Author Archives: Dan McLean

About Dan McLean

Dan McLean is a senior content marketing manager for Intelex Technologies in Toronto, specializing in environment, health and safety (EHS) topics. He has been a journalist, market researcher, executive communications specialist and content marketer over his 30-plus year career in information technology.

How to Build Your Job Safety Analysis Plan

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Job hazard analysis (JHA) or job safety analysis (JSA) help to identify risks and create safer workplaces.
Job hazard analysis (JHA) or job safety analysis (JSA) help to identify risks and create safer workplaces.

Too many workers are injured and killed each day at the workplace and employers need to do all they can to be aware of and reduce the risks to prevent workplace injuries. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates 2.3 million people around the world die from work-related accidents or diseases every year – a total that exceeds 6000 deaths each day. In addition, there are 340 million occupational accidents and 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually.

Job hazard analysis (JHA) or job safety analysis (JSA) help to identify risks and create safer workplaces. JSA and JHA are generally interchangeable terms used to describe plans that define and outline how to control hazards associated with certain processes, jobs or procedures. It is a systematic examination and documentation of every task within a particular … Read more...

Second Week Highlights from COP26 – The Good and Bad News

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Global leaders pledged to work towards ensuring that by 2040 or earlier and no later than 2035 in leading markets all new cars and vans sold will be zero emission vehicles.
Global leaders pledged to work towards ensuring that by 2040 or earlier and no later than 2035 in leading markets all new cars and vans sold will be zero emission vehicles.

“We have kept 1.5°C (global warming limit by the end of the century) alive. But its pulse is weak, and it will only survive if we keep our promises and translate commitments into rapid action.” – COP26 President Alok Sharma

Therein lies the ultimate question as leaders of the world breakoff from the conclusion of COP26. Political will seems absent, particularly among the biggest carbon dioxide-emitting nations, to take rapid action?

But let’s start with the positive. A mere two years ago, only 30 percent of the world was committed to net zero greenhouse gas emission targets and at the conclusion of COP26 it now stands at around 90 percent with 154 parties having submitted new CO2 national targets … Read more...

Highlights from COP26 – Will Leaders Deliver on Promises Made?

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The tools needed to solve the environment crisis exist and commitments promised by world leaders last week could help the world move towards solutions.
Over 130 leaders of countries representing more than 90 percent of the world’s forests pledged to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030.

The halfway point of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP26 saw many green commitments made by world leaders, but will these promises be kept?

Judging by a historical lack of collective action from the international community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the answer to that question would seem to be a resounding “no!” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had estimated in 2011 that limiting global average temperature increases to 1.5C would require a reduction of carbon dioxide or CO2 emissions of 45 percent in 2030, or a 25 percent reduction by 2030 to limit warming to 2C.  

Discouraging news came this week with the latest results of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) from more than 100 nations monitoring their CO2 … Read more...

Here’s How ESG Will Further the Cause of EHS

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ESG will further the cause of EHSQ
No doubt most EHS professionals would rightly declare the work they’ve been doing has aligned with many ESG principles all along.

Ever-growing interest by financial investors and consumers in companies that do the right things for people and the planet by adhering to the guiding principles of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria is great news for Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) concerns.

What does one have to do with the other?

EHS has long been positioned as a cost avoidance function to protect company profits through protection programming. But with growing interest by businesses and their efforts to align with ESG, the one will most definitely help the other. 

“With ESG, there’s a triple bottom line: profit, people, and the planet that will be demanded not only by the internal stakeholder, but the consumer and those looking to invest as shareholders,” says Intelex Vice-President of Health and Safety, Scott … Read more...

Keeping Workers Safe Is the Golden Rule for This Canadian Mining Company

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A rooted culture of caring runs deep within Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. – a Canadian-based gold producer with operations in Canada, Finland and Mexico.

Louise Grondin, Agnico Eagle’s senior Vice-President of Environment, Sustainable Development and People, says worker safety is paramount and her company wants every employee to be responsible for their own and others’ safety. To that end, it’s important for everyone to play a part in the effort to declare all events and situations that may put workers at risk. The goal is to eliminate any potential harm.

A graphic of a series of frontline workers working at a gold mine

“It’s not a game to … Read more...