Course Objectives:

What is an Environmental Aspect?

An environmental aspect is described in BS EN ISO 14001 as an “element of an organisation’s activities, products or services that interacts or can interact with the environment”, from a “life cycle perspective”.

According to ISO 14001, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), relates to the environmental aspects and potential environmental impacts throughout a product's life cycle from raw material acquisition through production, use, end-of-life treatment, recycling and final disposal (ie cradle-to-grave).

Identifying environmental aspects should take account of whether a particular activity, product or service causes:

• air emissions

• effluent discharges

• waste arisings

• land contamination

• use of resources (eg, water, fuel and natural resources and materials).

The above aspects relate to those an organisation can control. There are other aspects over which the organisation may have “control” or “influence”. These can include:

• product design — to improve environmental performance or extend life of products

• packaging — to minimise the use of material resources and energy

• performance — of contractors (on site) and suppliers of goods and materials

• land use — opportunities to improve biodiversity and wildlife habitats on site.

What is an Environmental Impact?

Once the environmental aspect and the cause of that aspect have been identified, the next step is to identify the potential environmental impacts associated with it that may adversely affect the environment and human health. An environmental impact is described in BS EN ISO 14001 as a “change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organisation’s environmental aspects”.

Using a live cycle approach, the principal types of impacts are those associated with:

• inputs, eg extracted resources used in the form of raw materials and energy — that can give rise to land degradation and depletion of natural resources

• outputs, eg emissions to air, discharges to water and waste arisings — that may cause pollution

• on-site activities and processes, eg storage, cleaning, assembly and packaging — that can also cause pollution or loss of materials and other resources.

The NEBOSH Environmental Management Certificate's new syllabus (launched 2021) is a highly-valued, globally-recognised qualification in environmental management. It is aimed at managers, supervisors, and employees.

The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) is a UK-based independent examination board. It delivers vocational qualifications in health, safety, environmental practices and management.

In its 40 plus years of operation, more than 400,000 people have gained a NEBOSH qualification. It currently provides health and safety qualifications for around 30,000 candidates per year, with courses available in 80 countries.

Environmental excellence and social responsibility

The NEBOSH Environmental Certificate equips candidates with the knowledge and understanding to demonstrate environmental excellence and social responsibility.

This is essential for organisations who wish to avoid prosecution, litigation, and loss of reputation.

Organisations with employees who have passed the NEBOSH environmental certificate are well-placed to introduce and maintain the environmental management standard of ISO 14001.

A course designed by professionals

The NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management is the culmination of extensive research with environmental professionals, employers, professional bodies and regulators. This ensures the course is both rigorous and relevant, but also achievable and practical.

According to NEBOSH, around two-thirds of health and safety practitioners now deal with environmental management as part of their overall day-to-day responsibilities at work. As such, the knowledge gained from the NEBOSH Certificate in Environmental Management is vital for many health and safety professionals.