Establishing the priorities for the EHS system – Environment, Health, Safety – is a task that requires review and planning. Keeping a list of options to consider is always a good idea. This way, it will not be necessary to do all the work at the beginning of each cycle.
That plan should be reviewed periodically. Some organizations work with periods of 3 to 5 years. But if we use a simple, basic plan, we may review the list every year. But why is it so important to do it? … let’s see:
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Why is it necessary to set priorities for the EHS system?
Establishing priorities for the EHS system allows you to determine objectives and provides any organization, company, or store such as Wolverine Engines with a plan to appropriately allocate the resources necessary to achieve the expected results.
Establishing priorities avoids improvisation and allows you to successfully overcome contingencies that may arise along the way.
How to set priorities for the EHS system?
Usually, we establish priorities based on the result of a meeting with the work team, in which the proposals are discussed as a result of a “brainstorming”, in which the incidents presented in the most recent period have great weight.
It is still a good idea. However, approaching the work methodically and systematically can yield better results. Let’s start by answering 4 essential questions :
- What are we trying to achieve?
- When do we want to get it?
- How much will it cost us?
- Can we measure it?
Answering these questions ensures that our priority list is possible, realistic, measurable, and achievable in the short term. Let’s not forget that an effective EHS plan must pursue specific objectives, and must minimize the impact of key risks, always seeking continuous improvement.
Things to consider when setting priorities for the EHS system
An EHS system involves all areas of the organization or a company like wastewater odor control from Scicorp International. But it is important to focus on some aspects that are more relevant. Some of them are:
Improved employee engagement
EHS management must consider effective ways to involve employees. A good idea is to allocate a few hours on one day of the week, to dedicate them to Health and Safety, or an environmental campaign.
Well either face training sessions or online training, the organization can, through training, increase levels of commitment of employees with the EHS system.
Budget for the system
Does the system have the financial resources to attend to everything that has been programmed? It is necessary to review all the needs, among them, those of training and training deserve special attention.
Gap analysis
Continuous improvement requires that we review gaps or deficiencies in the system, address them, and establish a corrective action plan to eliminate them.
Incident decrease
Is it possible to improve the accident, near misses, and incident indicators? Are corrective actions being followed up? A monitoring plan, which guarantees the closure of the corrective action, is of vital importance to ensure continuous improvement of the system.
Delegate responsibilities
Part of building employee engagement is instilling the concept that health, safety, and the environment are common responsibilities. A good way to do this is by delegating responsibilities that increase the perception of belonging and responsibility.
Have the right information at the right time
Getting the right information, before setting priorities for the EHS system, helps determine the initiatives that deserve the most interest. But the information is not always available when we need it. Where to look for it?
- In reports of findings from past inspections or audits.
- In injury accident and near-miss reports.
- In the risk assessments carried out.
- In surveys of employees, health managers, or safety committees.
The companies that work with BasicSafe carry out an easy, intuitive, and agile ISO management, complying with all the requirements of the ISO standards, optimizing their resources.