As 2009 progresses into its second half some are beginning to see a beam of light developing at the end of the tunnel for the economic climate of the corporate world. With budgets tightened and staffs lightened, doing more with less has become a practice that many organizations have been adapting to lately, but when the economy does begin to generate some speed again will things resume back to normal? James Mallon, VP of Humantech, Inc., the US’s largest workplace ergonomics consulting firm and author of a recent article featured in EHS Magazine entitled “Good Ergonomics is Good Economics,” thinks that it will likely not be back business as usual. In his article Mallon sheds some light on the topic of EHS programs in the midst of the changes the declining economy has had on many organizations and the overall importance they have to a business’s success.

Mallon suggests that there is a new reality within the corporate world in that all programs and investments that an organization takes on will be scrutinized much more than in the past as to their impact on the business and their return on investment. He believes EHS programs are a critical element to an organization’s success and as is the case now with any program to be considered for implementation, we must be able to demonstrate the value they have to the organization. There are definitely some challenges that EHS professionals are facing as we begin to crawl out from the recession. Some of the obstacles that Mallon identifies include the state of most EHS programs having gone into maintenance mode, been stalled or even suspended, workplace equipment having not received improvements or upgrades as needed in 2009, and the reduction of work force resulting in a greater percentage of aging employees due to both the role seniority plays in cutbacks and retirement delays.

So when the economy recovers and production begins to increase again will organizations be able to pick up right where they left off? And to what effect will the recent changes they have made have on the rate of EHS incidents and the costs associated with them?  Mallon suggests that along with these challenges comes an opportunity to bring health and safety into focus and create programs that attract top caliber workers keeping them healthy and productive throughout their career. According to Mallon, ergonomics is key to accomplishing this. In what he coins “The Punishing Workplace,” employees are being demanded to exert more power than the human muscles and joints can give resulting in injuries and a reduced rate of productivity. The number one cause of workplace injuries, according to the most recent Workplace Safety Index produced by Liberty Mutual, was overexertion (lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, etc.) accounting for 25.7 percent of worker’s compensation costs to US businesses. As Mallon states, “The link between injury and illness rates and company performances is strong. Quality suffers when worker efforts are great; productivity suffers when a worker’s body positions are awkward and employee engagement suffers when pain is in the workplace.” With this in mind it becomes evident that ergonomics does hold a particularly important place within the development and maintenance of an effective EHS program. By designing tasks, tools and the workplace to support human capabilities, employees will be able to achieve top performance and reduce injuries and the costs associated with them. As Mallon cleverly titled his article, “Good Ergonomics IS Good Economics.” 

Safety Management Systems such as the one offered by Intelex Technologies provide a web-based platform to manage your entire organization’s  health and safety program from top to bottom that is efficient, effective and easy to use and implement.

Client Relations at Intelex has one priority – to offer clients with valuable and informative resources that will enhance their Intelex Experience. Whether you are requesting a system-specific user manual, making a suggestion for webinar topics, volunteering your organization to be the subject of an Intelex Success Story, or inquiring into upcoming events, Client Relations is here for YOU!

One of the ways in which we keep our clients informed is by sharing information via a bi-weekly eNewsletter. Intelex’s Client eNewsletters cover a variety of themes:

· Meet Intelex staff: read bios and view pictures of our Intelex family
· Client features: read about our clients and how they’re using the Intelex System
· Webinar topics and schedules: view and sign up for Intelex’s online training sessions as soon as they’re scheduled
· New system features and functionality: learn about the Intelex System’s new customizations, upcoming releases, enhanced functionality, and new iFormÒ modules
· Contests: participate in a contest and then read about the results
· Intelex user community: stay tuned on future roundtable discussions, online Q & A sessions, industry-specific events, and EQH&S conferences
· Additional information: recent blog posts, upcoming webinars, Help Desk contact information, and important reminders – general content is always included to provide clients with even more information relevant to all Intelex users

From top to bottom, the Intelex Client eNewsletter is full of useful and interesting information!

If you would like to sign up for Intelex’s bi-weekly Client eNewsletter, or have any questions relating to eNewsletter content, please contact Client Relations at 416.599.6009 ext. 282 today!

