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Foundation Environmental Auditing: Course Details
Sponsor: OC EP
Specialist Training School: Environmental Protection Training
Foundation in Environmental Auditing Course #2868
COURSE DETAILS
1.
Course Aim: To provide delegates with the skills and knowledge to design and implement the
auditing and monitoring systems required by their organisation’s existing environmental management
structure to reduce environmental risks. The course will primarily train to MOD policy auditing requirements,
though other environmental management standards (such as the equivalent ISO Standards) will be referred
to.
2.
Course Duration: 34.5 hours spread over 5 days. Students are to arrive at STS by 0830 on each
day of the course. Training will cease 1700 on the first four days and 1300 on the last day.
3.
EMSAS Bookings: Students who would like to sit the EMSAS course should bid for and enrol
separately in the normal way through Training Resources. EMS Implementation is a prerequisite for the
course, but it does not matter whether this was completed immediately prior to sitting the EMSAS course or
not. More information on EMSAS is available from the STS website.
4.
Course Contents: The course covers the following:
a. Environmental references and definitions.
b. Environmental legislation and regulation.
c. Government Policy
d. Background to EMS, including the different systems, purpose and benefits.
e. Review of EMS methodology including Initial Review, Environmental Aspects and Impacts, Risk
Assessment, Documentation, Management Programmes, Objectives and Targets, Policy
Statements, Manuals, Publicity, and Amelioration of Environmental Impacts.
f. Types of audit, and rationale for conducting different environmental audits.
g. The process of environmental audits.
h. Environmental auditing tools and methods: the familiarisation visit, pre-audit questionnaires,
process mapping to identify environmental aspects, and environmental risk assessment of
aspects.
i. Environmental auditing tools and methods: checklists and questioning techniques.
j. Environmental auditing tools and methods: observation, photographs and background research.
k. The professional skills and characteristics required in environmental auditing.
l. Training Audit – Workshops.
m. Training Audit – Motor Transport.
n. Training Audit – Interviews with SHEA team.
o. Training Audit – Reporting and presentation.
p. Written exam and debrief.
5.
Eligibility: The course is open to all MOD personnel of all branches and trade groups who have
been identified by unit commanders as having responsibility or involvement in the auditing or monitoring of
environmental management systems.
6.
Pre-requisite knowledge: It is essential that candidates have attended the STS courses
Introduction to Environmental Protection (Course 2828); Environmental Law and Policy (Course 2867); and
EMS Implementation (Course 2877), or can demonstrate the equivalent level of understanding and
experience. Bringing copies of these course materials may be of benefit for you to refer to.
7.
Pre-course work: Candidates should be aware there will be a continual assessment element of the
course which will involve conducting partial training audits as part of a team, and delivering an audit report
brief to the instructors in role play as the Station Commander. Limited computer facilities are available to
students at RAF Halton. The gathering of information on the training audits will be through site visits, and
therefore there will be some time spent outdoors around the Station. Students may wish to come prepared
for these circumstances.
8.
Assessment: Delegates will be assessed and awarded a final mark based upon 40% continual
assessment and 60% open book exam. The continual assessment will be of their work during the course,
including some team working and some evening work. The open book exam will last 90 minutes and is
made up of multiple choice and short answer questions. If there is any reason you feel you may require
Issue: Jun 2011
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AL0
Foundation Environmental Auditing: Course Details
Sponsor: OC EP
extra time please make the Instructor aware as soon as possible so they can make a reasonable decision if
there are clear grounds for doing so under STS guidelines.
9.
Certification: The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) accredits the
course and the STS certificate is available with IEMA accreditation included free of charge. There is an
overall pass mark of 60%. Those candidates that get over 60% will be able to use the result as
demonstration of qualifications towards registering as an IEMA auditor following successful membership
application. This is a sliding scale, and those who score more than 70% will gain the maximum contribution
though it is possible to demonstrate qualification in several other ways. The course is also accredited by the
Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), though candidates would need to apply and pay for their
certificate themselves. Please discuss with the Course Instructor whether this is appropriate for you.
10.
Confirmation of Attendance: Students are to ensure they have acknowledged receipt of Joining
Instructions and confirmed attendance to the Course Booking Clerk in writing (email or fax) 2 weeks prior to
the course start date. Failure to do so will result in your place on the course being cancelled and
given to someone else. If you subsequently are unable to attend this course the STS Course Allocations
Manager is to be informed in writing, including by email.
11.
Further Information: If you have any questions regarding the details of course contents please do
not hesitate to contact the EP Training Office on 95237 6680. Please do not contact training staff for
booking queries, instead please follow the booking procedure web pages.
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