NSS is pleased to announce that it has received external certification of ISO 14001 for its Environmental Management System (‘EMS’).

NSS General Manager Juliette Sperber congratulated the NSS Team on the achievement and said ‘The ISO 14001 accreditation underpins our commitment to the environment, our progressive approach and eagerness to meet and exceed international standards across our regional Queensland operations.’

To date, NSS is the only stevedoring company operating in the Port of Townsville to achieve accreditation for its EMS based on the most recent 2015 International Standard. ‘In this industry (stevedoring, transport and logistics) there is significant legislation imposed on service providers from multiple jurisdictions (local, state, federal and international). This legislation is not to be taken lightly and there are serious penalties not only for service providers but also for the companies they are servicing (including company officers on a personal basis). NSS now has a full suite of external accreditations for Quality (ISO 9001), Safety (ISO 4801/18001) and the Environment (ISO 14001) guaranteeing our customers they are in safe hands.’

NSS’s environmental management practices and systems are guided by the principles set out in the company’s Environmental and Sustainability Policies. These policies assist NSS in managing environmental risk and implementing measures to facilitate compliance and improvement in environmental performance. NSS Business Support Manager David King said ‘There has been many key changes to our processes and procedures over the last year which have enabled us to reduce our environmental impacts. Some which include significant improvements to air quality and dust control, waste management and recycling, solar energy and chemical handling processes.’

‘The EMS has assisted in providing structure to environmental management by ensuring a systematic approach to measuring progress and achieving environmental objectives. We are continually looking for ways to improve and benchmark our operations within the industry and achieve best practice.’

Future objectives set out in NSS’s EMS will focus on environmental awareness, energy reduction and further research into dust mitigation measures. NSS reports its activities and environmental performance against licence conditions to regulators.

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