About this unit

This unit is about the contribution you can make to environmental good practice at work. It is relevant to all the work that you are responsible for. All environmental organisations should have a policy for environmental good practice which informs staff, volunteers, visitors and the wider community of the potential impact of their actions. You need to be involved in implementing good practice. This should underpin all of your activities. 

You will need to carry out your work in accordance with certain principles. Environmental good practice involves meeting relevant legislation and organisational requirements, minimising environmental damage and responding to environmental problems. You must provide others with information about the environment within your area of responsibility, and contribute to monitoring your work, auditing environmental management systems, and reviewing environmental performance.

You will also evaluate the costs and benefits of changes to work activities, and make changes in accordance with organisational and legislative requirements. You will also need to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the changes you make.

‘Interested parties’ referred to in this unit are those people inside and outside the organisation who may be affected by the work of your organisation. Internal interested parties will include: colleagues, managers, technical experts within the organisation. External interested parties will include: statutory bodies and regulators, customers, suppliers, environmental organisations, the financial community, local communities and shareholders, for example.

» Element EC19.1 Encourage environmental good practice at work

» Element EC19.2 Improve work activities to enhance environmental performance

Element EC19.1 Encourage environmental good practice at work

What you must be able to do:

1. ensure work is carried out efficiently, effectively and in a manner which minimises environmental damage
2. ensure work is carried out in accordance with relevant legislation and organisational requirements with respect to environmental good practice
3. take effective and prompt action in response to damage or to prevent damage to the environment
4. provide clear and accurate information on environmental problems to others within the organisation
5. carry out monitoring activities in accordance with organisational requirements and environmental good practice

This standard covers:

A. Environmental good practice:

• identify and optimise the environmental implications of resource use by your organisation
• identify and optimise the environmental impact of your organisation’s work
• identify and optimise the environmental implications of your organisation’s products or services
• maintain or increase levels of recycling and re-use
• meet the environmental requirements of legislation
• meet the environmental requirements of interested parties

What you must know and understand:

• specific environmental issues which are relevant to your section of the organisation and its activities
• the contribution which you can make to the environmental good practice of the organisation
• benefits to the organisation and to the environment of improved environmental good practice
• the consequences of fWednesday August 19, 2009ons which may need preventative or remedial action as a consequence of work by your organisation
• relevant legislation and regulatory requirements
• commitment of the organisation to good practice, environmental polWednesday August 19, 2009targets and objectives of the organisation
• organisational systems for planning, monitoring and reviewing work
• organisational requirements regarding specific working methods and activities
• ways of working which minimise environmental damage
• action to take in response to environmental damage
• the correct methods for minimising waste and disposing of waste
• information which you are able to provide regarding environmental good practice and the procedures involved

Element EC19.2 Improve work activities to enhance environmental performance

What you must be able to do:

1. identify ways of changing work activities for which you have responsibility in order to improve environmental performance
2. evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of changes to work activities and make a decision on how best to proceed
3. make changes to work activities in accordance with organisational and legislative requirements
4. take opportunities to encourage interested parties to improve their environmental performance
5. publicise the environmental benefits of changes in work activities
6. monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of changes to work activities and use the findings to inform future practice
7. identify changes to work activities which have failed to achieve the expected results and take the appropriate action

This standard covers:

A. Environmental good practice:

• identify and optimise the environmental implications of resource use by your organisation
• identify and optimise the environmental impact of your organisation’s work
• identify and optimise the environmental implications of your organisation’s products or services
• maintain or increase levels of recycling and re-use
• meet the environmental requirements of legislation
• consider the needs of interested parties

B. interested parties:

• internal
• external

What you must know and understand:

• specific environmental issues which are relevant to your work
• the contribution which you can make to environmental performance within the organisation
• benefits to the organisation and to the environment of improved environmental performance
• the consequences of failing to improve environmental performance
• the factors which may limit improvements to environmental performance
• relevant existing and impending legislation and regulatory requirements
• commitment of the organisation to good practice, environmental policies and
• environmentally related, non-regulatory schemes and systems
• the environmental aims and objectives of the organisation
• ways of influencing and motivating others (internal and external) to improve environmental performance
• organisational requirements regarding specific working methods and activities
• ways of working which improve environmental performance
• reasons for, and ways of publicising the benefits and results of improved
• environmental performance
• ways of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of improvements in environmental performance

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