What is involved in achieving BS 8555?Unlike ISO 14001 and EMAS,
BS 8555 is not a certifiable standard, but is designed to provide guidance for implementing an EMS on an phase-by-phase basis.
For some organistions it is often seen as a good way of working towards the other two standards.
Although not officially certifiable, it is possible for an organisation to gain independent recognition for its efforts in following
BS 8555, by following one of three schemes. These are:
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Acorn, run by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA)
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BS 8555 STEMS, which is operated by the British Standards Institution (BSI)
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Green Dragon, which is run by Groundwork in Wales.
What type of organisation should go for BS 8555?BS 8555 was designed for SMEs wanting to implement an EMS on a gradual, step-by-step basis.
How long will it take?This will depend on the size and complexity of the organisation. The scheme can be implemented in a matter of months, though one of its attractions is that the timescale is flexible, allowing organisations to decide how long they take over it.
How much is it likely to cost?Purely in terms of materials and registration costs, Acorn charges £50 for the workbook covering phases one to three of the scheme, while registration costs £100 (included in the initial inspection fee charged by one of the accredited Acorn inspection bodies.) The organisation is required to be re-inspected on an annual basis to maintain its position on the register at a cost of £50 a year.
The cost of following
BS 8555 will depend on the size and complexity of the organisation and the extent to which it has the resources to implement the scheme in-house. Consultants can be brought in to implement all or part of the scheme, which will obviously have a significant effect on the overall cost.
However, James Thorne, environmental adviser at IEMA, which runs the Acorn scheme, says: “The Acorn Scheme was devised specifically with SMEs in mind and therefore all costs should be proportionate and reasonable in that context. Also by identifying potential savings through environmental performance evaluation, there is the opportunity for quick wins and savings to be made from the early stages.”
Any downside?It has been pointed out that an organisation may pay more for ISO14001 certification if it decides to take a certified, phased approach – for example certifying at Phase Three and then again at Phase Six (ISO14001) – because it will incur two lots of certification fees.
But James Thorne points out: “There is no requirement for an organisation to stop at all or any of the phases of the Acorn Scheme on route to ISO 14001. The scheme is voluntary and an organisation could merely use it as a framework without formally registering on the scheme and paying for an inspection at any of the phases.”
However, he concedes: “Where an organisation is intending to implement ISO 14001 or EMAS over a relatively short period of time it may well not be appropriate for them to adopt [BS 8555].
Also, Thomas Store of Global Action Plan says: “If you look at what for instance BRE or [The Department for Communities and Local Government] who own the Code for Sustainable Homes want in terms of certified EMSs for either main contractors or suppliers of construction materials, it’s Phase 4 BS8555. In my opinion, there is no point in certifying to Phase Four as its so close to ISO 14001 you might as well straight for ISO14001.