As announced in an article posted on Quality Magazine's website, a new ISO standard defining the Quality Management System requirements for suppliers to the automotive sector has just recently been published. ISO/TS (Technical Specification) 16949:2009 was jointly developed by the members of the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) and submitted to The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for approval and publication. The new document comes in the wake of a review conducted of its predecessor ISO/TS 16949:2002 which was carried out by the IATF and ISO Technical Committee ISO/TC 176. No major changes to the standard’s technical requirements have been made; instead the updates mainly consist of improvements to management requirements to reflect the content of quality management systems standard ISO 9001:2008 and an improved consistency with the environmental management system standard ISO 14001:2004.

The 2002 version has been used by major automotive manufacturers to approve the more than 35,000 organizations worldwide that produce and supply parts for the automotive industry. Implementation of ISO/TS 16949:2009 is seen as an opportunity for automotive suppliers to improve quality while reducing costs and the IATF has set a transition period of 120 days from the date of publication (June 15th 2009) to comply with the new requirements. As the article quotes ISO Secretary-General Rob Steele, "With the global nature of the automotive industry quality management systems based on ISO/TS 16949:2009 throughout the supply chain will serve to streamline operations, and thus help organizations cut costs while improving efficiency," commented Steele, "The publication of ISO/TS 16949 will assist the sector, reassure consumers and ensure significant benefits for automotive suppliers amid the challenges facing the industry." As organizations begin to implement the new specifications associated with ISO/TS 16949:2009, improvements should  be seen on an ongoing basis as the new standard is aimed to foster the development of a quality management system that emphasizes continual improvement, specifically focusing on defect prevention and reducing variation and waste in the supply chain. A Web-Based Quality Management System such as the one offered by Intelex Technologies provides the tools, adaptability, power and support needed to comply with and surpass ISO standards, all in a web-based system that is easy to use and implement organization-wide.

As we progress through the current downturn in our economy companies are finding ways to cope with such effects as declining revenues, reduced workforces and tight-to-non-existent credit. With organizations facing new challenges in order to remain afloat and sustainable, many areas of operation have begun to experience some effects. One such area that is critical to an organization’s success but has begun to receive some neglect in this economic crisis is that of workplace safety. This is the topic of a recent article featured in EHS Today magazine entitled “The Effects of the Economy on Workplace Safety” written by Frank Pennachio. In it, Pennachio takes a look at some of the issues that are arising around workplace safety in the recession and how cost-cutting measures taken by some organizations can end up costing more in the end than ever anticipated.

As Pennachio first mentions, layoffs due to the recession are resulting in more work to be done by less people while placing thoughts of "Am I next?" running through the backs of many employees minds. This concern for job security in itself can have an impact on workplace safety resulting in a lack of employee focus and attention to detail, a likely cause to an increase of workplace injuries. When incidents do occur the concern for job security can cause employees to be reluctant in reporting safety infractions as they fear they will be viewed as "troublemakers" and thus will be a more likely candidate to be let go. As organizations pinch pennies to save money wherever possible workplace safety can be easily overlooked by employers as the time and costs associated with it can be a significant hit to the budget. Another area of concern that has arisen is the maintenance and upgrading of aging machinery and equipment. Where in the past companies could acquire funds more easily to purchase or update aging equipment, currently they are forced to extend the life via quick fix methods such as re-tooling parts to save money resulting in a higher chance of breakdowns and mishaps. Some companies have even been forced to move to smaller facilities that may not be as "safety friendly" as their previous space was.

With revenues and workforces shrinking, implementing and practicing workplace safety procedures becomes crucial to the success of a company as the need to have employees on the job and working at full capacity is greater now than ever. If safety incidents do occur the effects can be significantly damaging when weighed against the costs of preventative measures. As Pennachio quotes Warren K. Brown, president of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), "A company’s reputation is at risk should a disaster or incident occur. Employers face a damaged reputation and brand when employees are injured, especially if the incidents are preventable." Companies must make clear to their employees that they hold their safety as a priority and lead by example. As the temptation to divert resources from workplace safety initiatives grows stronger as budgets shrink, executives must keep in mind that investing in a safe working environment has a direct effect on their company's bottom line. Web-based Safety Management Systems like the one offered by Intelex are a smart investment and provide a comprehensive easy to use solution to managing an entire organization’s safety program from top to bottom.

