Environmental, health and safety (EHS) professionals often take on the responsibility of ensuring an entire company is operating at the optimum safety for its workers. This can mean a whole lot of paperwork and stress as part of the daily routine. Some of the challenges of the job include fitting policies into the company budget, handling safety training, and participating in discussions with employees regarding the creation and enforcement of EHS policies in the workplace.
Budget
Working with a budget to strengthen your safety culture can be tricky. Cost-effective solutions like EHS software make it possible to achieve compliance and sustainability goals. Complimentary collateral from agencies like OSHA are also accessible to ensure EHS best practices are met. One way to begin the budgeting process is by creating a list of priority items you need to do your job, and then be creative about how you implement them.
Safety Training
Developing a mentoring program is a recommended practice to train the workforce on health and safety. An existing employee can mentor a new employee which may open up the opportunity of creating a "buddy system" for implementing safety procedures.
Paperwork
Undoubtedly, one of the most dreaded duties of the EHS profession is paperwork. Keeping track of daily tasks on the go can be difficult. Luckily, there is software available to help. The right EHS software solution allows you to streamline your processes by automating your entire EHS program. Transitioning from manual data entry to electronic documentation greatly reduces the risk of gaps and inaccuracies, especially in your audit initiatives.
Employee Interaction
Remember that you want to be seen as the company's safety coach, rather than the hard hat enforcer. Create an environment where you use safety guidelines to help improve employee jobs and company production. Always be approachable and willing to lead your workforce to safety success.
Are you an EHS professional? What challenges have you experienced on the job? Continue the conversation by leaving a comment below.