HSEQ and environmental glossary

An environmental aspect is an element of an organisation activities that can interact with the environment. The impact is the resulting change. Identifying aspects and rating their impacts is the foundation of ISO 14001.

A step in a food process at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

A professional registration awarded through the Society for the Environment recognising competence and commitment in environmental practice.

The World Bank framework of ten environmental and social standards applied to investment project financing.

A structured assessment of the likely environmental and social effects of a proposed project, together with the measures proposed to avoid, minimise or compensate for them.

The document setting out how the mitigation and monitoring commitments made in an ESIA will actually be delivered, by whom and on what schedule.

A defined process allowing affected people to raise concerns about a project and have them addressed within stated timeframes.

A systematic preventive approach to food safety that identifies hazards and establishes control at the points in the process where it matters.

A structured, facilitated examination of a process design to identify deviations from intent, their causes and consequences, and the safeguards required.

The auditor certification body operated by the Chartered Quality Institute, widely recognised for lead auditor credentials.

The Environmental Assessment Regulations 1999, the Ghanaian legislative instrument governing environmental permitting, assessment and reporting.

An independent safeguard capable of preventing a hazardous scenario from progressing. Layer of protection analysis evaluates whether enough independent layers exist.

A failure to meet a requirement. In audit terms, major nonconformities indicate a systemic failure; minor nonconformities indicate isolated lapses.

The eight IFC Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability, the reference framework used by lenders applying the Equator Principles.

A formal written authorisation to carry out defined work under defined conditions, used to control high risk activities such as hot work, confined space entry and work at height.

The basic hygiene and operational conditions that must be in place before HACCP can be effective, covering cleaning, pest control, maintenance and supplier control.

The underlying system or organisational failure that allowed an incident to occur, as distinct from the immediate cause, which is usually the last thing that went wrong.

The plan setting out who a project affects, how they will be engaged and informed, and how their concerns will be captured and addressed.