

The ISO Show
Blackmores UK
Blackmores is a pioneering consultancy firm with a distinctive approach to working with our clients to achieve and sustain high standards in Quality, Risk and Environmental Management. We'll be posting podcasts discussing ISO standards here very soon!
Episodes
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Feb 2, 2022 • 40min
#89 How to Identify your Ideal client
This episode, we're joined by Transformational Marketing Strategist, Podcaster, and Speaker Jürgen Strauss to talk about ISO 9001, and how businesses can identify their ideal client. All businesses need customers and they need to understand who their ideal client would be, as only then can you clearly identify what your ideal clients needs are. Jürgen explains how to identify your ideal client, how using an empathy map can assist with this, and how this all influences your marketing strategy. Contact Jürgen on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/jurgenstrauss You'll learn Why every business needs to have a model of their ideal client. How to understand who the ideal customer for your business is. Why mapping out your customer journey is so important. Ways you can build a relationship with your clients through an empathy map. When it's right to turn business away and how to reject customers. Why customer journeys are important from a marketing perspective. Why it's important to document every process and system in your business. Resources Innovabuzz XPLANE Blackmores In this episode, we talk about: [02:37] How Jürgen Strauss was involved in ISO 9001 implementation and how it helped him improve his business efficiency. [04:20] How Jürgen developed his podcast based on the principles of ISO 9001. [06:15] The global audience you can reach through podcasting. [07:27] What makes a 'dream customer' and how Jürgen reaches them through his podcast. [09:00] Why it's important to have an ideal client for your business. [12:23] How to identify who your ideal client is and what they're needs are. [14:23] What an Empathy map is and how the tool can help you locate your dream client. [18:42] How an Empathy map helps you truly understand your customers. [22:36] How to reject a client that you don't want to work with. [24:13] Why it's important to identify what the customer journey is and how it relates to marketing. [28:35] The circular nature of the customer journey. [30:22] The importance of creating processes and systems, and common resistance points people have with creating an ideal client profile. If you need assistance with implementing ISO 9001 or another standard – Contact us! We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud
Jan 18, 2022 • 31min
#88 ISO 50001 Steps to Success Part 3
This episode, we're joined by Paul Robinson our Managing Consultant at Blackmores to talk about ISO 50001 – the Energy Management Standard. Paul gives us some guidance and advice on how to audit and implement this standard effectively and how you can make improvements in your energy management. We also talk about some common techniques to reduce energy consumption, how to increase a buildings energy efficiency, and how to monitor if equipment is being used in line with good practice. You'll learn How to make improvements in your energy management. How to implement the energy management standard ISO 50001. The purpose and benefits of carrying out internal audits. Common techniques to reduce energy consumption. How to increase a buildings energy efficiency. Why everyone should switch to LED lights. Resources isology Hub Blackmores In this episode, we talk about: [02:25] The purpose and benefits of carrying out internal audits. [03:31] Benefits data centres have had as a result of auditing. [04:45] How an organization can set up a robust audit programme. [07:23] The impact a building's design has on its energy efficiency and how this can be improved. [10:16] The importance of monitoring systems and the power of automation. [11:59] How to know which maintenance companies to work with. [13:13] How to know if equipment is being used with good practice. [15:26] The benefits of raising opportunities of improvement to management. [17:59] Common opportunities for businesses to improve their energy management. [21:24] Evidence you expect to see when carrying out an ISO 50001 audit. If you need assistance with implementing ISO 50001 or another standard – Contact us! We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud
Dec 17, 2021 • 58min
#87 Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Business Strategies
We're diving further into sustainability and best practices today as Mel is joined by Kit Oung who is a leading energy consultant with a wealth of experience spanning the last 25 years. Kit is an energy and resource efficiency practitioner, consultant, trainer, and author on the subject of energy and resource efficiency; operational excellence, and triple bottom line. Notable engagements include: designing regulations in the UK (energy and climate change regulations); Sharjah, UAE (mandatory Health and Safety awareness), and Singapore (waste regulation); drafting guidebooks on integrated management systems (ISO), energy efficiency (UNEP), ISO 50001 (ISO/UNIDO) and promoting of good governance in energy, environment, and health safety in India, Zambia, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Nigeria. Kit is the author of Energy Management in Business: The Manager's Guide to Maximising and Sustaining Energy Reduction (Gower, 2013), and coauthor of Best Practices and Case Studies for Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement (UNEP, 2016). He also assisted in the technical review of ISO 50001: Energy management systems – A practical guide for SMEs (ISO, 2015). Kit serves on IChemE's Congress, IChemE's Energy Community of