4.19.2010

Are you an EHS Coach or Cop?

With roots in regulatory compliance, it’s no wonder that EHS professionals are, at times, viewed as cops. However, there are numerous evolving concepts that impact EHS effectiveness well beyond regulatory compliance. Some of these include the use of EHS management systems and six-sigma; the way in which EHS audits are conducted and its findings used; the role EHS professionals can play when their context (you can also say “mental models”) shift from compliance-based (cop-on-the-beat) to one of advising and coaching.

Accountability is key to this shift. In an advising/coaching role, EHS accountability is shared in partnership. EHS management systems help provide a framework for partnerships to flourish.

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4.19.2010

A Multi-Dimensional Perspective for EHS, Building and Leveraging Your EHS Culture

Organizational culture is complex, and according to many experts, not well understood. EHS professionals often think about culture in terms of safety. Yet, while safety is clearly important, the topic of culture is all-encompassing.

An area that I continue to explore is how EHS departments and their professionals can impact overall organizational culture. Said another way, how can you build and leverage your EHS culture?

I recently heard Professor Ed Schein of MIT, regarded as an organizational culture pioneer, speak. The title of his lecture was, “From Managing Organizational Culture to Leading Multicultural Teams.” He discussed the ways in which his thoughts on organizational culture have evolved over the past several decades and reviewed some of the material in the soon-to-be-released 4th edition of his landmark book, Organizational Culture and Leadership.

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3.26.2010

Is Your EHS Audit Program Hitting The Mark?

Auditing is a difficult subject—the term rarely conjures pleasant thoughts, and it’s often a dreaded event for the auditee. For the EHS department, it is a complex endeavor, one that EHS professionals often don’t feel they fully have a handle on as they’re presented with issues of program validity and reliability. For internal audit programs in large companies, scheduling can be a nightmare, with auditors swamped by primary-non-audit duties. While EHS departments do complete their audits and generate reports for the C-Suite, Board of Directors, and External Third Parties, the EHS audit programs I’ve observed often miss the mark.

Some of the recent EHS audit program challenges I’ve observed include: (1) integrating EHS management system audits with existing compliance audits; (2) developing procedures to close the gap between EHS program/system upgrades and the audit tools measuring them; (3) training auditors how to audit the EHS management system; (4) identifying leading indicators that can shorten the audit process or be used in site/plant self-assessment activities. Read More