Safety Education is Redefined by Online Learning and Training Management Software

E-learning powered by training management software reaches employees who work remotely or in different locations and is the reason why distance learning became an invaluable tool during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The urgency to train employees on new workplace safety rules presents challenges for many Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) managers and corporate leaders. Digital learning platforms, centrally administered through training management software and systems, have become essential tools for companies and institutions in their efforts to deliver information and training quickly and effectively to employees. Online and blended-learning programs help workplaces reach employees no matter where they’re located.

However, effective e-learning programs require a strategic approach to the use of technology, content delivery and course development. The introduction of microlearning—the ability to deliver training content in short bursts of information—has elevated the way organizations conduct distance learning. It’s a way of presenting complex topics in an engaging way and without … Read more...

How ESG Management Is Changing the Role of EHS Practitioners

EHS responsibilities are growing to include ESG, which means your EHS professionals need ESG training now. 

Countries around the world have been backing up their sustainability commitments by establishing policies and regulations surrounding ESG disclosure requirements. New Zealand was the first out of the gate to do so, but many countries have since followed suit, and now tales of enforcement are starting to garner headlines.  

This past May, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated its first ESG-related enforcement action against a public mining company related to misstating and omitting information about ESG investment considerations. At the basis of the allegations is that the company manipulated dam safety audits and documents in their ESG disclosure reporting, which ultimately misled stakeholders, including local governments, communities and investors, about the safety of the dam. The SEC also communicated that it would continue to investigate greenwashing and issue fines as … Read more...

Arcadis: A Trusted Partner Offers Four Differentiators Shared by High-Performing EHSQ Programs

From filing cabinets to spreadsheets to technology: Arcadis and Intelex partner to change the way world-class companies approach EHSQ management systems.
From filing cabinets to spreadsheets to technology: Arcadis and Intelex partner to change the way world-class companies approach EHSQ management systems.

The landscape of EHSQ data management has changed quite substantially over the last 30 years. From the days of incident and inspection reports stored in filing cabinets to the spreadsheets and point solutions of a decade ago, Intelex has developed mature, enterprise EHSQ solutions to meet these changing and challenging demands.

Arcadis has been a growing and trusted partner of Intelex through many of these years, helping clients implement Intelex to meet very complex requirements in EHSQ data management. We have brought subject matter experts in EHSQ business processes and market sectors to provide the right amount of guidance for industry best practices during implementation. Arcadis is dedicated to building long-term, trusted-advisor relationships with our clients throughout the Intelex engagement and beyond. We are very proud that we are … Read more...

The Hidden Benefits of Document Control Software

There are a multitude of hidden benefits that an organization can enjoy when document management becomes a part of their operations.

A knock on the door from an OSHA or FDA official is usually enough to send the average EHS manager into at least a mild panic. That sound usually means a dreaded regulatory inspection is upon them, bringing with it nightmarish visions of hefty fines, shutdown orders or costly reputational damages to the organization. 

Some of these managers, however, tend to accept the predicament with considerably more calm and confidence than others. That’s because they know that when their uninvited guests inevitably ask to see documented proof that procedures were properly followed and regulations were adhered to, they will be able to produce that documentation in a quick and efficient manner. 

They will be able to do so because they will have been using document control software as part … Read more...

Musculoskeletal Disorders Cost Private Industry $17 Billion per Year, Are Leading Cause of Disability

Prevention is possible for usculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), the most common cause of disability, involuntary retirement and limitations to gainful employment.
In 2020, NSC reported the private sector experienced more than 247,000 MSD injuries resulting in days away from work.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common cause of disability, involuntary retirement and limitations to gainful employment, according to the National Safety Council (NSC) Recognizing the need to address this prevalent workplace safety concern, the NSC released a new white paper: Preventing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review of Current Interventions and Future Research Directions.

Published through its MSD Solutions Lab initiative, the report discusses the various interventions used to prevent and reduce the impact of these injuries on the job.

