The design, planning, implementation, maintenance, improvement and auditing of management systems for environment, health and safety, community (HSEC) or quality have been “bread and butter” work at ÉEM for 20 years.  Our approach aims at:

(1)    Reducing risks: risks include process safety, threats to the environment, local community, or employees; transportation of hazardous materials, liabilities and costs of noncompliance; delays in implementing projects, low performance ratings or public image, and damage to stakeholder relationships.

(2)    Identifying opportunities ranging from integration of HSEC functions to reduce costs, to anticipation of markets (e.g., carbon), to enhancing reputation through proactive external communication or social media analysis;

(3)    Aligning HSEC systems with core business functions to both support and capture the full array of benefits provided by HSEC excellence.

We advocate the use of management systems, with strong IT underpinning, as they are key elements to organizational performance and competitiveness.  We often see relationships that may not exist in our clients’ HSEC systems, scorecard elements that could deliver better information to managers or options for making shop floor realities more visible to management, as well as techniques for operationalizing corporate policy. Our management system consulting services are known in the primary aluminum, metal mining and smelting, diamond mining, chemical, pulp and paper, printing and publishing, pharmaceutical, aviation turbine manufacturing and mass transit sectors in Canada and the US.

Planning
We assist organizations in planning management system implementation, deployment, optimization or review, through:
•    gap analyses between the actual and desired situations,
•    implementation plans, which are traced directly to our gap analysis findings, and which reflect the specific needs, strengths and constraints of the clients’ systems.
When limits on head count and shortages of expertise threaten the attainment of key corporate goals, we assist organizations to articulate the business case for more resources and can fulfill their needs for internal or external resources to ensure successful implementation, maintenance and (optionally) certification of management systems.

Management System Design
We assist in the design and development of HSEC and quality management systems using simple, unique tools that facilitate dashboard management and satisfy multiple requirements from different stakeholders.  We help to build business cases to ensure upper management endorsement and support.

Integration
We have unparalleled experience with integration of management systems at client locations within and outside of North America.  We advise in customizing the integration process based on the type of organization, its management requirements and culture.  In addition to meeting established integration models, a properly designed system can incorporate requirements for community, Lean Manufacturing, Sustainable Development and finance.

Implementation
Once the planning phase has been completed, we can provide hands-on assistance throughout management system implementation, in a collaborative role as coach and mentor, as project manager or through turnkey solutions.  We ensure implementation steps are timely and as light on internal resources as is feasible, without undermining the basic principle of client ownership of the system. 

Training
We provide comprehensive training needs assessment, design, and training delivery to build capacity in our client organizations, according to the goals and requirements of the project.  We work to raise awareness at the executive level, to train middle management on system design and function, or at the shop floor to enhance understanding of operational controls.

Manuals / Procedure Development
ÉEM guides the development of company manuals and procedures based on the organization's management requirements, using robust IT document management and graphical presentation tools.

Certification Preparation
Having worked to the requirements of accredited registrars such as BSI, QMI, UL, DNV and SGS, as well as corporate audit programs in several industries, we provide hands-on assistance and advice on how to effectively manage key elements of the requirements, while meeting the expectations of external auditors.

Maintenance
We are retained to provide guidance and hands-on assistance in maintaining systems for organizations that either cannot provide the resource internally, or who require our expertise.  This assistance can entail:
•    Continual improvement seminars / action plans
•    Streamlining / upgrading management system tools
•    Data management (risk assessment, legal requirements) 

Auditing
We have been planning, managing and leading audit programmes in Canada, the US and Mexico for more than 15 years.   We audit HSE management systems, as part of due diligence processes, for regulatory or permit compliance and for corporate requirement compliance.  We train internal auditors and have authored papers and textbooks on auditing (see HSE Management System Auditing, by G. Shematek, P. MacLean and P. Lineen).  Our staff members hold the requisite auditor certifications for environmental, OHS and quality management system, environmental compliance, and FSC chain of custody auditing.