About Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is the Director of Global Content and Brand for Intelex Technologies. Formerly the Content Director for EHS Today, she has been writing about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990. Her work as a journalist and editor has been recognized with national and international awards. She has been interviewed about occupational safety and health for national business publications, documentaries and television programs; has served as a panelist on roundtables; and has been the keynote speaker for occupational safety and health conferences.

Any Way the Wind Blows: New Enhesa Report Highlights Air Emissions Requirements Around the World

As climate change momentum grows, so will your company’s list of air emission requirements.

Climate change is on more regulatory radars than ever before, and that means more obligations and regulations are on their way. In the United States, ­the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission just released proposed regulations that “would require information about a registrant’s climate-related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on its business, results of operations or financial condition.”

In August 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that global warming will increase by more than 1.5°C this century. More stringent legislation is expected around the world, and a new white paper from Enhesa, “Around the World in Air Emissions: Winds of Changing Requirements across the Globe” by EHS regulatory consultants Evelyn Chuang, Beatriz García Fernández-Viagas and Nathaniel Gajasa, highlights key developments in air emissions regulations for the European Union, United States and … Read more...

Intelex Technologies: Learning from the Past, Understanding the Present and Evolving to Meet the Future


As your needs have evolved – from managing paper spreadsheets to managing terabytes of ESG, EHS and Quality data that log everything from near misses to product defects to greenhouse gases – Intelex has evolved our technology and software to help you meet your challenges.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein

With 30 years of EHSQ experience, Intelex knows a thing or two about how health and safety, quality, environment and sustainability, ESG and risk management can preserve lives, protect the planet and sustain your business in tough times. Our founder story starts in Bhopal in 1984, with one of the greatest industrial disasters of all time. Forty years later, in 2022, the world is recovering from what is arguably one of the greatest worldwide tragedies in modern times: the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“We can’t … Read more...

WHO/ILO: Work-Related Causes Claim the Lives of Almost 2 Million People Worldwide each Year

Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO: “These almost 2 million premature deaths are preventable. Action needs to be taken based on the research available to target the evolving nature of work-related health threats.”

Work-related diseases and injuries were responsible for the deaths of 1.9 million people in 2016, according to the first joint estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Organization (ILO). These WHO/ILO global estimates on disease and injury in the workplace outline the level of preventable premature deaths due to exposure to work-related health risks.

“It’s shocking to see so many people literally being killed by their jobs,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Our report is a wake-up call to countries and businesses to improve and protect the health and safety of workers by honouring their commitments to provide universal coverage of occupational health and … Read more...

What Does the COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate for U.S. Government Contractors Mean for You?

A COVID-19 vaccine mandate recently issued by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force affects nearly all federal contractors
A COVID-19 vaccine mandate recently issued by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force affects nearly all federal contractors.

A recent vaccination mandate from the U.S. government will have a tremendous impact on the workforce of contractors and subcontractors that have contracts with the federal government. Many employers and employees are facing decisions they never expected to have to make.

A COVID-19 vaccine mandate recently issued by the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force affects nearly all federal contractors. The COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors requires the employees of federal contractors to be fully vaccinated by December 8 and imposes other pandemic-related workplace safety requirements.

On September 9, U.S. President Joe Biden announced his Path Out of the Pandemic: COVID-19 Action Plan. One of the main goals of the plan is to get more people vaccinated. As part of that plan, the president signed Executive Order 14042, … Read more...

Falls Top the OSHA Top 10 List of Safety Violations for More than a Decade

OSHA revealed the Top 10 safety violations for fiscal year 2021 at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo and once again, falls top the list.
OSHA revealed the Top 10 safety violations for fiscal year 2021 at the NSC Safety
Congress & Expo and once again, falls top the list.

One of the most highly anticipated events at every NSC Safety Congress & Expo is the announcement of the list of top safety violations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). On Oct. 12, OSHA announced its preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2021 and for the 11th year, falls topped the list.

Kevin Druley, the associate editor of Safety+Health magazine, introduced Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, who presented the list virtually during the 2021 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, the world’s largest annual gathering of safety professionals.

Scott Gaddis, Vice President, Global Practice Leader – Safety and Health at Intelex Technologies Inc., joins David Wagner from Industrial Scientific to discuss “Why Read more...