In 2020, NSC reported the private sector experienced more than 247,000 MSD injuries resulting in days away from work. Aside from the human toll and cost for workers themselves, MSDs in the private sector cost businesses nearly $17 billion a year, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. … Read more...

OSHA, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Ally to Promote Workplace Mental Health

OSHA and AFSP will develop information and products on workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness in multiple languages.
OSHA and AFSP will develop information and products on workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness in multiple languages.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among working-age adults in the United States, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)  signed an alliance agreement earlier this month to promote workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness.

During the two-year agreement, OSHA and AFSP will develop information and products on workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness in multiple languages that reflect diversity in the workforce and encourage workers’ sense of belonging. Participants will share best practices and effective approaches for promoting workplace suicide prevention awareness, such as AFSP’s “Talk Saves Lives” programming.

“Suicide… deeply impacts workers, families and communities,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “OSHA is proud to join with the American … Read more...

What is the Critical Data for ESG Management and Reporting? 

With ESG reporting becoming a mandatory component of ESG management, you need to collect and analyze lots of data from across your organization. It can be hard to know where to start, but Intelex's ESG reporting software can help you figure it out.
With ESG reporting becoming a mandatory component of ESG management, you need to collect and analyze lots of data from across your organization. It can be hard to know where to start, but Intelex’s ESG reporting software can help you figure it out.

Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) is an approach that allows organizations to measure their contributions to sustainability and ethical practices in a way that provides transparency to the market, financial benefits to the organization and benchmarking for industry. It is a response to increasing calls around the world for organizations to play a more significant role in creating a sustainable future while maintaining ethical behavior and contributing to the communities in which they operate.  

ESG is an implementation of the aspirations of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which contains 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) according to the following categories, as shown in Table … Read more...

Safety Management Systems Paint a Bigger EHS Performance Picture

Integrated safety management systems offer a centralized means of tapping into safety processes, training status, compliance requirements, hazard data and incidents to provide up-to-the-minute, accurate data that identifies important trends and monitors incidents.

A safety management system or SMS is an environmental, health and safety (EHS) software solution that no organization today should be without. 

Safety management software provides organizational tools to develop, plan, measure, analyze, and control the overall safety performance of a company, and guide decision-making for choosing safety assurance activities.

Pressure on companies to maximize productivity and drive revenue in the face of challenging economic headwinds can lead to a tension between business objectives for growth and profitability and the health and safety practitioner’s priority to mitigate risk and keep people safe.

To deliver against this safety objective, safety management software is used to gain greater visibility into incidents and near misses and to shorten the time … Read more...

What is Incident Management in Safety? (And How Does It help Your OSHA Recordkeeping?)

Incident management, the process of identifying, documenting, responding to and eliminating workplace injuries and illnesses, is a fundamental obligation for many employers. An important aspect of incident management in safety is OSHA recordkeeping and determining what incidents should be tracked and what data needs to be collected and reported to regulators can be confusing.

Say you reported to your manager that you had a headache. You’re not sure what caused it and are given three acetaminophen capsules. Is this considered a first-aid case by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or is it a recordable injury incident that must be tracked? What if you were only given one capsule? Is it still first aid or should it be recorded by your incident management system? 

An employee goes on one day of light duty at work. Is that a recordable? What if it lasts two days? A worker sprains an ankle … Read more...

It’s Not All Bad News: How ESG Management Is Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change

Why Your ESG Management Program is a Good-News Story
Many organizations are innovating to become more sustainable. From leading brands to small businesses, everyone can make a contribution to building a better world.

In the fight against climate change, the news reports can be dire reading. This summer alone, an unprecedented heat wave in China is impacting the global supply chain, creating hydropower shortages and providing conditions for devastating fires. The American south is grappling with weather that shifts radically between drought and severe flooding. In the UK and Europe, a brutal heatwave has killed hundreds and caused significant property damage as a result of rural fires. 

It would be easy to say that this is simply fearmongering by the media, but regular reports from climate science support the thesis that man-made climate change is having a significant impact on severe weather events. No matter where we look, the news about climate change seems all bad. 

However, the truth … Read more...