Practice, IChemE's annual sustainability awards judging panel, UNIDO's global energy management leadership awards judging panel, and take part in developing National, Regional and International standards. He chaired ISO 14002-2 (current), ISO 50002 (current), PAS51215, EN16247-3, and participated in the development of ISO 14001 series, ISO 50001 series, and EN16247 series of standards. Today, we're looking at how to make energy sustainability strategies actionable, what the drivers for energy sustainability are, and how we can gain and maintain management commitment in sustainable energy practices. We'll also have a sneak peak into Kit's upcoming book: People, Planet, Profit: Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Business Strategies (Which you can pre-order! Link available under Resources) You'll learn The importance of leaders, managers and engineers all playing their parts in sustainability strategies. What needs to be in place for sustainability strategies to be actionable. How the drivers for energy sustainability differ in different geographical locations. The extent of the destruction of our forests and seas and why we aren't doing anything about it. Different low cost fuel saving technologies. How to gain and maintain management commitment in sustainable energy practices. How to break down your energy consumption and make it visible The psychological benefits of celebration. Resources Pre-order: People, Planet, Profit: Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Business Strategies Start with Why Get in contact with Kit Oung In this episode, we talk about: [02:12] Kit's experience in working with energy management and sustainable initiatives. [05:48] Key aspects that need to be in place for a sustainability strategy to be actionable and have real influence on a company's products and services. [10:40] A case study of how British Airways has integrated sustainability into their business structure. [15:15] The main drivers of sustainability practices in the Middle East. [17:12] What inspired Kit to write his new book - People, Planet, Profit: Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Business Strategies [21:20] Low cost technologies businesses can use to reduce their energy consumption. [23:48] The three elements you need in an organisation to effectively control your energy consumption. [25:40] How to gain and maintain management commitment. [28:30] The importance of understanding every aspect of an organisation's processes and the hidden costs around waste materials. [32:34] The importance of measuring consumption of resources and benchmarking. [34:16] How to break down your energy consumption and make it visible. [38:26] How external providers can help companies with the technical aspect of the data. [40:48] How to break down implementation barriers in companies. [47:03] The psychological benefits of celebration. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud
Dec 8, 2021 • 32min
#86 What is ISO 32210 - Sustainable Finance?
Today we're joined by the Director of Morgan Green Advisory, Hayden Morgan. Hayden is an independent consultant with a mission to enable a sustainable, lower-carbon future. He has been pioneering sustainability within the finance sector for almost 25 years, and provides award-winning insights and solutions, focusing on transitioning to beneficial outcomes. Today we talk about sustainable finance and the work Hayden is doing with leading experts from over 25 countries to develop the new global sustainability standard for financial organisations ISO 32210... You'll learn What sustainable finance is and how it works. The best way to get involved with the ISO 32210 standard. The need for a standardised label for sustainable infrastructure. The benefits of implementing the new ISO 32210 standard. When ISO 32210 will be available for organisations to implement. The rise of climate risk strategies in financial markets. Resources Morgan Green Advisory Blackmores In this episode, we talk about: [02:24] How Hayden got involved in working in global sustainability. [04:05] The work Hayden's been doing on the new sustainable finance standard. [04:56] How you can get involved with the new ISO 32210 standard. [06:48] Hayden's involvement advising the world bank around the development of a label for sustainable infrastructure. [10:42] The pilot projects taking part in a sustainable infrastructure label. [11:51] What sustainable finance is. [12:39] The principles of the ISO 32210 standard and how it complements other requirements. [15:30] The implementation guidance for ISO 32210's principles. [17:09] The best practice resources that will be available to help people implement the standard. [18:17] The benefits of implementing the ISO 32210 standard. [22:16] The plans for the standard and the expected launch date for the ISO 32210 standard. [23:41] The sustainable integration work and climate risk strategies Hayden works on at Morgan Green Advisory. If you need assistance with implementing ISO 32210 or another standard – Contact us! We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud
Dec 2, 2021 • 1h 11min
#85 ISO 50001 Steps to Success Part 2