Work-Related Stress: Every Working Day, 2 Construction Workers in UK, Ireland Die from Suicide

Work-related stress can aggravate an existing mental health problem, making it more difficult to control

Stress, depression or anxiety account for 51% of all work-related ill health cases and 55% of all working days lost due to work-related ill health in the UK. Stress impacts on all sectors and businesses of all sizes.

Perhaps one of the hardest hit occupations is construction. A new short film, “On the Edge,” from AKT Productions and Ambanja Films, depicts a construction worker who is on the edge, literally and figuratively. Suffering from both depression due to family concerns and work-related stress, he contemplates taking his own life.

Major contractors BAM provided a construction site in Whitechapel, London, as a film location and also consulted on the project. The film was supported by the Lighthouse Club charity, which provides emotional, physical and financial support to construction workers and their families.

“It was just a ‘good timing’ moment because AKT had the skillset, ideas and same desire to raise … Read more...

Meet Ethan Cushing, Who Is Introducing the APAC Region to Intelex’s Powerful Platform

Our new series of blog posts invite you to “Meet the Intelexian.” In this case, it’s Ethan Cushing, who’s focusing on building our global footprint in the APAC region.

Ethan Cushing is Strategic Account Director, Intelex Technologies. He started with Intelex in 2011; his 10-year work anniversary will be in December. He currently manages the APAC sales team, which he started in July 2021. In addition to being responsible for our revenue targets in the APAC region, he supports our new team members in a pre-sales capacity, ensuring they have product knowledge and support as they work through the sales cycle with prospects and existing customers.

I (virtually) sat down with Ethan recently to find out more about him and his role at Intelex.

Intelex: Can you tell us a little about your professional background and what attracted you to Intelex/technology?

Ethan Cushing (EC): I have been in technology since 2006 after … Read more...

10 Tips to Prevent Workplace Injuries

Each day, millions of workers head to manufacturing facilities, oil and gas refineries, mines, shipyards, airlines, food distribution hubs, farms, stores and more. Thousands of workers won’t return home from work.

Over 1 million work-related deaths occur annually, according to estimates from the International Labour Organisation and hundreds of millions of workers suffer from workplace injuries and occupational exposure to hazardous substances worldwide.

These fatal injuries and illnesses are emotionally and financially devastating for the workers and their families. For employers, the loss of an employee in a workplace incident results in the loss of a coworker and friend, in many cases, as well as possible citations and fines for violations of workplace safety and health standards, the cost of medical bills, lost productivity, workers’ compensation insurance increases and low morale among the workforce.

The best way to avoid these disruptions and costs is to eliminate workplace hazards. Read our … Read more...

The Top 7 Tips to Fight Workplace Fatigue

While there is no one solution to fit everyone’s needs, here are some general strategies that workers and employers can use to manage workplace fatigue and work safely.

Long work hours and irregular work shifts are common in our society. Many workers around the world spend over 40 hours a week at work and hundreds of millions of people work full time on evening, night, rotating or other irregular shifts. Work schedules like these may cause workplace fatigue.

Shift workers may be scheduled to work days, evenings, nights and/or on a rotating or on-call basis. They may work extended shifts (more than 8 hours long), rotating or irregular shifts or consecutive shifts resulting in far more hours than what is considered a typical 40-hour work week. Long work hours and the fatigue associated with them can increase the risk of injuries and accidents and can contribute to poor overall health. … Read more...

The 10 Signs of Worker Fatigue

A frontline worker is tired at an industrial manufacturing facility.

Worker fatigue increases the risk for injury and deteriorating health (infections, illnesses and mental health disorders).

Long work hours and irregular work shifts are common in our society. Many workers around the world spend over 40 hours a week at work, and hundreds of millions of people work full time on evening, night, rotating or other irregular shifts. Work schedules like these may cause workplace fatigue.

Shift workers may have to work days, evenings, nights and/or on a rotating or on-call basis. They may work extended shifts (more than 8 hours long), rotating or irregular shifts or consecutive shifts resulting in far more hours than the typical 40-hour work week. Long work hours and the associated fatigue can increase the risk of injuries and accidents and can contribute to poor overall health. Studies show that long work hours can result in increased levels of stress, poor eating habits, lack of … Read more...