Environment, health and safety

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Environment, health and safety (EHS) is a discipline and specialty that studies and implements practical aspects of environmental protection and safety at work. In simple terms it is what organizations must do to make sure that their activities do not cause harm to anyone.

Regulatory requirements play an important role in EHS discipline and EHS managers must identify and understand relevant EHS regulations, the implications of which must be communicated to executive management so the company can implement suitable measures. Organisations based in the United States are subject to EHS regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations, particularly CFR 29, 40, and 49. Still, EHS management is not limited to legal compliance and companies should be encouraged to do more than is required by law, if appropriate.

From a health & safety standpoint, it involves creating organized efforts and procedures for identifying workplace hazards and reducing accidents and exposure to harmful situations and substances. It also includes training of personnel in accident prevention, accident response, emergency preparedness, and use of protective clothing and equipment.

From an environmental standpoint, it involves creating a systematic approach to complying with environmental regulations, such as managing waste or air emissions all the way to helping site's reduce the company's carbon footprint.

Successful HSE programs also include measures to address ergonomics, air quality, and other aspects of workplace safety that could affect the health and well-being of employees and the overall community.

Video Environment, health and safety

Other names

HSE goes by a number of acronyms which may exclude environment or include security and quality.

Maps Environment, health and safety

Regulatory agencies

United States

• Federal / international
  • Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
  • Mining Safety & Health Administration (MSHA), etc.
  • European Union (EU standards) - Health & Safety At Work Act
• State
  • Safety & Health Council of North Carolina, Massachusetts Nuclear Regulatory Commission, etc.
• Local
  • Municipal fire departments (building code inspections)
  • Environmental Management Agency (EMA)

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General categories

EHS guidelines cover categories specific to each industry as wells as those that are general to most industry sectors. Examples of general categories and subcategories are:

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Specific categories

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History

The chemical industry introduced the first formal EHS management approach in 1985 as a reaction to several catastrophic accidents (like the Seveso disaster of July 1976 and the Bhopal disaster of December 1984). This worldwide voluntary initiative, called "Responsible Care", started by the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (formerly the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association - CCPA), operates in about 50 countries, with central coordination provided by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA). It involves eight fundamental features which ensure plant and product safety, occupational health and environmental protection, but which also try to demonstrate by image-building campaigns that the chemical industry acts in a responsible manner. Being an initiative of the ICCA, it is restricted to the chemical industry.

Since the 1990s, general approaches to EHS management that may fit any type of organisation have appeared in international standards such as:

• ISO 14001 for environmental management
• OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety management, first published in 1999
• the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), developed by the European Commission in 1993

In 1998 the International Finance Corporation established EHS guidelines.

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Example

As a typical example, the activities of a health, safety and environment (HSE) working group might focus on:

• exchange of know-how regarding health, safety and environmental aspects of a material
• promotion of good working practices, such as post-use material collection for recycling

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Publications

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (United States)
• American Society of Safety Engineers
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS)
• EHS Today
• Safety+Health Magazine - National Safety Council
• Environmental Leader
• EU-OSHA
• ISHN
• NIOSH
• OH&S

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See also

• Occupational safety and health
• National Safety Council
• Robert W. Campbell Award, an Award for Business Excellence through EHS Management.
• Safety engineering

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External links

• NAEM, the premier Association for EHS Management: What is EHS?
• International Finance Corporation: World Bank Group Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines
• International Network for Environmental Management

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References

Source of the article : Wikipedia