C2.9.15 Non-Conformance & Corrective and Preventative Action
An organisation operating an extremely robust EMS will still have problems. Equipment may leak oil or employees may put waste in the wrong skip. The key is to monitor the problems, learn from mistakes and ensure they do not happen again.
As part of an EMS an organisation should monitor what has gone wrong. This may take the form of Environmental Incident Forms, Complaint Forms and Near Miss Reports. Such reports should be monitored to ensure that appropriate action has been taken to resolve that particular issue. In addition, preventative actions should be taken to stop that problem from happening again.
It should be noted that the more effective EMSs focus on prevention rather than correction.