Kern UK is delighted to announce that it has been accredited with the environmental standard ISO EN14001- demonstrating to potential customers that it is committed to responsible environmental practices .
 
Pete Jolley, UK managing director of Kern, said: "We have always been conscientious about environmental issues but ensuring compliance with an internationally recognised standard is a important step.  We want to be able to reassure customers and prospects that we are dedicated to ensuring good practice in all areas of our activities."

The successful accreditation follows an extensive programme over the past months involving a headed up by Steve Brimble, UK compliance manager.  An environmental scientist pre-audited Kern and set up Aspect and Legislation Registers which provided a framework for the improvement programme.

The Aspect Register looked at every Kern activity and identified its environmental impact on a wide range of factors including: human health, nuisance, climate change, air pollution, ozone depletion, groundwater, surface water, contamination, ecological impacts and natural resource depletion.  Secondary aspects were also recorded, such as deforestation, CO2 emissions, ozone emissions.

A Legislation Register was then compiled to identify the legislation type, statute, regulation, requirement, application, guidance and relevant documents which apply to Kern's activities. These include such Acts and Regulations as:

• The Environmental Damage (Prevention and Remediation) Regulations 2009
• Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006
• Environmental Protection Act 1990
• Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005
• Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009
• Controlled Waste Regulations 1992 (Amended 1993)

Within the company, the compliance team now has documented information regarding waste streams and has set up records to monitor these.

Says Steve Brimble, UK Compliance Manager at Kern: "It is very important to Kern that our company keeps its environmental impact to a minimum and we'll be working hard to maintain and improve on the steps we've taken so far to achieve accreditation."