A new resource developed within the PERMANET project, the Handbook provides practical guidance for mining organisations seeking to integrate quality, environmental, occupational health and safety, and sustainability requirements into their management systems.
A practical contribution to more sustainable mining
As Europe works towards more resilient and sustainable supply chains for rare earth permanent magnets, improving the sustainability performance of mining activities is an important part of the transition. Supporting organisations in managing quality, environmental impacts, occupational health and safety, and sustainability in an integrated way can help address the challenges associated with these activities.
In this context, LOMARTOV has developed the PERMANET Integrated Management Systems (IMS) Handbook, a practical tool designed to support mining organisations and actors across the rare earth element (REE) value chain in improving their management practices.
The Handbook has been developed within the European project PERmanent MAgnet Network for the European Transition (PERMANET, Grant Agreement No. 101178444). PERMANET aims to establish an innovative network of European actors to strengthen the resilience of the rare earth permanent magnet supply chain. The Handbook contributes to the project’s sustainability assessment activities under Hub 1 (Sustainable REE Supply Hub) and Hub 2 (Circular REE Innovation Hub).
Translating international standards into practical action
The Handbook considers the latest applicable versions of five standards relevant to management systems and sustainable mining:
- ISO 9001: Quality management systems.
- ISO 14001: Environmental management systems.
- ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems.
- UNE 22480: Sustainability management in mining activities.
- UNE 22470: Indicators for assessing the sustainable management of mining activities.
Particular attention has been given to incorporating recent revisions, including ISO 14001:2026 and ISO 9001:2026, published in 2026, to reflect the latest management-system requirements relevant to the sector.
Rather than presenting the standards as separate sets of requirements, the Handbook takes an integrated approach, helping organisations understand how different management areas can work together. It translates these requirements into proposed practical actions, monitoring approaches and examples adapted to mining and REE activities.
This approach provides a starting point for organisations seeking to develop an Integrated Management System or progressively align existing procedures with quality, environmental, health and safety, and sustainability objectives.
A step-by-step guide for implementation
Designed with practical application in mind, the Handbook is organised into chapters covering different implementation stages and action levels. Each chapter explains the main objectives and requirements associated with a specific area of the management system.
To support implementation, the chapters include compliance checklists, key actions and recommendations that organisations can use to review their current practices, identify potential gaps and determine areas for improvement.
The Handbook also incorporates practical examples illustrating how requirements can be applied in operational contexts. These examples help bridge the gap between the principles established by international standards and the realities of mining and REE activities.
In addition, the document addresses specific considerations related to naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), alongside sustainability insights developed within PERMANET. These elements provide further context for organisations navigating the environmental and operational challenges associated with the sector.
Supporting assessment and continuous improvement
The PERMANET IMS Handbook can serve several complementary purposes. Organisations can use it as a practical implementation guideline when developing or improving their management systems, as a self-assessment and gap analysis tool to identify areas requiring attention, and as a basis for continuous improvement.
By bringing together different management requirements in a single practical resource, the Handbook supports a more coordinated approach to organisational performance. It encourages mining and REE value-chain actors to assess their existing practices, identify opportunities for improvement and work progressively towards more integrated management systems.
Through this contribution, LOMARTOV supports PERMANET’s wider efforts to advance more sustainable mining practices and strengthen the resilience of Europe’s rare earth permanent magnet value chain.
Explore the PERMANET IMS Handbook
Discover the full Handbook to explore its implementation guidance, compliance checklists, practical recommendations and sector-specific sustainability considerations.
Access the PERMANET IMS Handbook
