Sri Lankan Asbestos industry: improvement of environmental performances through EMS

Abstract

Environment issues have played an important part in recent years at the public debates because the human family and environment faced a common challenge of surviving. Anew approach to environmental protection is now available thanks to the development of new international standards on environmental management, ISO 14001. The standard is lead to enhance the quality of life and environmental requirements through the sustainable development of society, which involves the protections of environment and by ensuring the human lives in healthy and safe environment. The implementation of the environmental management system prescribed by ISO 14001 can lead to good compliance with environmental legislation and continual improvement in the environmental performance. Standardization plays an important role in present trade because of its market value due to demanding of consumers. Most companies with environmental impacts, like asbestos industry seeks the environmental standards by implementing environmental management system to overcome this demand as market pressure. In Sri Lanka Asbestos products, which use for roofing industry has no much confidents in its production process and usage. The public has no clear view about the asbestos even these products are used by them. The producers of asbestos are still try to find what are the more convenient ways in every directions, may in product quality, may in occupational health & safety, may in environmental safety to produce it in much safer ways. The regulatory bodies have not defined specific rules & regulations for this industry. The environmental management system implementation within ISO 14001 standard to the asbestos production process at such factories and related studies are most effective ways to asses & identify the occupational, public health and environmental risk associated with asbestos productions. The informed details by work helps to propose the safer work practise & environmental standard to minimise its harmful effects.