gaps that may exist in this industry.” Certification to the GS-42 environmental standard is about recognizing environmen-tal leadership in an often underappreciated industry. Tough ‘Green’ Love Means Success “GS-42 certainly pays off. It gives you a very important weapon in your marketing,” Van Splinter says. “You canʼt watch television for more than an hour on any network without hearing somebody talk about ʻgoing greenʼ or something being ʻgreen.ʼ Green Seal is, if Documenting Progress Documentation is crucial to the auditing process, the “anchor of the company ship” as Van Splinter describes it. “A safety auditor told me years ago, ʻIf itʼs not written, itʼs not happening,ʼ” Van Splinter says. “In many cases, people are doing the right thing, they know the right answers, theyʼre even training correctly, but itʼs not written down anywhere. This is one of the major advantages of the steps you have to take to become certified.” Van Splinter reviews all the paperwork submitted by the applicant to see that: Itʼs in order and conforms to the crite-ria laid out in the Green Seal environ-mental standard That the applicant is actually doing what they say they are doing. you will, the guide down this path of avoid-ing questionable claims and misleading advertising. Itʼs so easy to walk into market-ing traps. If itʼs not certified by Green Seal, as far as Iʼm concerned itʼs not green.” GS-42 certification helps create a stronger, more disciplined organization. Proper documentation is the first step in building that organization. CM Partnership Not Punishment The Green Seal certification process is best described as a partnership; instead of a punitive approach or a rubber-stamped “re-submit” when documentation isnʼt quite up to par, the auditor works with the appli-cant to smooth out any bumps. Applicants are made aware of any cor-rective actions needed and given the opportunity to make the necessary changes or edits. “If we feel there are some things missing, weʼll talk to them and say, ʻThere are some items we think you need to look at,ʼ so that when we actually come out and do the audit, look at specific service locations to make sure they meet the requirements, they know what theyʼre going to be accountable for,” Garland adds. “Theyʼre going to be prepared, and theyʼve got their documentation in place.” “Frankly, the whole thing is usually very congenial,” asserts Van Splinter. “Iʼve never had anything contentious come up on either side because I think everybody picks up on it pretty quickly; the whole idea is youʼre there to help, not hinder, in order to make a good system better.” Circle Product Information no. 205 on page 32 www.cmmonline.com 27
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