In ISO 50001:2018 there is no longer specific obligation to allocate a management representative for the Energy Management System, so why it is important to allocate one? or It is just assigning one person who will handle external auditors during audit? To better understand the answers to these questions, it is best to start with looking at the duties of the management representative, which were described in detail in the previous ISO 50001:2011 clause 4.2.2.
Responsibilities of Management Representative
According ISO 50001:2015 as mentioned above, a management representative is not mandatory, but as those activities defined in previous standard are still important and can help in implementation and sustenance of the Energy Management System. For that reason, we are going to examine the main responsibilities of the management representative as stated in ISO 50001:2011.
ISO 50001:2011 was very clear that top management shall appoint a management representative(s) with appropriate skills and competence, who irrespective of other responsibilities, has the responsibility and authority to:
EnMS process sustenance: The management representative ensures that the EnMS processes are established, implemented, and maintained. This may involve review and planning of internal audits, discussion with process owners, or even review of the processes in person to ensure they are properly maintained. If this were not the responsibility of the management representative, then it would be distributed among the process owners, and when this happens no one really has the responsibility at all. By having a pivotal for the overall processes, the management representative not only ensure that each process is functioning, but also make sure that the process interaction is maintained. By doing this, the interactions can then start to be standardized.
Reporting on EnMS performance: It is the responsibility of the management representative to report to top management on the performance of EnMS. Identifying any needs for improvement to top management is also part of this responsibility. Also, determine criteria and methods needed to ensure that both the operation and control of EnMS are effective. For implementation of EnMS top management needs to be fully supportive in order to reap the fruits of the labor.
Promote Awareness: One of the responsibility is to ensure that people are aware of ISO 50001 throughout the organization. Since one of the main thrusts of an ISO 50001 Energy Management System is improving energy performance, it is vital that all employees understand what is energy policy and objectives at all levels of the organization and what are their contribution towards improving energy performance of the organization. If people inside your organization aren’t aware of ISO 50001, then all hard work will be vain.
Being understood What are the responsibilities of EnMS, now it is up to management to whom they choose as management representative as he/she will be the one who will ensure that EnMS will run effectively and efficiently. In order to make robust EnMS it is important to choose right person for this job, otherwise EnMS will not get prolonged with your system.