• All EMS parts should be audited at least annually.

Who does the reviews and why?

A team of two or three managers or employees can conduct an internal assessment. They should not conduct the assessment of their own work area to prevent bias. The results should be organized into a clear format and presented to the owner or president of the company. Evaluating the EMS on a regular basis enables a company to determine what parts of the Environmental Management System (EMS) work well and what needs tweaks. Results should show progress toward goals.

How are EMS evaluations done?

The whole audit process revolves around planning, executing, and reporting. An audit of any kind is the comparison of actual conditions to expected conditions. It is a determination as to whether one is in conformance or not. As a company, conduct annual internal assessments and management briefings. Those doing the assessments should include employee interviews, observations, and documentation.

In the EMS report consider including the following helpful measures of progress:

• Percent of goals achieved;
• Money saved;
• Reductions in number of spills or accidental releases;
• Reductions in air emissions, waste generated, wastewater generated or discharged, or pollutants in wastewater;
• Reductions in energy usage or water usage;
• Reductions in violation notices (if applicable); and
• Overall improvement in compliance history.