Environment, Health, and Safety is an acronym for EHS. Laws, rules, regulations, professions, programs, and workplace efforts aimed at protecting the health and safety of employees as well as the environment from workplace hazards are commonly known as occupational health and safety. Additionally, it includes the professionals who work in occupational safety and health (as well as their friends in the Environmental department).
Although EHS is the most common abbreviation for this, HSE and other versions are also common. It’s not unusual to see an additional “Q” in EHSQ for Quality.
Our goal in this article is to learn a little more about environmental, health, and safety, including the people in charge and tools they use.
Also read: environmental health inspection software
The EHS stands for environmental, health, and safety.
Let’s begin by finding out what the letters E, H, and S mean.
Environment is spelled E. Things like environmental spills and releases fall under this category.
Health is represented by the letter H. In this context, we are talking about things that are potentially harmful, such as biological pathogens, airborne particulates, and radiation.
Safety is represented by the letter S. This refers to injuries caused by machines that move or by forklifts that run over people.
What is the importance of EHS?
In addition to preventing injuries, illnesses, and harmful environmental releases, the primary benefit of EHS, and workplace EHS programs, is their prevention.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire is one of the classic (and most horrifying) historical examples of workplace incidents that showed the necessity for EHS. Several other well-known workplace incidents occurred more recently, including the Bhopal/Union Carbide explosion in 1984, the Upper Big Branch Mine-South explosion of 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, and the fire in, and ultimate collapse of, Enron.
As a result of these real hazards, EHS programs are needed and provide real benefits. There are many case studies showing the benefits of safety and health management programs on the OSHA website, for instance.
Additionally, EHS programs at work demonstrate that companies are concerned about the well-being of their employees. Your company may suffer fewer incidents if you have an active EHS culture. Employees will feel safer and more valued if you have an active EHS culture. This will have a positive effect on morale, retention, productivity, and even hiring.
Along those same lines, consider this thought. Millennials, according to a recent American Psychological Association study , view workplace safety as a more important issue than any other (and much higher than earlier generations have). Right? That would make sense if you were raised in the shadow of 9-11, the Great Recession, and Hurricane Katrina. This is going to become even more important as more and more millennials enter the workforce.
The bottom line of your company can be dramatically impacted by EHS programs. Study results show that safety and health programs correlate directly with stock performance. You can estimate the cost of workplace health and safety incidents by using the online calculator on OSHA’s Safety Pays website. Feel free to use it.
Customer loyalty is also increased by EHS programs. These issues are often researched today by consumers before they choose which companies to spend their money with. The revenue stream is EHS-friendly, so why not take advantage of it?
EHS managers are responsible for what?
At a company, an EHS manager is responsible for identifying, removing, reducing, and otherwise controlling hazards and risks.
Here’s what the Institute for Safety and Health Management says:
Occupational safety and health managers are in charge of ensuring employees are safe at work and using proper safety equipment. They ensure the company complies with all environmental regulations and standards as well.”
Managers of EHS are responsible for many things, including:
- The management of safety and health
- Working as an industrial hygienist or performing industrial hygiene activities
- Conducting a job hazard analysis
- Conducting an investigation of an incident
- Running safety committees
- Training in health, safety, and environmental issues
- Ensuring compliance with EHS regulations
- Observation and walkthrough of the worksite
- Utilizing the hierarchy of controls to implement controls for identified hazards
- Responsibilities related to risk management
- Collecting and analyzing indicators related to EHS
- Improving the human and operational performance of organizations
- In addition to that
It is not uncommon for people to divide these responsibilities among themselves, even when we are talking about an EHS manager above. It may be the case that one person is responsible for safety and health, and another for the environment.
Professionals such as industrial hygienists may also play an important role.
Occupational EHS Programs: What Are They?
EHS programs at the workplace are designed to help employers manage risks associated with EHS hazards. By identifying, assessing, and controlling hazards at work, these programs assist employers and employees to work in a safe and healthful manner, protecting their safety and health as well as the safety and health of others at work and the safety and health of the environment in which they live.
There are many formulaic and systematic ways to accomplish this, including ANSI Z10 or OSHA’s safety management best practices. You should also keep in mind that the ISO 45001 Global Standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems is now available globally.
Software for Environmental, Health, and Safety?
A company’s EHS management program can use a variety of software applications. Some examples include:
- Aid in the management of health and safety programs
- Organize safety data sheets (SDS)
- Management of written permits for confined spaces, hot work, etc.
- Manage the investigation of incidents
- Spill response management
- Managing emissions tracking
- Train EHS personnel
- In addition to that
Adding a learning management system to your safety training program will improve the results, reduce costs, save time, and increase efficiency.
What are the areas of EHS you are most interested in?
Hopefully you now havPlease leave a comment.e a better understanding of what EHS is, why it’s important, who plays a role in it, and what some of the techniques are. Where do you spend most of your time working with EHS? Are there any topics that interest you? Just mention your comment.
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