We're joined again by Paul Robinson, Managing Consultant at Blackmores. Last week Paul summarised the importance of energy management and introduced us to ISO 50001. This week, he delves deeper into the individual clauses of the Standard to break down what's required in a typical Energy Management System. What you'll learn: The main clauses and requirements of ISO 50001 Examples of ISO 50001's application in other Businesses based on Paul's experience What are the main clauses of ISO 50001? ISO 50001 has been aligned with the Annex SL format since 2018 so that it may be more easily integrated with other ISO Standards. The clauses are as follows: Clauses 1, 2 and 3 – These are all explanatory clauses, starting with the scope, then Normative References and lastly Terms and Definitions. Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation: Here you would define the scope and boundaries of your energy management system and understanding the processes affected. This includes looking at your energy inputs and outputs. You'll also address any energy issues that affect you and interested parties involved. Clause 5 – Leadership: This refers to Top Management commitment, which is necessary if you want your energy management system to be successful. They will need to provide resources required to implement an energy policy, and to define roles and responsibilities. Clause 6 – Planning: This is a central pillar behind every Energy Management System as it talks about strategic and tactical considerations. This includes high-level issues, the needs and expectations of interested parties and the risks and opportunities associated with them in an energy context. This clause also includes an Energy Review, which will help you build a picture of your energy sources and current consumption. From that you can start setting your Objectives and Targets and actions going forward using energy baselines and energy performance indicators established from the Energy Review. Clause 7 – Support: This clause talks about provision of resources, competencies, awareness, communication and documented information required for energy management. Clause 8 – Operation: This is where operational controls are defined to help you manage your energy effectively. It also covers design and procurement, which means procuring of energy, consuming assets and having effective processes in place to ensure energy is a key consideration when making infrastructure changes. Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation: ISO 50001 is very data driven and clause 9 states the requirements for monitoring and measurement of your energy use, which will be used to demonstrate your improvement in energy efficiency. This clause also covers Internal Audits and Management Review to ensure the Management System is performing effectively. Clause 10 – Improvement: This clause talks about taking opportunities that drive continual improvement in the Management System, but also recognizing that sometimes things go wrong. It also addresses significant deviations and a structure to investigate and correct those deviations to keep the management system on track. What can go wrong?: Based on his experience, Paul highlighted some issues he's seen in existing Management Systems: Not aligning an Energy Management system with Company Objectives Lack of financial resources Having the Management system built and run by only one person – This becomes a single point of failure Confusion in responding to energy deviations – lack of communication of a process to correct non-conformities Rushed creation – Energy Management Systems created in a short span of time may not be properly embedded into the business and can lead to the issues listed above. That's it from Paul this week! For further information on ISO 50001, visit our Standards page Here. We also have an ISO 50001 Handbook available to members of the isologyhub, sign up here to grab a copy. If you're just getting started with ISO, we do have a free ISO Blueprint available for download to help you to plan, create, launch and get certified to ISO Standards. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud
Nov 26, 2021 • 19min
#84 ISO 50001 Steps to Success Part 1
Today we're joined by Paul Robinson, Managing Consultant at Blackmores. Paul is here to introduce the Energy Management Standard, ISO 50001, why it's important and give you an overview of its basic structure. What you'll learn: Why energy management is so critical in the current climate crisis The main purpose of ISO 50001 A summary of the clauses within ISO 50001 Why have an Energy Management Standard? There's a big focus on trying to maintain global warming to that 1.5 degrees increase. Right now, we're failing on that. In order to get this back on track we need to consider our current energy consumption. During COP26 we heard a lot about phasing out coal power, unfortunately there are some countries who are resistant to that and as a result have had the requirements watered down. Regardless, energy use continues to rise as does the demand. Energy Management is particularly relevant for organisations who want to measure their impact and put measures in place to reduce their environmental footprint. Why is it so important to restrict Global Warming to 1.5 degrees? It's literally the difference between survival. We're at a tipping point now, failing to stick to this 1.5 degrees will result in rising sea levels and rising temperatures. Paul shares his experience working in Cyprus where it's not uncommon now for the temperature to reach 45 degrees. This isn't sustainable and it will get to the point where it's difficult for humans to survive if we keep going at this rate. What is the main purpose of ISO 50001? ISO 50001 includes continually improving energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. Building an energy management system will help you to understand, monitor and measure your use of energy, and like most other ISO's, continual improvement is at the heart of ISO 50001. Key factors it addresses are energy performance, energy efficiency and energy consumption. What are the main clauses of ISO 50001? ISO 50001 went through it's latest revision in 2018, aligning it with the Annex SL format that many other ISO's use. The clauses are as follows: Clauses 1, 2 and 3 – These are all explanatory clauses, starting with the scope, then Normative References and lastly Terms and Definitions. Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation: Here you would define the scope and boundaries of your energy management system and understanding the processes affected. This includes looking at your energy inputs and outputs. You'll also address any energy issues that affect you and interested parties involved. Clause 5 – Leadership: This refers to Top Management commitment, which is necessary if you want your energy management system to be successful. They will need to provide resources required to implement an energy policy, and to define roles and responsibilities. Clause 6 – Planning: This is a central pillar behind every Energy Management System as it talks about strategic and tactical considerations. This includes high-level issues, the needs and expectations of interested parties and the risks and opportunities associated with them in an energy context. This clause also includes an Energy Review, which will help you build a picture of your energy sources and current consumption. From that you can start setting your Objectives and Targets and actions going forward using energy baselines and energy performance indicators established from the Energy Review. Clause 7 – Support: This clause talks about provision of resources, competencies, awareness, communication and documented information required for energy management. Clause 8 – Operation: This is where operational controls are defined to help you manage your energy effectively. It also covers design and procurement, which means procuring of energy, consuming assets and having effective processes in place to ensure energy is a key consideration when making infrastructure changes. Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation: ISO 50001 is very data driven and clause 9 states the requirements for monitoring and measurement of your energy use, which will be used to demonstrate your improvement in energy efficiency. This clause also covers Internal Audits and Management Review to ensure the Management System is performing effectively. Clause 10 – Improvement: This clause talks about taking opportunities that drive continual improvement in the Management System, but also recognizing that sometimes things go wrong. It also addresses significant deviations and a structure to investigate and correct those deviations to keep the management system on track. That's it from Paul this week! For further information on ISO 50001, visit our Standards page Here. We also have an ISO 50001 Handbook available to members of the isologyhub, sign up here to grab a copy. If you're just getting started with ISO, we do have a free ISO Blueprint available for download to help you to plan, create, launch and get certified to ISO Standards. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud
Nov 4, 2021 • 26min
#83 What is ISO 45003? Part 2
This week Mel and Darren delve into the different factors that can impact on workers Mental Health: Aspects of how work is organised: Remote and isolated work Working in locations that are far from home, family, friends and usual support networks Working alone in non-remote locations without social/human interaction Working in private homes Workload and work pace Work overload or underload High levels of time pressure Continually subject to deadlines Machine pacing High level of repetitive work Working hours and schedule Lack of variety of work Shift work Inflexible work schedules Unpredictable hours Long or unsociable hours Fragmented work or work that is not meaningful Continual requirements to complete work at short notice Job security and precarious work Uncertainty regarding work availability, including work without set hours Possibility of redundancy or temporary loss of work with reduced pay Low-paid or insecure employment, including non-standard employment Working in situations that are not properly covered or protected by labour law or social protection Social Factors at work: Interpersonal relationships Poor communication, including poor information sharing Poor relationships between managers or others that workers interact with Interpersonal conflict Harassment, bullying, victimization Lack of social support Unequal power relationships between dominant and non-dominant groups of workers Social or physical isolation Leadership Lack of clear vision and objectives Management style unsuited to the nature of the work and its demand Failing to listen or only casually listening to complaints and suggestions Withholding information Providing inadequate communication and support Lack of accountability Lack of fairness Inconsistent and poor decision-making practices Abuse or misuse of power Organizational/workgroup culture Poor communication Low levels of support for problem-solving and personal development Lack of definition of, or agreement on, organisational objectives Inconsistent and untimely application of policies and procedures, unfair decision-making Recognition and reward Imbalance between workers' effort and formal and informal recognition and reward Lack of appropriate acknowledgement and appreciation of workers' efforts in a fair and timely manner Career development Career stagnation and uncertainty, under-promotion or over-promotion, lack of opportunity for skill development Support Lack of support from supervisors and co-workers Lack of access to support services Lack of information/training to support work performance Supervision Lack of constructive performance feedback and evaluation processes Lack of encouragement/acknowledgement Lack of communication Lack of shared organisational vision and clear objectives Lack of support and/or resources to facilitate improvements in performance Lack of fairness Misuse of digital surveillance Civility and respect Lack of trust, honesty, respect, civility and fairness Lack of respect and consideration in interactions among workers, as