Mid-October Update: The City successfully passed the Stage 1 audit,
which means that we are ready to proceed to the Stage 2 Audit
and final certification!
September – A Desktop Audit, our 2008 Internal Audit, and preparations for the Stage 1 External Audit coming up in October made for a very busy month.
The good news is that the Desktop Audit went very well. Our external auditors reviewed all of the EMS documents and provided feedback to the EMS team (including a suggestion to better describe the Corrective and Preventive Action process).
Our Internal Audit was also a success. With five teams and twelve auditors, we covered the six departments and divisions (Environmental Health, General Services, the Mayor's Office, Public Works, Theaters and Arenas, and the Denver Zoo) in four days. The internal audit teams identified a number of opportunities for improvement, which the Core Team will be addressing in the next month. The auditors also identified areas where excellent practices are already in place.
Next month is the Stage 1 External Audit – we’ll find out if we are ready for the Certification Audit in November!
August –
What an exciting month! August rolled by in a hurry, mostly due to the preparations for the Democratic National Convention. Denver’s Department of Environmental Health played an integral role in planning and supporting the DNC - including emergency preparedness and response as well as playing a pivotal role on the DNC Greening Team.
For August, EMS documentation, internal communication strategies, and EMS awareness have been the principal focus in preparation for the future audits
Coming up in September is the “desktop” audit where our auditor will review the EMS documentation and provide feedback for the Environmental Management System’s continual improvement process. Also in late September is our own internal audit. In the internal audit DEH inspectors and EMS Team members will be inspecting facilities and conducting interviews to make sure the City is ready for the audits in October and November.
And finally... the 5 City Departments/Organizations that are developing the Environmental Management System this year will be recognized byt the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment as Silver-level Partners in the Environmental Leadership Program.
July - In July the focus has been on
EMS documentation. Developing the EMS documents - particularly those that explain training programs, environmental monitoring, and inspections - is an important aspect of the overall
EMS implementation. Document control for the City is facilitated by the use of our Sharepoint server where city employees will have access to
EMS documents.
Also in July, an expected schedule of the EMS audits has been approved. Beginning in September, a “desktop” audit will occur where documentation is reviewed and edited where necessary. In October the Stage I audit will occur, and finally in November the City will be prepared for the final EMS audit, ensuring the City’s certification in December!
June - Following the “discovery sessions” in May, the City and its consultants have developed action items that are necessary for the advancement of the
EMS. One of these items is Increasing awareness about the
EMS within our six 2008 implementing departments. Meetings with key personnel, including the departments’ “environmental focal points” has developed awareness about their roles and responsibilities in the process of
EMS development and implementation. Staff awareness of the
EMS process is vital to its success!
May - The planning and development of Denver’s EMS is moving forward rapidly! May was filled with “discovery sessions” where staff and management from different departments were consulted about their current activities and any planned projects that include environmental performance improvement. For example, Denver’s Theaters and Arenas Division of General Services have already made many upgrades to their facilities. Some of these upgrades include single-stream recycling programs, low flow toilets, the use of Green Seal certified cleaning products, and a switch to more energy efficient lighting systems.
Guided by the results of Denver’s Water Quality EMS Baseline Assessment, corrective actions to deal with non-conformities and the tracking of improvements are underway. As a result, there is increased communication between and within departments, and plans for the enhancement of training programs are currently in development.
April - The City of Denver’s training session “EMS 101” was a great success for the EMS team. Over 15 City departments and partner institutions were represented at the session, with over 50 attendees. In addition to the training session, EMS “Kick-off” meetings were held for the Departments of Theaters and Arenas, General Services, and Public Works.
The Department of Environmental Health’s EMS implementation team is continuing their work and has finalized their list of objectives and targets. They have now started to develop their project plans which will provide the direction needed in order to meet those targets and objectives.
March - March was an exciting month for Denver’s EMS team. Plans moved forward for the “EMS 101” training session where members from all implementing departments are planning to attend. Key staff from future implementing departments will also be there. The EMS training session will provide important information about: Environmental Management Systems, ISO 14001 certification, developing and implementing Denver's EMS, and what an EMS means for Denver city employees – the most important asset in the EMS process. In addition, the training will also help to build a city-wide team that will be involved in implementing the EMS and, ultimately, the Greenprint Denver action plan.
Throughout March many meetings have occurred between EMS staff and executives from different departments. The support and enthusiasm from these high-level city employees will help to ensure the success of Denver’s EMS.
Finally, we completed the rollout of the new Sharepoint 2007 server which will be used for collaboration and to house all EMS documentation, and we developed the corrective action tracking program which will be used to track improvements made as a result of the Water Quality EMS Baseline Assessment conducted in November and December.
January/February - After the completion of Denver’s Water Quality EMS Baseline Assessment a meeting was held to present the findings to the departments of Public Works, Environmental Health, and Parks and Recreation. The findings were reviewed, including the positive practices that are already in place, as well as opportunities for improvement.
Also in January the Department of Environmental Health’s EMS implementation team finalized the list of identified environmental aspects and impacts and began to develop a list of existing and potential operational controls (a department’s responses) to those significant environmental aspects. The next steps for the DEH team include finalizing the list of operational controls and continuing to develop a draft of objectives and targets for the implementation of the operational controls.