In recent years, many studies have been done on environmental management systems and a number of environmental management standards and systems have been developed. However, very little has been written about the management issues involved in implementing environmental management systems on civil engineering work. This paper intends to rectify this deficiency by reporting on research that is currently being undertaken into the implementation of environmental management systems by civil engineering contractors. The research includes a reply-survey and interview of contractors to evaluate the practices used by contractors in particular, to plan and manage the required changes, the resistance that is encountered to the changes, and measures that have been used to overcome barriers and facilitate the changes. This research will provide a snapshot of current practice and will provide guidance on the management issues that need to be addressed to create an effective environmental management system on civil engineering work. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E208431.
Abstract