Palm Bay Utilities First In Florida Certified Under Internationally Recognized Standard
By Space Coast Daily // July 29, 2017
created the Integrated Systems Management Team
BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – The Palm Bay Utilities Department successfully completed its fourth certification audit of the Department’s Environmental Management System by demonstrating compliance with the ISO 14001:2015 standard.
The Palm Bay Utilities Department was the first water and wastewater utility in the state of Florida to be certified under the internationally recognized ISO 14001:2004 standard in 2008, and is the second registered ISO 14001 Utility in the state to obtain the latest 2015 certification.
ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organizations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders.
The audit was conducted by NSF-International Strategic Registrations. It consisted of site visits, evaluations of internal procedures, and interviews with employees and contractors regarding their knowledge of the organization’s EMS known as GreenWay.
The audit was successful, resulting in Palm Bay Utilities Department receiving ISO 14001:2015 certification of its environmental management system through 2020.
The Palm Bay Utilities Department has shown great success in training throughout all levels of staff. The training processes were determined to be highly effective, based on interviews with Department personnel, training records, and general training materials.
Palm Bay Utilities has established and continued with an emergency plan within the organization. The department includes a National Environmental Lab Accreditation Certificate (NELAC) laboratory for water sampling.
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The Palm Bay Utilities Department created the Integrated Systems Management Team to administer and develop continual improvement programs that enhance the overall performance of the EMS, health and safety, and sustainability efforts of department’s operations.
The final report concluded, “PBUD demonstrated their strong commitment to implement and improve their environmental management system. Top management is fully involved and supports the GreenWay Program in the improvement of effective communications for environmental policy affecting employees and contractors.”
The Palm Bay Utilities Department employs 134 trained and skilled employees that provide water and waste water service to over 33,000 customers.
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