well as with customers, clients and the public Work/life balance Work tasks, roles, schedules or expectations that cause workers to continue working in their own time Conflicting demands of work and home Work that impacts the workers' ability to recover Violence at work Incidents involving an explicit or implicit challenge to health, safety or well-being at work; violence can be internal, external or client initiated, e.g.: Abuse Threats Assault (physical, verbal or sexual) Gender-based violence Harassment Unwanted, offensive, intimidating behaviours (sexual or non-sexual in nature) which relate to one or more specific characteristic of the targeted individual, e.g. Race Gender identity Religion or belief Sexual orientation Disability Age Bullying and victimization Repeated (more than once) unreasonable behaviours which can present a risk to health, safety and well-being at work; behaviours can be overt or covert, e.g. Social or physical isolation Assigning meaningless or unfavourable tasks Name-calling, insults and intimidation Undermining behaviour Undue public criticism Withholding information or resources critical for one's job Malicious rumours or gossiping Assigning impossible deadlines Work environment, equipment and hazardous tasks Work environment, equipment and hazardous tasks Inadequate equipment availability, suitability, reliability, maintenance or repair Poor workplace conditions such as lack of space, poor lighting and excessive noise Lack of the necessary tools, equipment or other resources to complete work tasks Working in extreme conditions or situations Working in unstable environments such as conflict zones How can we identify psychological hazards in our workplaces? There are several ways that the organization can identify psychosocial hazards, this can include (but not limited to): Through reviews of job descriptions Analysing tasks, schedules and locations Consulting with workers, clients and other interested parties Analysing performance evaluations, standardized questionnaires, audits, etc. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.
Oct 21, 2021 • 31min
#82 What is ISO 45003? Part 1
The Importance of Mental Health: Mental health can influence how we think and feel about ourselves and others as well as we interpret events. It affects our capacity to learn, communicate and to form, sustain and end relationships, influencing our ability to cope with change, transition and life events Good mental health is as important as good physical health to our life and wellbeing Work plays an important part in our health (both physical and mental). People who are in work are, overall, healthier and happier. But sometimes work can have a negative impact on our health At work we should aim to create an environment which fosters good mental health and eliminates or minimises a work environment which can have a negative impact on mental health. Who's most at risk? Identification of who could be harmed or at risk of harm psychologically can be complex, with varying factors, including (but not limited to): Age Personality and psychosocial factors Sleep Medical condition of oneself or other(s) close to the individual The activity – type, frequency and duration Relationships (work and non-work) Financial Lifestyle There is no single way to manage and reduce stress, what works for one person, may not work for another. What are the negative outcomes for employees? Poor health and associated conditions Cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and associated health behaviours Substance abuse, unhealthy eating Reduction in job satisfaction, commitment, and productivity What are negative outcomes for the organisation? Includes increased costs due to absence from work Turnover Reduced turnover or service quality Increased recruitment and retraining costs Workplace investigations and litigation Damage to the organisation's reputation If we get mental health right – what's the upside? Improved job satisfaction Improved worker engagement Increased productivity Increased innovation Organisational sustainability can be achieved What is ISO 45003? ISO 45003 has been published to provide guidance on the management of psychosocial risks and promoting well-being at work. Intended to be used together with ISO 45001 as part of an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, the guidelines are suitable for all sectors and types of organisations. Defines Psychosocial risk as 'combination of the likelihood of occurrence of exposure to work-related hazard(s) of a psychosocial nature and the severity of injury that can be caused by these hazard(s)'. ISO 45003 is a guidance standard only. It is intended to complement the requirements in ISO 45001 and guide organisations on how to address OH&S issues relating to psychological health within their general OH&S management system. What are the aims? Therefore, it is critically important for the organisation to eliminate hazards and minimise OH&S risks by taking effective preventive and protective measures, which include measures to manage psychosocial risks. Psychosocial hazards are increasingly recognized as major challenges to health, safety, and well-being at work. What are the psychosocial hazards? Psychosocial hazards relate to how work is organized, social factors at work and aspects of the work environment, equipment, and hazardous tasks. Psychosocial hazards can be present in all organisations and sectors, and from all kinds of work tasks, equipment, and employment arrangements. Psychosocial risk relates to the potential of these types of hazards to cause several types of outcomes on individual health and safety, well-being and on organisational performance and sustainability. It is important that psychosocial risks are managed in a manner consistent with other OH&S risks, through