As we move more and more towards an increasingly eco-conscious and environmentally friendly society, progressively steps are being taken by governments, officials and regulatory bodies to help facilitate this transition at a national level both efficiently and effectively. One such area that has received particular attention is the industrial sector; this is ultimately due to the amounts of emissions released into our atmosphere from industrial and manufacturing sites which can be linked to the effects of global warming. Mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by organizations operating in the industrial sector is an initiative that has already been explored and adopted in Canada and in the state of California, but a recent article posted on environmental-expert.com reveals the details of a newly proposed national emissions reporting system in the US that if passed will prove to be a large step forward for the green movement.

The article, entitled “EPA Releases Proposed Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule,” outlines how the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a comprehensive national system for reporting greenhouse gas emissions under the authority of the Clean Air Act. Originally published in the Federal Register (the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations in the US), the new rule would require industrial facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more of carbon dioxide equivalent (C02e) to submit an annual emissions report to the EPA beginning in 2011 for the year 2010. Smaller businesses that generate less than 25,000 tons of C02e annually will not be required to submit a report. With the main goal of this new initiative to harvest accurate and comprehensive data, the EPA plans to use the figures generated to inform future policy decisions. Although this newly proposed rule would see many US organizations having to generate emissions reports for the first time, in Canada and the state of California this is nothing new. Canada’s Turning the Corner, a regulatory framework for industrial greenhouse gas emissions announced in April of 2007, requires Canadian industrial companies to submit annual reports with the goal of reducing emissions 18% from their 2006 levels by the year 2010. In California, 2009 marks the first year of required emissions reporting under California’s groundbreaking Assembly Bill 32 (AB 32), part of the California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The Act’s goal is an emissions reduction of 25% over the 30 year period from 1990 to 2020, and then in 2050 a reduction to 80% below 1990 levels. This newly proposed rule is keeping with the recent trend of creating a culture of corporate transparency, in which the barriers restricting access to once undisclosed information are being brought down to increase visibility into organizations operations  and encourage a higher level of corporate social responsibility.

One particular challenge that comes along with emissions reporting is tracking and recording an accurate set of data. As the article mentions, “Verification will be an important element of the requirements. The reporting organization will self-certify the emissions data and other specified activity data and submit the inventory report to the EPA for quality assurance verification.” The EPA has estimated the average cost of reporting emissions under the newly proposed rule to be approximately $0.04 per metric ton. With organizations responsible for self-certifying their own emissions data, a cost friendly and effective reporting system is crucial to finding success within these new regulations. Web based emissions tracking solutions like the one offered by Intelex Technologies have been implemented by many organizations to handle their emissions reporting due to their cost-effectiveness , ability to track across multiple locations and their overall ease of use and implementation. With more and more green initiatives being proposed and passed it is clear that the future of the industrial sector will no doubt continue to follow the trend of corporate transparency, ultimately fostering sustainability and industry growth in a period of economic downturn.

Intelex’s Kulbir Bal and Meghan Mann just got back from another successful trip to Crawley, England where they spent two weeks at the Virgin Atlantic Airways (VAA) training facilities. It was the fourth trip for Kulbir and Meghan, who have been working with VAA to implement the Intelex System, which includes a number of configured Intelex Modules and the unlimited iFormsÒ Builder.

Meghan, seen here with Miss Suiteness, says VAA is really fun to work with; “they have a ‘work hard, party hard’ attitude, which is always a delightful combination. The project has been challenging at times, but the end product is well worth it. I anticipate the company’s future projects will be just as fun and challenging to work on.”

When asked about what makes VAA's use of the Intelex System unique, Kulbir responded: “Users can virtually enter the system and begin capturing data without any formal training at all. Now that’s an intuitive system! The reports automatically expand and show fields, which only appear as certain selections are made. For example, if a user makes a selection from the dropdown menu, three distinct fields may become available based on their selection. This creates a smart-form environment that triggers fields to appear only as required, thus increasing data integrity and usability. We introduced some new colours when painting the VAA Intelex canvas but the one that stands out from the rest is the presentation of a very simple interface that is powered by dynamic and intelligent database configurations.”

Congratulations to everyone at Virgin Atlantic and Intelex for making this project a great success on both sides!