8.4 Corrective Actions
Corrective action is defined by ISO as “action to eliminate the cause of non-conformity” and to prevent recurrence. It is not the same as correction which refers to “action to eliminate a detected non-conformity”.
Non-conformity is non-fulfilment of a requirement. Requirement includes needs or expectations that is stated, implied or obligatory.
Corrective actions are expected actions by the management of an establishment or institution after a “non-conformity to requirements” is raised either through monitoring and evaluation, measurement and verification, internal and third-party audits, management reviews and non-compliance findings or compliance orders by regulators.
8.4.1. Requirement
Examples of “requirement in energy management” are:
| Stated (defined and documented by the establishment) | – Energy policies (strategic and operational) – Energy targets and objectives – Energy improvement plans – Set-up methods of measurement and verification – Maintaining of energy-related records and documents |
| Implied (not documented but expected by the establishment and stakeholders) | – Consistency in implementation of policies and procedures (e.g. procurement, etc.) – Awareness of all employees of energy conservation policies – Best practices in energy conservation and efficiency |
| Obligatory (required by the regulators) | – Designation of EE professionals (Certified Energy Managers or CEM and Certified Energy Conservation Officer or CECO for private establishments and Energy Efficiency Conservation Officer for government institutions) – Integrate energy management system policy into the business operation based on ISO 50001 or similar framework – Submission of annual reports (Annual Energy Efficiency and Conservation Report or AEECR and Annual Energy Utilization Report AEUR) – Conduct of energy audits – Submission of energy audit reports |
8.4.2. Addressing Non-conformities through Corrective Actions
The best practice to address a non-conformity is first to understand the cause/s of the non-conformity and recommend the appropriate corrective actions to the management for implementation.
The same non-conformity happening and raised again after corrective action is implemented is an indicator that the corrective action is not effective. To prevent recurrence of the non-conformity, the management needs to find-out and implement the right corrective action. Management will know that the corrective action is effective when the non-conformity is addressed and is not raised again.
| For example: Non-conformity: Designated Type 3 Industrial Establishment XYZ failed to appoint/designate a Certified Energy Managers (CEM) and a support Staff CEM or CECO as required by DOE DC2023-12-0037 Section 12. Correction: Designated Type 3 Industrial Establishment XYZ comply the provision of DOE DC2023-12-0037 Section 12 by hiring 2 DOE-Certified EM by (state the target date) and immediately submit to DOE through online portal. Corrective Action : Management directs HR Department to initiate the recruitment and hiring process and develop a succession plan to ensure a replacement CEM is available whenever the existing CEM separates from employment. Note 1: Hiring the qualified CEM will eliminate the DoE finding. Note 2: Succession planning ensures availability of replacement in case of vacancy of the position, therefore, not getting the same finding again in the future. |