Aug 29 2008
Boeing today announced that its military aircraft maintenance, modification and upgrade facility in San Antonio has earned an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification, becoming the company's first Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) site in 2008 to validate its environmental management system.
Boeing is working to have all of its major manufacturing facilities certified to the ISO 14001 standard by the end of 2008. ISO 14001 is considered a global benchmark of an organization's commitment to understand and continuously improve its environmental performance.
Independent auditors from Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an accredited certification body of quality, environmental and safety management systems, audited the IDS Support Systems site July 14-17 to ensure an established environmental-management system exists and that employees understand their roles in protecting the environment. The auditors commended the site for its communications, 5S procedures (sorting, simplifying, sweeping, standardizing and self-discipline to reduce waste), site housekeeping and high level of employee involvement.
"Earning this certification demonstrates our continued commitment to the environment by reducing pollution and waste, increasing recycling rates and improving energy efficiency," said Kevin Devine, San Antonio site leader for Boeing.
In 2007, the site was awarded the San Antonio Water System Environmental Excellence Award for its overall compliance with the city's water pretreatment program. The site also was recognized recently by Vista Fibers, a San Antonio-area recycling company, for recycling 314.42 tons of paper last year.
The San Antonio site joins four other Boeing facilities -- Exmouth in Australia; Everett, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; and Salt Lake City -- that already have achieved ISO 14001 certification.
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