Introduction to EHS
Environment health and safety comprises of the processes, guidance, rules and laws structured to help protect the environment , the public and employees from harm. Environmental, Health, and Safety Discipline focuses on reducing and preventing health issues, emergencies and accidents at work, together with any environmental damage which could consequence from work practice. EHS departments assumes an empirically and systematic informed mechanism to prevent injuries and accidents. EHS departments also supervise an array of hazards which include heavy machinery, height falls carcinogens exposure, and ergonomic hazards.
EHS Concerns
- Work assumed by EHS department is inspired by various concerns;
- The workers protection, the natural environment and their health
- Compliance with regulatory standards and legal requirements
- The improvement of morale, profit, and productivity which comes with a healthy and safe workforce (Utdallas.edu, n.d.).
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EHS entails developing an organized and systematic approach to comply and follow environmental regulations reducing carbon footprint of a business and manage waste, and general safety and health of all workers in their working environment. To ensure a strong environmental health and safety hold, firms need to have understand EHS regulatory standards and legal requirements employed to enhance performance. The organizations also need to employ measures on how to handle ergonomics, air quality and other workplace concepts where health and wellbeing of all involved persons and employees in the company are taken into consideration. This is generally anticipated to enhance the development of a favorable work environment which eventually result to improvement of the improvement of morale, profit, and productivity of workers in an organization
Responsibilities of Environmental, Health, and Safety Discipline
- Ensure implementation of laws and regulations governing health, safety and environment
- Ensure implementation and development of all safety and health programs in the company
- Ensure workers safety and application of the right protective measures
- Supervise dangerous procedures so as t lower injuries risks
- Ensure hazard communication
- Advocate for environmental policies progress
- Develop general safety rules in an organization
- Ensure proper training of workers on use of their respective working machines, equipment or chemicals
- Facilitate proper inspection of equipment before use and proper maintenance
- Perform risk assessment at the workplace (OSHA.gov, n.d.)
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EHS discipline is also responsible of ensuring organization complies with all environmental regulations and standards. EHS department also enhances the implementation of policies required for the application of personal protective equipment in an organization. It also conducts regular safety meetings so as to review novel policies and procedures required for all workers in an organization. Reviewing the safety information posted in the entire work field so as to accurately updated on what is novel in the regulations and rules of health, safety and environment.
Types of Hazards Addressed by the Environmental, Health, and Safety Discipline
- EHS is involved in the prevention of different hazards experienced in the workplaces. These include;
- Occupational physical hazard
- Occupational electrical hazard
- Occupational chemical hazards
- Occupational biological hazards
- Radiation hazards
- Environmental hazards
- Ergonomic Injuries
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EHS is involved in the prevention of different hazards experienced in the workplaces. These include occupational physical hazards which are mostly as a result of mechanical equipment accidents. They can include burns, cuts, and broken body parts among others. Occupational electrical hazards include electrocution. Chemical hazards include chemical burns, inhaling chemicals, eye splash, and skin irritation. Biological hazards include viral, bacterial infections among other things. Other hazards that are addressed by EHS include radiation hazards, ergonomic hazards and environmental hazards that include different forms of pollution..
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Types of Control Methods Used by EHS
- The EHS employ different types of control methods which include;
- Personal protective equipment to prevent injuries during operations
- Administrative control to alter how people work
- Engineering controls to isolate workers from hazards
- Substitution to replace hazards with least harmful
- Elimination which involve physical removal of a hazard
The Environmental, Health, and Safety Discipline employ different types of control methods to ensure it accomplish its main operation goal. Some of the measures to be employed include personal protective equipment to prevent injuries during operations. The may include different forms of protective gears that include gloves, helmet, goggles, overall, and boots among others.. Administrative controls are controls that alter how people work by devising new rules and procedures where safety measures are more considered. Engineering controls are controls designed to isolate workers from hazards by structuring the workspace in a more secure manner. Substitution controls replace hazard with least harmful hazards to reduce their effects. Elimination which involve physical removal of a hazard in the workplace or workstation.
Interaction Between EHS and Production Discipline
Production is a unit of an industrial organization where there is a lot of mechanization. Mechanization can be considerably hazardous due to moving machines that are amounted into electrical sockets and possibility of reagents that can be dangerous. The Environmental, Health, and Safety Discipline can be used to assess the level of danger in the department, before the machines are turned on for daily operation. It can also be used to train workers in the unit on the best protection measures they should employ to enhance health and safety. EHS can also be used to dictate other safety measures such as regular inspection and maintenance of the machines among other things. All these measures reduce chances of accidents due to human errors or machine faulty.
Interaction Between EHS and Human Resource Discipline
Human resource unit focuses on management of workers in an organization with intention of offering the best to get the best. The unit is thus highly concerned on organization safety. Human resource unit can interact with Environmental, Health, and Safety Discipline by using EHS standards and strategies to promote workers safety and health through policies, training, embracing safe culture, and ensuring the right protective measures are provided to all relevant units.
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