Chapter 1

Environment, Health and Safety is Everywhere

Proliferation of the Field

Abstract

This initial chapter describes the vast scope of topics and issues in the EHS field. After discussing the new role of EHS, it tackles environmental initiatives, such as energy-saving projects, recycling programs, water-conservation projects, waste-management solutions and air pollution projects.

Next, a variety of safety issues are explored, including safety management systems, safety leadership programs, safety auditing programs, first aid and personal protection, workers’ compensation, accident prevention, safety incentives, systems safety, fire prevention and protection, behavior-based safety programs, workplace violence, hazardous chemicals and materials and occupational health and safety.

The last portion of the chapter focuses on health issues, including health screenings, healthy eating and nutrition, smoking cessation programs, obesity programs, industrial hygiene, ergonomics and stress management. Finally, the chapter stresses the fact that the changes needed must be managed within the EHS function.

Keywords: EHS topics, energy-saving projects, recycling programs, water-conservation, waste-management, safety, safety leadership, safety auditing, accident prevention, health screenings, ergonomics, stress management, changes within EHS function

1.1 The New Role of EHS

No matter what industry, business or occupation, the field of environment health and safety (EHS) is everywhere. In the early 1970s, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were established to protect the environment and employees from abuses by the industrial and business communities. In the 1970s and 1980s, the role of the EHS professional who worked in business was primarily one of compliance with new and complex regulatory regimes. Today, to a large degree, there has been a fundamental shift in the way organizations view the EHS effort. While compliance with the vast regulatory burden remains a major function of the EHS professional, organizations have recognized the importance of EHS-related matters to employees, communities and the bottom line. The scope of the EHS profession is vast, and senior EHS professionals are called upon to initiate, evaluate and execute initiatives in a number of areas.

According to a study performed for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, environmental regulations cost businesses about $281 billion annually. Occupational safety and health regulation costs are estimated at $65 billion annually (Crain, 2010). This is just the estimated annual regulatory burden and does not include proactive initiatives in pollution prevention, health and wellness practiced by many EHS professionals. Below are a few examples of EHS initiatives and programs that the EHS professional faces on a daily basis.

1.2 Environmental Initiatives

Historically, environmental programs and initiatives were compliance based, stemming from a large and complex regulatory framework. The EPA, pursuant to certain milestone legislative laws/acts, promulgated the bulk of these regulations. Some primary laws of concern to the contemporary EHS professional include the Clean Air Act (1970), the Clean Water Act (1972), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976) (laws addressing hazardous waste) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Liabilities Act (Superfund) (1980), plus all of the subsequent amendments for each of these acts. Senior EHS professionals must have a working knowledge of how each of these regulations applies to his or her organization. When that applicability is understood, EHS professionals can develop programs and/or initiatives to comply with the regulatory requirements.

Determining the return on investment (ROI) of the programs has not been a real concern for the EHS field for a variety of reasons. Many companies use compliance with the regulations as a baseline for their environmental programs. Compliance is not optional, but that doesn’t mean the EHS professional shouldn’t seek cost-effective and optimal solutions. However, for these companies, ROI does not drive the decision-making process. Another reason ROI has not been of great concern to the EHS professional is that maximum penalties are known. This makes the ROI calculation straightforward, eliminating the need for any sophisticated analysis. Furthermore, since 1984, the EPA has used an economic benefit model to determine any economic gain from non-compliance. This essentially eliminates financial gains as part of the ROI equation. As mentioned, when it comes to compliance projects, the EHS professional needs to evaluate the most cost-effective means commensurate with the size and scope of the business. This should be a fairly straightforward proposition.

Today, however, the EHS professional and the financial decision makers are faced with environmental projects, programs or initiatives that are not as straightforward as a pure compliance project. These initiatives are often more technically challenging, broader in scope and connected to more departments and individuals, making them more difficult to implement and harder to isolate the impact of the program.

1.2.1 Energy Saving Projects

Energy-saving projects receive significant attention in the business community. Not only do energy savings translate to an improved bottom line, but energy consumption is also the primary driver for greenhouse gas (GHG) generation.

At an energy-intensive company, engineers, scientists and financial personnel are often involved in energy reduction. The energy-intensive nature of the business drives financial metrics, which in turn focus on the pure economic need for energy savings. This economic relationship works fine. If an energy-saving project can meet the company’s financial requirement for capital expenditures, the project is approved.

ROI begins to break down, however, when companies are less energy intensive or have reached a significant point of diminishing returns on energy-capital expenditures. In this case, all the energy and GHG savings that can be justified on a pure economic basis have been wrung from the system. EHS professionals charged with leadership roles in GHG reduction are faced with difficulties quantifying the business impacts and returns for energy reduction, which is what drives GHG reduction.

1.2.2 Recycling Programs

For a variety of products, economic infrastructure is in place to make the evaluation of recycling programs fairly straightforward. For instance, assume that a facility generates a form of ferrous scrap metal in its production process. The technology for recycling ferrous scrap is well established, and ferrous scrap is a valuable raw material. The products made from recycled ferrous scrap are no different from the products made from virgin ore. This creates a pull through the system for scrap metal, creating value. An EHS professional can easily call a local scrap dealer, determine the value of the scrap material and thoroughly evaluate the financial return on a scrap metal recycling program.

Other recycling programs aren’t as clear-cut. For many materials, recycling technology exists but there is no demand. Recycled products are often more expensive than the product made from virgin material or are inferior in quality. If you visit your local for-profit recycling center, for example, you will get paid for aluminum cans but not for last week’s newspapers. Companies wishing to move in a “zero waste” direction must assign some values to the recycling efforts.

1.2.3 Water Conservation Projects

One does not have to look far in the media today to read headlines about the impending water shortage. Whether or not the water crisis is real, companies are looking to conserve water. These initiatives include installing closed-loop cooling systems, water-polishing systems to reuse what was previously water discharged to the environment, improved spraying systems and different building cooling systems that do not use chilled water. Since the technology exists for companies to go to zero discharge, the question becomes, what is the value?

Depending on the company’s location, the abundance and therefore cost of water can be relatively low compared to energy. In fact, depending on the business and location, water is virtually free. The cost is in treating the water to meet the needs of the process. While the use of publically treated water is more expensive, it remains relatively inexpensive compared to installing pricey water recycling and reuse infrastructure within a facility. EHS professionals and financial decision makers need methods to know the total impact on a proposed water conservation project.

1.2.4 Waste Management Solutions

In addition to the recycling initiatives mentioned above, waste management solutions can be broad and complex. These are end-of-pipe solutions such as delisting a hazardous waste, which, due to the nature of the process, is not straightforward in terms of a return on investment calculation. There are legal fees, process engineering costs, process certification expenses and all the internal costs and time associated with delisting. The gains are not always forthcoming either. Disposal costs change or are eliminated, storage requirements change and handling and recordkeeping requirements are different. Additionally, if the delisting of the waste changes the status of the facility from a large-quantity generator to zero hazardous waste generated, an entire regulatory regime is removed.

In addition to end-of-pipe...