The improvement of environmental performances by applying ISO 14001 standard: A case study

Abstract

This paper presents the analysis of the advantages of applying ISO 14001 system in an environmental protection management system. The environmental protection management system which is not licensed, i.e., compatible with the principles and standard pre-conditions considerably increases the plausibility for ecological risk. There are some issues that remain to be solved in the areas which are not expressed by financial values only but also have a non-financial character with the aim of expanding markets, company image improvement and improvement of the environmental performance indicators. By improving a company?s environmental management system efficiency we expect to achieve the minimization and elimination of damaging influences on the environment which are the consequence of company?s activities. A case study in the Oil Refinery Belgrade (RNB) analyses the implementation of the standard ISO 14001:2004 into its environment protection management system, particularly emphasizing the company?s own way of evaluating the environment aspects with the aim of establishing results of ecological performances indicators improvement. The average values of the first ecological indicator of the plant, the total amount of the waste waters in m3 per a ton of product, clearly show the downturn trend, which is confirmed by the proportional reduction of the second ecological plant indicator, that is by the flocculants consumption (Al2(SO4)3, Na2CO3) in kg per m3 of the waste water of the Oil Refinery of Belgrade for the given period 2008-2010. Case study RNB confirms the improvement of environmental performances using the ISO 14001 standard.nema