Integrating Environment, Health

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Integrating Environment, Health Safety and
other Functions

• Challenges and Opportunities
• Neil Skinner, Environmental Management Services
• Accolade Learning Resources Ltd.
• Edmonton Alberta Canada

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The Three Major Challenges

• 1. Identifying clear corporate goals
• 2. Choosing the correct standards and models, and
  creating an integrated composite model
• 3. Establishing strong lines of communication and
  effective mechanisms for decision-making

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1. Identifying Clear Corporate Goals

• Neither environmental or OHS problems are well
  served with solely reactive processes
• Linkages between EHS goals and core business
  objectives are mandatory
• Strengthening core business objectives with sound
  EHS policy should be the focus

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2. Choosing Standards

• There are both integrated and individual
  standards suitable for EHS program development
• Industry models are important for substantive
  foundations
• Recognized international standards are crucial
  for external recognition
• The ultimate system should combine these 2 with
  organizational needs

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Standards in Oil Gas

• The API Model EHS is a good starting point, so
  are the CAPP programs
• ISO 14001 should be used as one of the underlying
  models
• BS 8800 is the most suitable recognized OHS
  system standard
• ISO 9000 can also be helpful
• All of these share many common elements

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Integrating Different Standards

• The key to integration is to find the
  commonalties among and between the standards
• Re-organizing the various standards into a
  workable whole is the key
• Administrative and management elements share many
  common characteristics
• Substantive elements can simply be grouped into
  functional divisions

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3. Communication and Authority

• The third challenge is perhaps the source of the
  crucial difference between effective and
  superficial systems
• Top-down communications are just as important as
  bottom-up reporting
• Employee buy-in will not be accomplished without
  delegation of responsibility
• Continual improvement demands this

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Authority and Responsibility

• Adherence to procedures is not enough
• Real responsibility must be granted for effective
  management
• Action plans require participation throughout the
  organization
• Simple ideas are more likely to be implemented

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Steps in System Development

• 1. Approve goals and objectives
• 2. Grant authority and establish clear reporting
  structures
• 3. Use existing best practices as a starting
  point
• 4. Develop both top AND bottom features first
  high level system functions AND strengthened
  existing operating procedures

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Let us Help You

• We have proven ideas to help put these concepts
  into practice
• We do not believe that outside structures should
  impede internal processes
• We focus our efforts on capacity-building, not
  the traditional consulting model