 4 HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Copyright © 2012 BEAM Society Limited. All rights reserved.
Page 34
 planning;
 implementation and operation;
 checking and corrective action;
 management review; and
 continual improvement.
OHSAS 18001 is the sound solution to the ever increasing challenge
facing most organisations from high injury and illness rates, lost work
days, increasing occupational health and safety regulations, large
citations/penalties, rising worker’s compensation costs, costly medical
claims, worker retention and employee satisfaction.
For an organisation to be successful in addressing environmental issues,
it must set clear objectives at the highest level with an appropriate
programme for their management, checking and review. An
environmental policy, endorsed by directorate level management, is a
key element of such a programme. ISO 14004 [4] sets out guidelines for
establishing an environmental management system (EMS) and specifies
the key features of an effective environmental policy as:
 being appropriate to the nature, scale and environmental impacts of
the organisation’s activities, products and services;
 a commitment to comply with relevant environmental legislation;
 a commitment to continual improvement and pollution prevention;
 providing a framework for setting and reviewing environmental
objectives and targets; and
 being documented and communicated to all employees, suppliers,
and customers.
Corporate environmental policies naturally vary between organisations
[ 5 ]. BEAM seeks a commitment to environmental protection and
improvements where these can be demonstrated to be appropriate,
practical and achievable within the context of the particular building
development.
NOTES Specific criteria in respect of management practices and performance
are included elsewhere in BEAM Plus for Existing Buildings.
OHSAS 18001 will be withdrawn on publication of its contents in, or as, a
British Standard.
4 International Organization for Standardization. ISO 14004 Environmental management systems – General guidelines on
principles, systems and supporting techniques.
5 Environmental Protection Department