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Dakota Software's Blog for EHS and Sustainability Professionals

3 ingredients for effective EHS compliance management

October 23rd, 2015 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

3 ingredients for effective EHS compliance management

To reduce EHS-related risk, companies must first invest the time, money and resources to ensure they meet all the requirements set forth by regulators. While complex methodologies are employed by many to meet compliance obligations and improve EHS performance, others still struggle with the day-to-day challenges. Here are three key ingredients that should be part of every EHS compliance management system:

Establish a system for staying up-to-date with regulatory changes
Without a way to identify which regulatory changes pertain to your various sites and pieces of equipment, it's nearly impossible to implement procedures and practices that ensure compliance. EHS managers could spend the better part of their week sifting through regulations to identify important and relevant changes. Some use online regulatory change services to stay aware of changes but these tools typically don't provide detailed explanations of changes and notifcations for irrelevant items create a lot of unnecesary noise. Hiring consultants is another way to stay aware of changes but there is often a disconnect between what is shared with management and what makes it into the field.

Commercial EHS software applications consistently update as new regulations go into effect. This means managers don't have to spend a large portion of their day keeping up with changes. While saving time is nice, the bigger benefit comes from the ability to share important changes with facility staff and ensure that action is being taken to meet the new requirements.

Commit to creating a culture of safety
EHS compliance isn't just the job of the of the EHS manager. A fully compliant facility requires a focus on safety from all corporate-level leaders and managers. A consistent emphasis on safety compliance and the health of workers will encourage employees to behave in the right way. This is something that must start at the top. Company culture can be consciously designed by corporate leaders, through the implementation of new programs, initiatives and training. If it is made apparent to employees that the emphasis on a safe and healthy work environment is in their best interest, they will help perpetuate the right sentiment across the facility.

Utilize tools to establish accountability and visibility
Too often, EHS managers are forced to rely on home-grown compliance systems. The main problem with these systems is that they exist in a vacuum. Not only are they not tapped in to the changing regulatory environment, they often create siloes of information within the organization. While site-level EHS managers are usually content to access only their EHS performance data, this disparate approach reduces visibility to corporate decision makers and makes it difficult to identify trends across the organization.

Just as regulations and compliance strategies change, so to do the tools available to EHS managers. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to justify the cost of EHS management tools according to EHS Today. When cost justifying EHS-related tools, a case needs to be made that incorporates efficiency gains, culture improvement, brand perception, penalty avoidance, and overall risk mitigation.

When appropriate solutions are in place to assist with regulatory compliance, managers can focus on creating and implementing new EHS initiatives that help the company operate in a safer and more efficient manner. This efficiency can save time and increase accountability and visibility, which can have a dramatic effect on a company's bottom line.

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