an OH&S management system. What are the signs of exposure to Psychosocial risk? Changes in behaviour Social isolation or withdrawal, refusing offers of help or neglecting personal well-being needs Increased absence from work or coming to work when ill Lack of engagement Reduced energy High staff turnover Low quality performance or failure to complete tasks/assignments on time (presenteeism) Reduced desire to work with others Conflicts, lack of willingness to co-operate, and bullying Increased frequency of incidents or errors What are the considerations in risk assessments? At work, many situations (basic through to complex) are risk assessed, however, many assessments fail in relation to causes of psychological problems. Is the work the issue, or is it perceived that the work is causing or making a situation worse? The actual cause may be different or a combination of factors, inside and outside of work. The HSE defines stress as 'the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them', and states: Every employer has a legal duty to assess and protect employees from work-related stress under the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999. Stress is a major cause of sickness absence in the workplace and costs over £5 billion a year in Great Britain. How does ISO 45003 support ISO 45001? It is recognised that psychological health, safety and well-being are not always fully addressed within OH&S management. The standard is designed to help organisations better understand and address these aspects of OH&S management so that their system covers all aspects of health and safety, not just those that We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

Oct 6, 2021 • 24min
#81 How to quantify your GHG emissions
One of the first steps towards becoming more sustainable is knowing where you currently stand in terms of your emissions. Calculating this may seem like a mammoth task, especially if you have multiple sites or assets such as company vehicles to keep track of. David Algar joins Mel today to discuss how to calculate your Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, starting from Establishing boundaries through to number crunching and quantification. What is the first step when embarking on quantifying your GHG emissions? One of the first steps is getting leadership commitment - This allows for quicker decision making and the allocation of roles and responsibilities, which really helps with the data collection Once you have this leadership commitment, the next steps is to start establishing boundaries. So how do you define your boundaries? There are 2 ways you define your boundaries as specified in ISO 14064-1: The first are your organisational boundaries, you'll need to outline which facilities are included within the quantification. It is not as simple as just saying 'everything', you'll need to specify which sites, buildings, factories etc You can define your organisational boundaries via the control approach, so what facilities do you have financial or operation control over? Or the equity share approach, where you account for your portion of emissions and removals from facilities The next step is defining your reporting boundaries. This refers to activities and specific sources of GHGs. Emission sources are split up into 3 categories; Scope 1 – direct emissions from combustion, or leaks, normally at sources you own , Scope 2 – indirect emissions from imported energy, and Scope 3 – all other indirect emissions, these will be from sources you don't necessarily own or have much control over such as staff commuting, supply chains or emissions from the use of products you manufacture Depending on your organisation, Scope 3 will account for somewhere between 60-80% of your total emissions. How would you recommend going about collecting to data? ISO 14064-1 wants you to have primary data, i.e. data you have collected yourself. Some of the most common sources of the information you'll need to quantify your emissions include, utilities bills, expense claim, meter readings. What some organisations are doing is sending out simple surveys to staff to gather information on commuting habits or the mix of home and office working. In the real world all the information you need isn't going to be available, or at least it won't be available in the way you would like. it's important to have someone dedicated managing data collection as this may involve multiple sites or international locations. Ideally, you'd start setting a framework to use when going forward and to make sure you can collect the relevant data each year. Selecting a base year If this is the first time you have quantified your emissions, it will automatically become your base year. This will be the year you compare future emissions against, and track reductions against, whether they are absolute, or intensity based, such as tonnes of CO2e per employee or product sold You may have to re-visit your base year calculations if new data or more accurate methods arise. A base year review may also be required if there has been a change in organisational boundaries due to a merger or acquisition. The Number Crunching At the end of the process, we want to see our levels of emissions for each of the Kyoto gases, this will allow us to see emissions as tonnes of CO2 equivalent when each gases' global warming potential has been taken into account. Some gases can have global warming potentials 200 times or 1,000 times or even over 20,000 times stronger than CO2 on its own, hence why even the smallest leak of can be important, say, from an air conditioning system. We calculate emission from specific sources by using conversion factors. In the UK we are very lucky to have emission conversion factors published publicly by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy every year going back to 2002 Other countries release conversion factors too, so if you have sites round the world, you should be able to find factors that can be applied. This may involve converting some units though. The data isn't always going to be available in the ideal format, so you'll need to spend a bit of time on Google identifying rates for specific areas and years if you don't have anything else to go on. Liaising with landlords and facilities management is always a good idea, not only to collect data, but to help with implementing initiatives that can reduce emissions in the future Estimates, Assumptions, Uncertainties and Transparency You're going to have to make some assumptions as you go. In line with ISO 14064-1 you'll need to be as accurate as possible even if this means someone going through individual lines of expenses to estimate flight distances based on ticket costs or coming up with a system to represent your supply chain. Another important aspect of ISO 14064-1 is transparency. The best way to manage this is to simply make all your calculations visible, this way they can be reviewed and sense-checked but others. For each emission source you'll also need to assign it a level of uncertainty. For instance, expense claims are usually highly accurate as they show mileage from one location to another, and sometimes even record the specific vehicle, you could say this has an uncertainty of 2-5% for instance. At the other end of the scale calculating the emission from the life cycle of your products has a high degree of uncertainty as you don't know how a customer will use it, how long it will last, how it will be disposed of or if it will even be used at all. This could have an uncertainty of 30-40% for instance A positive outcome of managing all these uncertainties is that you will have a framework going forward for calculating specific sources. Managing your Emissions Going Forward – Applications of Quantification Ironically it is often the biggest emission sources that businesses have the smallest amount of control over, but there will usually be some action that can be taken to reduce them. Quantifying emissions is also one the first, and arguably the most essential steps towards achieving carbon neutrality, as you can't get very far without knowing your emissions. PAS 2060 is the standard we use at Blackmores as part of our Carbonology service to help businesses achieve carbon neutrality, this is supported by quantifying emissions in line with the ISO 14064 methodologies we've mentioned In previous podcasts. Developing and implementing a carbon reduction plan to reduce emissions over subsequent reporting periods is another application of your GHG quantification and is an important part of working towards carbon neutrality. Further resources: Free Webinar - Targeting Carbon and Supporting Net Zero – hosted by Alcumus, David Algar will feature as a guest to help you understand your Carbon Footprint and provide a roadmap towards Carbon Neutrality. Register Here. We also have more information about our Carbonology service available Here. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.
Oct 1, 2021 • 30min
#80 Introducing Green Element with guest Will Richardson
Today we're joined by Will Richardson, Founder and Managing Director of Green Element, to discuss how he helps other organizations become more environmentally friendly. Will established Green Element in 2004 with a desire to help as many businesses as possible to go green. A pioneer and early adopter of many now-mandatory environmental standards, his visionary approach, and inspiring leadership are exemplary. Will also runs a podcast that is constantly featured in the top of the eco podcasts, and is a current board member and Chairman of the British Kitesports Association; the NGB to Kitesports; helping push kite sports within the Olympic sporting ecosystem. In 2018, Will conceived Compare Your Footprint in response to demand from companies that want to reduce their carbon footprint but were not ready to engage with experts. This episode, he shares how companies can most effectively tackle their energy and carbon management, and the science behind carbon reductions... You'll learn How Will helps organizations find the carbon footprint of their products. The importance of knowing the life cycle of your products. How to find out how much of an effect on the environment your product has. How long it takes to find out the life cycle of a product. How 'Compare your Footprint' helps organizations understand their carbon footprint and benchmark it. Different types of benchmarking you can do and how to do it. The science we know around carbon reductions. Why offsetting causes organizations to increase their emissions. Resources Blackmores The Green Element Website Compare your Footprint Sustainable Business Podcast Science Based Targets In this episode, we talk about: [01:10] How Will got involved with sustainable energy and carbon management. [02:14] Why Will started his own business and how it's changed over the years. [03:58] How Green Element helps organizations become more environmental. [05:15] The difference between the life cycle analysis for products or services. [06:24] How long it takes to work out a product's life cycle. [07:30] The two different ways there are to look at carbon footprinting. [10:51] Different types of benchmarking you can do and how to do it. [14:26] How to successfully carry out energy data reporting and why you shouldn't rush it. [17:59] The problems with net carbon zero and carbon neutral targets, and the benefits of Science Based Targets. [22:36] The complex nature of effective environmental strategies. If you need assistance with implementing sustainable practices – Contact us! We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud


