Corrective actions often fail because we don’t fully understand the situation or we can’t think outside of the box.
Poor Investigation and Analysis
“I’ve seen something like this before. I know what to do.” “We need to try something, so let’s do this.”
“Let’s just get a move on.”
“We need to take care of this ASAP.”
How often do you hear these phrases when a problem pops up?
While we might be tempted to handle an organizational issue as quickly as possible, corrective actions based on assumptions will always be nothing more than guesswork.
Strong Investigation and Analysis
The first response to an incident should be an investigation. We need an accurate understanding of what happened before deciding how to prevent its reoccurrence.
In TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis, the first step of every investigation is to build a SnapCharT® Diagram. This is a visual diagram of the events and details leading to the incident.
While a SnapCharT® will start fairly simple…
It may develop into something much more detailed:
Once a full timeline is built, we can accurately assess the root causes and establish better corrective actions.
Surface Level Problem-Solving
A solution that fails to address the root causes can soil the investigation.
Too often, teams fall back onto the same few corrective actions:
Training or retraining programs,
Extensions to the guidelines or procedures, or
Disciplinary action for those involved.
While these responses are typical in many industries, they’re more often a formality than a necessary step in the right direction.
Out-of-the-Box Thinking
Instead of telling workers to be more careful around a hazard, take a step back and ask: how can we make the working environment safer?
The Corrective Action Wheel (left) is a simple but versatile human performance tool that ranks the effectiveness of each safeguard (starting at 12 o’clock and moving clockwise):
The safest actions would be to remove, reduce, replace, or relocate the hazard. Automatically preventing, detecting, stopping, or containing the hazard from harming anyone would be the next best choices.
If these aren’t possible or realistic solutions, upgrade the workers’ guards or PPE.
These corrective actions are more committal than a retraining session, but they future-proof the work environment with a safer foundation.
Building Successful Corrective Actions
If you’re interested in learning more about corrective actions, sign up for our interactive course, Successful Corrective Actions Workshop.
Our team will also be available at our booth to discuss any questions you have about corrective actions.
Leading organizations adopt a risk-based approach to environment, health, and safety (EHS) management to go beyond regulatory compliance.
Risk assessments are part of an effective EHS management program. But what happens after initial risk assessments are completed? They may be revised after an incident or over time (e.g. every 5 years). However, it’s always important to be proactive about EHS risks.
Here are four examples how EHS software can be used to enable proactive risk management.
Analysis of near misses and employee observations
Employees and contractors are valuable sources of insight when it comes to identifying new hazards and risks. EHS software simplifies the process by enabling them to easily report near misses, hazards, and unsafe or at-risk behaviors or conditions through a mobile app or desktop software.
Once reported, this data is analyzed with EHS software to uncover hazards and emerging risks. Organizations can then proactively implement controls to mitigate these hazards before they lead to incidents. Instead of reacting to problems after they occur, companies can leverage early warning signs or other indications to stay ahead of potential risks.
Evaluation of control effectiveness
Conducting an initial risk assessment and implementing controls is just the first step in preventing incidents. Over time, controls and barriers can weaken, making it essential to continuously evaluate their effectiveness. While risk assessments may be reviewed every five years, controls and barriers require more frequent assessments, ideally ongoing or in real-time.
EHS software provides organizations with tools to enable proactive risk management through the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of controls.
First, an inspections module allows organizations to conduct targeted inspections to verify whether controls remain effective. These inspections leverage software-based checklists, and results can be analyzed within the EHS platform to identify weaknesses or failures.
Second, barrier management capabilities offer a real-time or near-real-time view of barrier health across all operations. Instead of discovering a degraded barrier only after an incident or periodic inspection, plant and safety managers receive early alerts—allowing them to address issues before they become serious risks.
By leveraging these capabilities, organizations can take a truly proactive approach to risk management, ensuring that safety measures always remain strong and effective.
Management of Change
Management of Change (MOC) is one of the 14 elements of OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard, but its importance extends beyond PSM alone. MOC should be viewed in the broader context of EHS and operations, as every type of change, whether in personnel, process, equipment, or product, has the potential to introduce new hazards or risks.
To stay ahead of these risks, organizations must evaluate whether a proposed change could lead to problems.
EHS software streamlines this process by providing structured workflows, automated notifications, and audit trails for managing MOC requests. This ensures every change undergoes a thorough assessment, allowing organizations to proactively identify and address risks before they lead to incidents.
Enterprise-wide risk register
A risk-centered EHS platform includes a comprehensive risk register that allows organizations to track and manage risks and controls across the entire enterprise. This is especially critical for companies with global operations, where similar hazards and risks may be present at multiple sites.
For example, if a specific type of machinery or equipment at one facility has the potential to malfunction under certain conditions—leading to operational disruptions or a safety incident—it’s essential to know where else that same equipment is used. This enables proactive measures to be implemented enterprise-wide before issues arise.
Likewise, if occupational health risks related to chemical exposure are identified at a particular plant, organizations need visibility into all other facilities where similar exposure risks exist. With this insight, preventive controls can be implemented universally, rather than reacting to issues as they occur.
EHS software provides a holistic, real-time view of all EHS risks and controls across global operations, allowing organizations to proactively mitigate risks enterprise-wide before they escalate into incidents.
Benchmarking EHS software solutions
How can you determine which EHS software solutions include the right features to enable proactive risk management?
The Green Quadrant: EHS Software 2025 report from independent research firm Verdantix is used by leading organizations to compare EHS software solutions. Here’s the current assessment of EHS software vendors:
The report evaluates and scores EHS software platforms on eight technical, 19 functional, and 12 market momentum categories.
For example, in the category ‘EHS compliance & risk management’, which covers risk identification, risk assessment, and risk register, Wolters Kluwer Enablon received a score of 2.8 on 3.0. It’s the highest score among all vendors.
Similarly, in the category ‘Management of Change’, Wolters Kluwer Enablon received a score of 2.7 on 3.0, which is also the highest score among all vendors.
Jean-Grégoire Manoukian is Content Thought Leader at Wolters Kluwer Enablon. He is responsible for thought leadership, content creation, as well as the management of Enablon insights articles and social media activities. He also provides subject matter expertise to the global marketing team. Jean-Grégoire started at Enablon in 2014 as Content Marketing Manager and has more than 25 years of professional experience, including many years as a product manager for chemical management and product stewardship solutions. He also worked in the telecommunications industry as a product marketing manager. JG has dual Canadian and French citizenship.
A successful serious injury and fatality (SIF) prevention program is a sort of three-legged stool of culture, processes, and technology. All are needed and each individual leg on its own is not enough.
Organizations must combine a strong safety culture that prioritizes SIF prevention, with internal processes that effectively identify SIF precursors and hazards, and use EHS software to bring it all together.
Let’s take a closer look at the individual elements, along with three questions to consider for each.
Culture starts at the top
An effective safety culture sees SIF prevention being deeply embedded in the behaviors, attitudes, and mindsets of all employees.
And it starts with the “tone at the top.” When executives and the C-suite continually raise awareness and actively promote SIF prevention, the entire organization – from safety managers and shift supervisors to frontline workers – is more likely to fall in line because consistent leadership actions demonstrate safety is a priority, not just a policy.
Is your safety culture contributing to effectively prevent SIFs? The answers to these questions may give you the answer:
Does top management regularly emphasize the need to prevent SIFs and talk about actions taken for SIF prevention? Regularly raising awareness reinforces safety must be everyone’s responsibility. Employees must feel encouraged to take ownership of their actions and their role in maintaining a safe workplace.
Is there frequent communication around SIF prevention in the form of e-mails, newsletters, toolbox talks, posters at worksites, etc.? Open communication from management ensures employees understand safety protocols, risks, and expectations. This clarity reduces confusion and empowers employees to act appropriately.
Is there a culture of blaming employees or does your organization also look at systemic and other issues that may have led to an incident? While human error is always possible, it’s also essential to look at other factors that may have set an employee up for failure, such as the work environment, lack of training, or failure to communicate critical safety information.
Processes for managing and investigating incidents must adapt
Processes for incident management and incident investigation should reflect a focus on SIF exposures, not just on recordable injuries. Companies must move beyond a fundamental compliance-based approach.
Near misses must be analyzed to determine their SIF potential, and if so, these should undergo a full incident investigation and root cause analysis. Actual SIFs should be analyzed to identify the responsible hazards, and SIF precursors should be identified by analyzing data on observations and incident investigations of potential and actual SIFs.
Consider these questions to determine whether your organization has the right processes:
Are there common definitions throughout the company for what constitutes a SIF precursor, a potential SIF, and an actual SIF? Having common definitions ensures all employees share the same SIF prevention understanding. It also reduces the risk of miscommunication or misinterpretation that can lead to mistakes.
Did you determine the hazards and high-risk activities that have the greatest potential to lead to SIFs? Focus is key. SIF prevention efforts are more likely to be effective if they’re prioritized by hazards and activity types that are most likely to result in serious injuries and fatalities.
During root cause analyses of potential or actual SIFs, do you look at organizational factors, decisions made, or work processes that may have also contributed to SIFs? As part of an incident investigation, there should be a process to look beyond the immediate and most obvious cause(s) of an incident. All contributing factors should be identified and addressed.
Technology brings everything together
Technology is the vital third element because it brings everything together: people, processes, data, and information. It enables you to reach your SIF prevention goals.
EHS software allows employees to collaborate, provides a single source of truth, automates processes and workflows, and tracks progress through reports and dashboards. It also helps to identify trends, areas of weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.
Consider these questions to determine whether your organization is using the right technology for SIF prevention:
Are frontline workers empowered to easily report near misses, hazards, and observations of at-risk behaviors and conditions through mobile devices? Allowing employees to document hazards, unsafe conditions, and near misses increases the likelihood of quickly and effectively identifying trends or problem areas that need attention.
Do you analyze data on SIFs to categorize them according to the type of hazard and to evaluate the success of your SIF prevention efforts? Analyzing SIF data allows organizations to pinpoint common hazards or systemic issues that lead to severe injuries and fatalities. Categorizing incidents by hazard type provides insights into patterns or recurring problems.
Do you use action plans in EHS software to launch and track corrective actions associated with actual and potential SIFs? This is vital for creating a proactive and effective safety management system that ensures timely response, data-driven decision-making, and enhanced organizational learning when incidents occur.
Jean-Grégoire Manoukian is Content Thought Leader at Wolters Kluwer Enablon. He is responsible for thought leadership, content creation, as well as the management of Enablon insights articles and social media activities. He also provides subject matter expertise to the global marketing team. Jean-Grégoire started at Enablon in 2014 as Content Marketing Manager and has more than 25 years of professional experience, including many years as a product manager for chemical management and product stewardship solutions. He also worked in the telecommunications industry as a product marketing manager. JG has dual Canadian and French citizenship.
Today’s EHS professionals have unprecedented access to massive data volumes that allow them to generate more and better insights and move their organizations to proactive risk management. But with such tremendous capability and data volumes, it’s easy to miss important lessons if you don’t dig deep enough.
Centralizing data creates a single source of truth
It all starts with consolidation. Among the many good reasons for a single, centralized, cloud-based EHS software platform throughout an entire organization is having all EHS data in one place. A centralized data repository provides:
A single, unified source for all data, ensuring consistency across the organization since everyone uses the same data
An easier way to integrate data from different sources or departments
Governance and control mechanisms to ensure data is clean, accurate, and up to date
Easier access to data without the need to search multiple systems
A more streamlined way to gather data, reducing the time to locate and extract information, and a way to accelerate analysis and decision-making
Data gives organizations greater visibility across their operations and the potential to quickly detect patterns and trends, as well as logical connections between elements, helping them identify risks and opportunities. It all leads to improved worker safety, superior EHS performance, and operational excellence.
Be sure to see the big picture
But there are challenges associated with an overabundance of data, including information overload where there’s too much data or too much irrelevant data. It can be overwhelming and make it difficult to prioritize actionable insights.
Even with insights generated from data, there is the possibility that decision-makers may be swamped by the sheer number of insights available, or they may not recognize important insights beyond those that are most obvious.
Consider these three examples below that show how an initial data analysis may not reveal everything.
1) Field reporting of near misses and observations
What the data shows: After launching a near-miss reporting program with a centralized system and mobile apps, the number of reported near misses and observations of unsafe conditions and behaviors has fallen.
What you may conclude: Safety is improving because the total number of reported near misses and observations has fallen.
What you may have missed: When a field reporting program is implemented, there’s an initial and often significant rise in the number of reported near misses and observations, since workers are proactively identifying issues that already exist. As time goes on, there could be a drop in the number of near misses and observations reported after that initial bump, leading to a conclusion that safety is improving, which may or may not be the case. Also, a decline in reported near misses and observations may suggest another issue – one of diminishing employee engagement and a weakening safety culture. It would be a mistake then to assume safety is improving simply because reported near misses and observations are dropping.
2) Near misses and potential SIFs
What the data shows: The number of near miss events is falling, and the number of incidents is stable or also declining. An organization feels it is moving in the right direction.
What you may conclude: The lower number of near misses indicates safety is improving and risks are diminishing.
What you may have missed: While there are fewer total near misses, perhaps the number of near miss events with a potential for a serious injury or fatality (SIF) is actually increasing. Suppose there were 100 quarterly near misses, of which 20 were potential SIFs. Now, near misses total 80 each quarter, but 30 have a SIF potential. The overall drop in near misses is misleading at first glance since there is an increasing and disturbing rise in potential SIFs that can lead to more actual SIFs.
3) Benchmarking plants or facilities
What the data shows: By centralizing all data, a company can compare the safety metrics and performance of individual plants or facilities, allowing for benchmarking.
What you may conclude: Plants or facilities observed with poorer safety performance should receive extra training and be targeted for awareness campaigns.
What you may have missed: Is safety training and awareness the only problem? Perhaps some plants perform poorly on safety because they were built before the 1970s or 1980s and incorporate fewer inherently safer design principles than plants built more recently. Is it necessary to apply inherently safer design concepts to existing facilities? Additional training or awareness campaigns could help but may not address the primary flaws and may only tell part of the story. In this case, a bigger picture analysis could be needed to recognize that more engineering controls are required in older plants.
Dig deeper for more valuable insights
EHS professionals need help in digging more deeply into data to reveal important insights. There has never been more data available and while insights can make organizations more proactive in minimizing risks and reducing incidents, data volumes can be massive.
Today, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence are assisting professionals in many industries in processing data and revealing insights that they may otherwise miss. Analytics are now an important part of improving safety performance and helping human experts drive even deeper data analysis to ensure nothing gets missed.
Learn more about Enablon Open Insights and discover how to simplify your data management with an advanced cloud native analytics solution.
Jean-Grégoire Manoukian is Content Thought Leader at Wolters Kluwer Enablon.
He is responsible for thought leadership, content creation, as well as the management of Enablon insights articles and social media activities. He also provides subject matter expertise to the global marketing team. Jean-Grégoire started at Enablon in 2014 as Content Marketing Manager and has more than 25 years of professional experience, including many years as a product manager for chemical management and product stewardship solutions. He also worked in the telecommunications industry as a product marketing manager. JG has dual Canadian and French citizenship.
Trust Your EHS Data, but Talk to Your Workers Also
There used to be a time when companies did not have the same quantity and quality of EHS data that they have now. That certainly was a problem. But do we have another type of problem now?
Today, organizations have gotten better at collecting data on incidents, near misses, risks, hazards, observations, and environmental metrics. This has been greatly facilitated by EHS software.
Moreover, the technology exists today to analyze EHS data and make sense of it. With a massive volume of data available, organizations can use advanced analytics to gain better insights, including descriptive analytics (“What’s happening?”), diagnostic analytics (“why it’s happening?”), predictive analytics (“What could happen?”), and prescriptive analytics (“What should be done?”).
Here’s a question that you don’t hear often: Is there a danger of relying too much on data?
Not everything that counts can be counted
Almost 60 years ago, in 1963, sociologist William Bruce Cameron wrote ‘Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking’, which included the following passage (emphasis added separately):
“It would be nice if all of the data which sociologists require could be enumerated because then we could run them through IBM machines and draw charts as the economists do. However, not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”
At first glance you may think that the passage is irrelevant because sociology and EHS are completely different. But are they? Aren’t humans at the center or both? Ultimately, EHS is about keeping workers safe and health.
Listen to your EHS data
Let’s be clear: The great progress in technology and data management is a positive development. Advanced analytics present many opportunities for EHS professionals to improve safety performance.
You should trust what your EHS data says. You can gain a competitive edge and better protect your workers if you fully embrace EHS data analysis and new technologies.
Listen to your EHS data to generate these types of insights that will inform your decision-making:
The top hazards that are leading to the most incidents. This informs your risk assessments and shows you where controls should be implemented.
The locations, job types, or work groups with the most accidents and near misses. This helps you determine where you should focus your efforts and attention.
Changes in incident rates following an increase in observations of at-risk or unsafe conditions or behaviors. This allows you to see if you’re successfully identifying or addressing problems.
In sum, it’s good to be data-driven. Numbers don’t lie. Decisions supported by data are more likely to stand scrutiny and to achieve their desired outcomes.
But talk to your workers also
However, there is a danger of relying too much on data.
Why? Because data is rational, precise, structured, and logical. Humans can also exhibit these traits, but they also carry inherent cognitive biases, irrationalities, and emotional complexities.
There are things that EHS data will tell you that you will not learn from conversations with people. But there are also things that conversations will reveal that you can’t learn from data.
For example, go talk to the professional with more than 40 years of experience who is about to retire, and who has a wealth of knowledge. He may give valuable information on how people feel, think, act, and behave, which is something that data may only partially tell you.
Talk to the employee who was recently hired, and graduated from university only last year. She may give great insights about the expectations of your future employees and the new workplace trends that may be common in one, five, or ten years.
Don’t dismiss what people have to say by relying too much on data.
Complementing, not competing
Ultimately, it’s about complementing data insights with what people say. Both are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they strengthen each other.
Data will tell you what happened, where it happened, and when. Through advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, data may even tell you why something happened, and what could happen.
But conversations with workers offer glimpses into the thought processes, emotions, and feelings that people go through, and which may provide critical insights into such questions as:
Why are workers reluctant to wear PPE?
Why is training material not being remembered?
Why do workers hesitate to report near misses or observations?
Why do they see processes and paperwork as unnecessary burdens?
In conclusion, always aim to improve your EHS data management through software and technology. But keep talking to your workers and don’t forget the human aspect of safety.
We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming interest and support we’ve received for the EHS Congress 2024. Your enthusiasm has surpassed our expectations, and it is with a mix of gratitude and regret that we announce the congress is now officially at full capacity. With a hard limit of 300 seats in our conference room, our commitment to providing an exceptional experience and value for each attendee means we must adhere strictly to this number and cannot accept further registrations.
However, we understand the importance of the discussions and insights that will be shared at the congress and want to ensure that no one misses out. To this end, we are thrilled to offer LIVE streaming of all main room sessions, including keynotes and panel debates. You can join us virtually via https://www.linkedin.com/events/7142473963640700928/ to be part of the action from wherever you are.
Moreover, we’re already looking forward to next year’s event. Mark your calendars for May 20-21, 2025, when we’ll be back in Berlin for another enriching edition of the EHS Congress. Thank you once again for your support and understanding. We can’t wait to welcome you, in person or virtually, to what promises to be an unforgettable experience.
In today’s cost-conscious environment, business leaders are being asked to do more with less. At the same time, the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic mean well-being is more important than ever before. Meeting these needs requires businesses to lean on digitization and automation of health and safety processes. These digital tools must also be integrated with central IT systems, allowing for greater accuracy and alignment as businesses grow and evolve.
It comes as no surprise then that most organizations now view safety culture as a key pillar of corporate identity, on par with compliance. Yet only 40%[1] of businesses have a well-defined roadmap for safety performance improvement, and just 36%[2] use lessons learned to prevent future incidents. Given the dynamic challenges of today’s business environment, this is a significant missed opportunity. Historical data can provide insight into how to build a safer workplace for colleagues, a better product for customers and a more resilient business. Read on to learn how Co-op, one of the world’s largest consumer cooperatives, used Sphera’s health and safety software to deploy incident data as a tool for prevention.
The Co-op Story
Co-op is the United Kingdom’s fifth biggest food retailer, its top funeral service provider, a major insurer and a legal service provider. They employ over 57,000 people, in addition to contract workers. With its primary business in the retail sector, Co-op colleagues are vulnerable to a range of incidents, including crime and workplace accidents. To improve their safety culture, the organization deployed SpheraCloud Health and Safety Software in October 2019. The software includes modules for Data Collection, Action Items, Advanced Analytics, Risk Assessment and Audits. Through this partnership, Co-op extended reporting access to all colleagues and contractors who have collectively reported over 1 million events as of July 2022.
“If you really want to know what’s going on in your organization and you truly want to drive a positive safety culture, you need to give everybody the opportunity to raise concerns and to tell you what’s happening in your organization,” said Louise Atherton, Co-op safety business partner, in a recent webinar.
The benefits have been numerous. Co-op’s data showed 5% of its reports were related to incidents such as property damage, injury and illness. Another 5% were near misses. This indicated that the ratio of incidents to near misses was approximately one-to-one. “This is a massive validation of the positive safety culture that we’ve created within our organization,” Atherton said.
What is more, Co-op has been able to use this data to drive reductions in high-severity incidents. Since 2021, Co-op has seen a 26% reduction in high-severity incidents, which means fewer colleagues have been seriously impacted by workplace safety incidents. This also translates to less sick time taken, reductions in the disbursement of sick pay and broad improvements in well-being. Automatic notifications enable managers to offer support in real time, rather than after the fact. Enhanced access to a wider range of key risk indicators (KRIs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) means managers and business leaders can use incident information to make better business decisions and ensure strategies reflect their workforce’s current needs.
Bigger Than the Co-op
Importantly, Co-op’s data revealed the vast majority of reports stemmed from crime-related incidents. While this is a well-known risk in the retail industry, Co-op used its real-time incident data to quantify the issue and drive positive change. Within its own stores, Coop has reduced physical assaults by 53% in the past year — meaning 366 fewer colleagues have been exposed to workplace violence compared to the year prior. But the impact goes further than that. Co-op’s crime reporting helped highlight the issue at the industry level and drove legislators to pass a bill that made assaulting a shop worker an aggravated offense in England, Scotland and Wales. Now the Co-op triage process is recognized as a market-leading strategy by the National Business Crime Centre and is being shared nationally.
“This has become bigger than the Co-op now. This is helping drive change in our whole entire sector,”
-Louise Atherton
Key Recommendations
The Co-op story includes important key learnings for businesses in any industry that want to create a positive safety culture. Atherton’s top tips:
Engagement at all levels of the organization is key. To fully capture the direct and indirect impacts of incidents across the organization, the best health and safety systems will be valuable tools for end users across the organization.
Output is king. Businesses should think about what they want to get out of their systems while designing them. That way, data input supports efficient processes and produces valuable output.
Think beyond direct impact. Improved data collection means accident rates will appear to increase. It’s important to remember this is still a win — better data means better strategies to reduce incident severity and reduce the rate of future incidents. This data can be used to drive change more broadly and establish your organization as an industry leader, as it has at Co-op.
Partners in Change
Sphera partners with organizations like Co-op to build better change management processes, leading to better risk identification, assessment, control and mitigation. Contact Sphera today to learn how to start your safety journey.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy is one of today’s hottest topics in boardrooms around the world. Now forward-thinking businesses are tapping Environment Health & Safety (EHS) frameworks to grow ESG’s impact beyond compliance.
A Dynamic ESG Landscape
The momentum behind ESG legislation in Europe, the United States and other regions is driving enormous interest in ways to update processes and technologies. Over the next couple of years, nearly 50,000 companies will be required to start reporting their ESG impacts under the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). At least 10,000 non-EU companies will be subject to the regulation.
In the U.S., large publicly traded companies will likely soon be required to report their Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and some may also need to report their Scope 3 emissions under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed climate-related disclosure rules. Understandably, the new regulations have led to a focus on compliance, yet ESG provides a useful framework for performance improvement.
As businesses increasingly seek to approach ESG in more meaningful ways, we are beginning to see a convergence between EHS and ESG. Traditionally, EHS functions have concentrated on ensuring that business services, products and processes are safe for employees, surrounding communities and the planet. ESG can be a natural extension of that work. To take ESG efforts to the next level—and sharpen the focus for both ESG and EHS functions—these two business units need to work together around shared goals. Read on to find out how EHS and ESG can work together to move beyond the status quo.
5 Steps to Drive EHS and ESG Performance
1. Identify what data is most material to business decisions. The best way to begin the process of ESG-EHS operationalization is by conducting a materiality assessment. This approach provides insight into current operations and assures that resources are allocated to the highest-priority sustainability issues throughout an organization’s value-chain.
2. Understand current data and determine gaps. Many overlaps exist between EHS and ESG data-gathering and reporting. Take stock of available EHS data—this may include emissions, energy consumption, environmental incidents, employee safety, accident rates, policy and documentation, and compliance data. The process will also help ESG teams identify information gaps and prioritize future data collection strategies.
3. Evaluate existing technology. While ESG is new to many organizations, one of your first steps should be to review your current EHS infrastructure. In fact, often EHS processes and systems can be adapted to incorporate all relevant ESG topics and provide state-of-the-art capabilities, such as automated data collection and quality checks; auditable, traceable data storage; and analytic functionality to set targets, measure progress and report it to key stakeholders.
4. Establish collaboration frameworks. EHS and ESG teams can partner for greater efficiency and support. To facilitate collaboration, organizations should establish communication frameworks early on, outline respective responsibilities and integrate workflows. Equally important is identifying areas where ESG and EHS do not overlap. Cross-training on ESG and EHS solutions can ensure both teams function in a complementary, but not redundant, fashion.
5. Think about investments to complete a successful transition. Lastly, business leaders can begin to strategize investments to drive greater EHS and ESG performance. Companies can improve ESG ratings and attract new investors, partners and talent by reporting through the following reporting and disclosure frameworks including but not limited to: CDP, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) SASB standards and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
These five steps can help organizations harmonize ESG and EHS functions. Collaboration will help organizations efficiently manage the expanding scope of ESG and sustainability initiatives. Being successful in this process will be all about clarifying business priorities, collecting the right data and using the right technology to support your people.
EHS Excellence Is Essential
It is important for businesses, especially those in high-risk industries, to have a scalable, configurable and easy-to-use solution for traditional EHS activities like health and safety management and performance improvement, integrated risk management, and environmental and operational compliance. Now it is also increasingly important that those solutions incorporate ESG elements.
This year, Verdantix named Sphera a market leader in EHS software solutions and gave our platform top rankings for management of ESG and sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions and air emissions. Our comprehensive offerings currently are being used to support EHS, ESG, operational risk management (ORM) and product stewardship efforts around the world.
“Verdantix finds that customers are increasingly seeking to eradicate the data silos that have historically existed between EHS and adjacent functions,” said Verdantix Industry Analyst, Chris Sayers, in a press release. “Firms intent on deploying a comprehensive environmental management platform that combines functionality across EHS, ESG, ORM and product stewardship should ascertain the value of leveraging Sphera.”
Open the Door to Stronger ESG Performance
The ESG framework demands effective risk management, and EHS systems and solutions are increasingly recognized for their ability to help organizations operationalize ESG. Learn more about how Sphera’s EHS software can accelerate your journey toward improved ESG performance. Download the Verdantix Report here.
Are you in the process of evaluating EHS software vendors? A software selection process can be time-consuming and challenging.
But you can make things easier if you avoid the following common mistakes.
1) You don’t identify your requirements well
The most important step of an EHS software selection process is to identify your requirements. This is obvious but there are a few pitfalls to avoid.
First, don’t focus exclusively on individual features. We all like software with convenient bells and whistles. But don’t make the mistake of creating a ‘wish list’ of all features you want and thinking that’s enough.
Identify also the EHS processes you want to automate or improve with software. Examples include incident management, incident investigation, audits and inspections, job safety analysis, industrial hygiene, etc.
Also, consider related processes. You want EHS software for incident management? Think also about how the software will help with risk management processes, because information on incidents provides insights into hazards and risks, and therefore the controls you need. You should address all aspects, so you don’t end up with a partial solution.
Second, just like any other organization, you have unique needs. Software vendors may not meet 100% of your needs. Be sure to categorize your requirements as ‘must-haves’, ‘should-haves’, or ‘nice-to-haves’ so you focus on the most important elements.
2) You don’t have clear commitment from leadership
Here’s a scenario: Management agrees to allocate budget for a new EHS software system. EHS defines the requirements, evaluates vendors, goes through demos, shortlists solutions, and makes a final choice.
In summary, EHS does everything right. And now it’s time to work on a final software purchase agreement and sign the contract.
Unfortunately, management says they’ll have to postpone the purchase for an undetermined time because the company had a bad financial year, or experienced some problem, or there’s a new CFO who wants to review all expenses.
It’s very frustrating for EHS teams to go through something like this. Imagine all the time and work that has been wasted.
To avoid this type of frustration, make sure the leadership of your company, including the C-suite, are strongly committed to the project, through thick and thin.
3) You don’t look at the big picture
An EHS software selection takes time and effort. You want to get the most out of it, rather than going through a similar process repeatedly over the years.
A typical mistake is when an organization lacks vision and fails to be pro-active by concentrating only on a current, immediate pain point. Maybe today you have a pressing need for incident management. But what about audits, inspections, action plans, compliance management, etc.? They’re all connected.
Similarly, you may be looking only for an occupational health solution. But there are many synergies between occupational health, risk management, incident management, and chemical management. Look at the big picture!
It’s more efficient and economical to consider a software platform that will empower you to improve all current and future EHS processes, not just one or two. You don’t want multiple, different EHS software solutions, each with a different user interface, thus increasing training costs and complicating user adoption and onboarding.
4) You don’t involve users
The decision to purchase EHS software is made by EHS and financial leaders. But the successful implementation and adoption of EHS software will be determined by users, whether they’re frontline workers, staff, technicians, specialists, etc.
Imagine investing a large amount of money in EHS software, only to have it go unused. The entire business case of the investment and the ROI would be severely undermined.
To prevent this, involve those who will use the EHS software system on a regular basis in the selection process. Be sure they see the demos provided by vendors. Ask what is important for them. Check whether the different applications being considered meet their needs. Get their feedback before making a final selection.
5) You focus too much on technology
When evaluating software, it’s natural to focus on technological aspects, such as features and workflows. And ultimately you want EHS software to align with your requirements.
But be careful about looking only at technology. The vendor’s organizational attributes must also play a role in your final decision. Many companies make the big mistake of deciding mainly on software features or pricing, without considering other factors.
What should you look for in a software vendor? First, try to find out about the type of customer service they offer.
Second, how does the vendor prioritize requests and define product roadmaps? What type of interactions do they have with their customer community?
Finally, will the software vendor be around to help you, and in what form? There have been many mergers and acquisitions in the EHS software space. Therefore, you want to build a partnership with a stable EHS software vendor that has the financial and organizational resources to be around for a long time. Stability will prevent a lot of disruption for your company.
To accelerate your EHS software selection, download your complimentary copy of the Green Quadrant: EHS Software 2023 report from independent research firm Verdantix. The report provides a detailed fact-based comparison of the 23 most prominent EHS platform vendors. Use the report to benchmark the capabilities of leading EHS software applications and to determine which EHS software vendor can be a reliable partner for the future.
“I’ve seen something like this before. I know what to do.” “We need to try something, so let’s do this.”
“We need to take care of this ASAP.”
The safest actions would be to remove, reduce, replace, or relocate the hazard. Automatically preventing, detecting, stopping, or containing the hazard from harming anyone would be the next best choices.
