Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) practices are crucial for organizations aiming to protect their workforce, the public, and the environment. This comprehensive guide explores the best practices for implementing an effective EHS program, emphasizing the importance of authorizing action to ensure success.
Key Points Covered:
- Understanding the importance of EHS best practices
- Integrating EHS into organizational culture
- Authorizing action: The cornerstone of effective EHS programs
- Common challenges in implementing EHS practices
- Strategies for overcoming implementation barriers Technology’s role in enhancing EHS programs
- Continuous improvement in EHS management
“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do”
~ Karl Gustov Jung
NORA members constantly strive to balance environmental, health and safety (EHS) compliance with maximized productivity and revenue generation. Companies of all sizes struggle with how to operate within everchanging regulations while staying in business.
To implement best EHS practices, your program must authorize action. Yet, many companies fail to integrate consistent EHS practices into their operations.
As a result, they often find themselves scrambling to comply with an agency request, customer RFP or even a plaintiff’s demand. One area that companies struggle with is having organized program documentation that empowers employees and departments to take action.
Integrating EHS into Organizational Culture
To truly implement best EHS practices, organizations must embed them into their cultural DNA. This involves:
- Leadership commitment: Executives must champion EHS initiatives
- Employee engagement: Involve workers in safety committees and decision-making processes
- Transparent communication: Regularly share EHS performance metrics and goals
- Recognition programs: Reward employees for safety innovations and adherence to best practices
Implementing Best EHS Practices
At the core of any EHS program are the policies, procedures, training and inspection records, and company guidance that give a program its purpose and direction. As Dr. Jung’s quote highlights, you can only be as good as your actions.
Having a policy alone is not enough, you must have a workforce and management team empowered to take action. It is a simple, but often overlooked, element of a heathy EHS program.
Even if your company can not implement a full- blown ISO or EHS management system, making sure your employees know what actions to take and when to take them is a simple best practice that can be integrated into your policies and procedures. While that sounds easy in principle, too many companies have adequate documentation and principles, but fail to put those principles in action.
Why EHS Best Practices Matter
Implementing best EHS practices is not just about compliance; it’s about creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable workplace.
By prioritizing EHS, organizations can:
- Reduce workplace accidents and injuries
- Improve employee morale and productivity
- Minimize environmental impact
- Enhance corporate reputation
- Achieve cost savings through reduced incidents and improved efficiency
In many cases, an injury or spill puts companies on the defensive and in reactive mode because they have simply failed to authorize action. This hurts everything from productivity to morale.
Here are three common reasons we see that cause Companies to endure this (avoidable) fire drill:
1. The EHS Program is Invisible
It is critical to have Directives that are clearly written and are available to all employees. This is particularly true in the event of an accident or release to the environment.
If you downloaded your “Safety Program” from the internet, added your logo and shoved it into a drawer, then you are operating at risk. You need to take the time to ensure your program is customized to help you drive your business.
It needs to specifically identify actions people can take. Additionally, the program needs to be available to all employees. You can use an old-school binder.
You can use paper forms. But both of those manual methods are inefficient and prone to issues outdated versions suffer.
A best practice is to make your program readily available through a mobile software tool or a company intranet site. No matter how you do it, until every employee knows where to seek guidance, your program is likely invisible.
2. Nobody Owns the EHS Program
Documentation is often generated and maintained by different people or departments that sometimes fail to communicate. This failure is commonly highlighted when there is a vehicle accident.
As soon as an accident occurs, everything from driver drug testing to DOT training records come under scrutiny. In many companies, these records are spread out between departments like Human Resources, Operations and EHS.
Someone must pull all the records and all too often there are gaps where one department thought the other was handling something, particularly when the accident involves a long tenured employee whose employee files are huge. Finding these gaps proactively can be done by putting an employee or department on point for collecting such information. A best practice is to undergo a mock discovery process with your insurance carrier – before you get sued.
3. EHS Dept. Owns Safety and Compliance – One Time Creation
Too many times companies treat their safety program as a “one and done.” That is, they spend considerable effort getting it up-to-speed.
This is often a result of customer or agency demands. Once the program is rolling, EHS department claims victory, leaving the “program” to age on a shelf.
EHS policies are dynamic documents. They must be changed as your operation changes. More than document stacks, the policies must mandate actions (ex. inspections, safety committee meetings, etc.) that operations must undertake.
Though your EHS and safety personnel support safety and compliance, operations must shoulder the responsibility to run the business safely. Knowing your program documentation must evolve as your businesses changes, you need a routine review of your program documentation. This not only updates your program, but almost always helps clarify roles, responsibilities and risks.
Common Challenges in Implementing EHS Practices
- Resistance to change
- Lack of resources (time, budget, personnel)
- Inadequate training programs
- Siloed departments and poor communication
- Inconsistent enforcement of EHS policies
Strategies for Overcoming Implementation Barriers
- Develop a phased implementation plan
- Secure buy-in from all levels of the organization
- Invest in comprehensive training programs
- Foster cross-departmental collaboration
- Use data-driven approaches to demonstrate the value of EHS initiatives
Leveraging Technology for Enhanced EHS Management
Modern EHS programs benefit greatly from technological advancements:
- EHS management software for streamlined reporting and analytics
- Mobile apps for real-time hazard reporting and incident management
- IoT sensors for environmental monitoring and early detection of issues
- Virtual reality for immersive safety training experiences
- Artificial intelligence for predictive risk assessment
Continuous Improvement in EHS Management
To stay ahead of evolving risks and regulations, organizations should:
- Conduct regular EHS audits and assessments
- Benchmark against industry leaders and adopt best practices
- Encourage innovation in safety processes and technologies
- Stay informed about regulatory changes and emerging EHS trends
- Solicit feedback from employees and stakeholders to refine EHS programs
Companies with an organized, well-communicated EHS program significantly reduce their risk and avoid the inefficiencies of filling an urgent document request. When companies set an action cadence and establish expectations that their operations owns their safety and compliance, they are on the leading edge of EHS program implementation.
These companies are implementing best EHS practices. In doing so, regardless of the size, these companies can get organized and use their program to drive value directly to the bottom line.
Implementing best EHS practices requires a holistic approach that goes beyond mere compliance. By authorizing action, integrating EHS into organizational culture, and leveraging modern technologies, companies can create safer, healthier, and more sustainable workplaces. Remember, a successful EHS program is an ongoing journey of continuous improvement and commitment to excellence.
EHS Momentum specialized in assisting companies of all sizes organize and implement their own EHS best practices through an action-based, mobile EHS program. Contact us to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions About EHS Best Practices
What are the key components of an effective EHS program?
An effective EHS program includes risk assessment, clear policies and procedures, comprehensive training, regular audits, incident reporting and investigation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
How can small businesses implement EHS best practices with limited resources?
Small businesses can start by focusing on high-priority risks, leveraging free resources from OSHA and other agencies, implementing low-cost safety measures, and gradually building their EHS program over time.
What role does employee training play in EHS best practices?
Employee training is crucial for ensuring that workers understand hazards, know how to protect themselves, and can contribute to a culture of safety. It should be ongoing, specific to job roles, and regularly updated.
How can technology improve EHS program implementation?
Technology can streamline data collection and analysis, facilitate real-time reporting of hazards, enhance training through virtual reality, and provide predictive insights for proactive risk management.
What are some common mistakes companies make when implementing EHS practices?
Common mistakes include focusing solely on compliance rather than a holistic safety culture, inadequate employee involvement, inconsistent enforcement of policies, and failing to regularly review and update EHS programs.
