Abstract
This research sought to assess the effectiveness of environmental management systems (EMS) at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). The study adopted wholly qualitative research design with in- depth interview guide as its main research and data collection instrument. The study employed a sample of twenty (20) respondents. Respondents were made up of members from the human resource, environment, depot management, and transport and tank management as well as members of the health, safety, security and environmental quality (HSSEQ) committees. The study establishes that various activities of TOR have consequential environmental impact on employees, the natural state of the environment and nearby communities. Again, the study has established that the EMS of TOR is implemented through a systematic and robust management scheme beginning from environmental review and consultation, EMS development and planning, EMS implementation, and EMS assessment and evaluation. The research has also identified that, the EMS of TOR is effective in combating the likely environmental impact produced by their operations and this is evidenced through the composition of the EMS like fire risk management, broad EMS system, spills and leakage management, institution of occupational health and safety measures as well as the formation of the health, safety, security and environment committee.
Despite the effectiveness of the system, the study identified financial challenges, delay in review, assessment and evaluation as well as difficulty in identifying environmental impact as impeding the effective and smooth implementation of EMS. Following this, the study recommends that, the company in collaboration with state environmental management units conduct timely EMS assessment whilst offering comprehensive approach in identifying the most likely environmental impact.
CHAPTER ONE
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Introduction
This section of the long essay discusses the background and problem statement of the study, research aim and research objectives, research questions and significance of the study, theoretical perspectives as well as organization of the research work.
Background to the study
In recent times, rapid population growth, the drive for industrialization and economic growth coupled with the need for poverty reduction and development in general has led to an unimaginable surge in the level of activities that impact negatively on the environments in all its various forms. Rising growth in the corporate sector with their attendant impact of environmental unfriendly activities has led to rising global temperatures, greenhouse effect, melting magma or ice and encroaching seas amongst others. These have impact on the health and safety of organizational employees and world’s population at large. Meanwhile, health and safety of employees as well as nation’s people are considered an essential prerequisite for national growth and development.
The activities of organization’s and their impacts to the health and safety of employees and citizens in general has led to a general outcry on the need for implementation of various environmental management schemes. Common among the agenda for environmental management has been the environmental movement which occurred in the sixties resulting in the publication of the book, “Silent Spring” authored by Rachel Carson (Wenk 2005), the Earth day summit in the 1970’s where almost 150 countries participated (Christofferson 2004).
This outcry has seen an increasing pace of introduction of Environmental Management Systems (hereafter referred to as EMS) both in the local and International stage. Among the list of globally recognized Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are the Internationalization Standardization Organization (hereafter referred to as ISO) 14001 (ISO 14001),British Standard 7760 (BS 7760) and the European Eco-Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS), (Hunter et al., 2007).Aside the International recognition for environmental management, individual countries have also signed various international declarations and formulated laws and policies that seek to govern the environment. The primary objective of the need for institution of environmental management systems is to offer a systematic and administrative mechanisms or structure that can be employed to incorporate a vibrant environmental management system in organizational settings.
In the case of Ghana, for instance, the government in 1999 formulated and adopted the Environmental Assessment Regulations (EAR) law. The law which forms part of the mechanisms by the Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter referred to as EPA) requires various environmentally related co-corporations to develop and implement Environmental Management Plans (hereafter referred to as EMP) with the aim to reducing the environmental impact of their operations. The EAR section 24 sub-sections 1, 3 and 4 states that;
(1) The person responsible for an undertaking in respect of which a preliminary environmental report or an environmental impact statement has been approved shall submit to the Agency an environmental management plan (EMP) in respect of his operations within 18 months of commencement of operations and thereafter every 3 years
3) The environmental management plan shall be a document in such form as shall be determined by the Agency.
(4) The environmental management plan shall set out steps that are intended to be taken to manage any significant environmental impact that may result from the operation of the undertaking.
By the promulgation of this law then, it becomes mandatory of all public and private sector organizations whose operations impact on the environment in one way or the other to prepare, submit and implement their EMS or EMP as a means to safeguarding their employees, citizens and the general state of the environmental in collaboration with the national Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA). To this end, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), an environmentally operations-based agency has instituted an EMS towards its operations.
Problem Statement
Occupational health and safety, environmental, and quality (Hereafter referred to as SEQ) issues are regarded as necessary to the growth and development of mankind and society as well. Thus far, environmental health and safety issues have become central to policy makers, International Organizations, corporate bodies and governments in respective countries around the world. This recognition of the importance of SEQ has been occasioned by the need to put environment and safety issues at the radar of individual people, organizations and government. It has also been established that, issues of the environment are caused by mankind with their attendant several unfriendly activities and that attention is needed to safeguard mankind and the environment as well.
Following this, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the 1972 Stockholm conference on the environment in which almost all member countries of the United Nations (hereafter termed as UN)have all given prominence on the state and the need to safeguard the environment (Hunter et al., 2007 as cited in Nukpezah, 2010).The prominence of the
environment to the UNEP and the 1972 Stockholm conference has led to the development of guidelines for the management and protection of the environment. One critical area of environmental operations has been the activities of individual people, organizations, both public and private.
Ghana was however a participant in the 1972 Stockholm conference and also a member of the UNEP which led to the sudden promulgation of the 1999 Environmental Assessment Regulation (hereafter known as EAR) which sets the pace and the regulation for all organizations operating in relation to the environment to development environmental management systems and tools as a means of safeguarding the impacts of their operations on the environment. The EAR thus requires all organizations to prepare an EMS for consideration to the Environmental Protection Agency (Known hereafter as EPA). This has seen most organizations like the Tema Oil Refinery (known hereafter as TOR) design and implements EMS.
Research Goal
The overall goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of Environmental Management System (EMS) of Tema Oil Refinery.
Research Objectives
The specifics objectives of the study are;
- To examine the environmental effects of the operations of TOR
- To evaluate the implementation of EMS at TOR.
- To examine the effectiveness of EMS of TOR
- To identify the challenges faced by the TOR in implementing its EMS.
Research Questions
- What are the environmental effects of TOR’s operations?
- How is the EMS of TOR being implemented?
- How effective is the EMS of TOR?
- What challenges does the TOR face in the implementation of its EMS?
