The accounting scandals, perp walks to prison, and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) have sent shock waves throughout the ranks of boards and executives. Has this significantly improved environmental, health, and safety (EHS) and social responsibility governance at the top? Unlikely. What will it take to get executives and the board fully engaged?
This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Companies devote a lot of resources to benchmarking, and for good reason; the return on investment can be enormous. Why reinvent the wheel when battle-tested best practices are free for the asking? The United States has dominated environmental, health, and safety best practices for decades, but that is changing rapidly. Prescriptive regulations and fears of legal liability may be holding back U.S.-headquartered corporations from developing the next generation of corporate social responsibility best practices.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
I've been an environmental consultant for almost 20 years, and I've owned my own company for 10. Over the years, "Environmental Compliance Audits" have been one of the hardest products to sell to industrial customers.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
In our litigious society, professionals of all kinds are keenly aware that their expertise and professionalism cannot always protect them against being sued. For environmental professionals, the uncertainty and variability associated with the natural environment compounds the risk of litigation -- and, therefore, elevates the importance of liability insurance.
- By John G. Nevius, Robert E. Frankel, Esq.
This article originally appeared in the 07/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
EHS professionals know from experience that their efforts impact the company at many levels. For example, a switch to a non-toxic substitute may reduce raw material costs, decrease worker exposure, improve worker morale, reduce customers' disposal costs, improve the brand's image, and so on.
This article originally appeared in the 07/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
The U.S. environmental, health and safety (EHS) regulatory model has dominated the thoughts and agendas of America's EHS professionals for the past 30 years. State and federal regulations will not go away, of course, but they are rapidly being overshadowed by a fundamental shift in how EHS issues will be dealt with both here and abroad.
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
All roads leading to the control of greenhouse gas emissions pass through Kyoto, right? Wrong! The Kyoto Protocol is just one part of the burgeoning web of mandatory, voluntary, and market-based programs for addressing global climate change.
This article originally appeared in the 06/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
As most environmental professionals who perform or review Phase I environmental site assessments (Phase I ESAs) probably know by now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) upcoming all appropriate inquiries (AAI) regulations will have a significant impact on how Phase I ESAs are conducted.
- By Michael E. Covert, P.G.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
They're baaccckk! "The most vigorous merger market in five years" is what the Wall Street Journal calls the recent wave of corporate restructurings. For officers and directors, these are happy times because a wonderful exit package awaits even those who lose their lofty positions. But, for real people doing real work, the prospects are much grimmer.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Environmental managers face a growing number of responsibilities, from air-quality compliance issues to emergency response planning and accident mitigation. Increased concerns about terrorism have created additional responsibilities.
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Everyone wants metrics: first it was the regulatory agencies; now it is a myriad of stakeholders, watchdogs, and investment analysts. As companies struggle to satisfy these external demands, they may be overlooking the true indicators of future competitive performance.
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
What factors should you consider when faced with the dual hazards of chemical exposure and flash fire? The simple answer is barrier -- both chemical and thermal barrier. However, as much as we wish that personal protective equipment (PPE) selection could be a simple process, this one word '"barrier'" encompasses a number of both chemical-protective and flash-fire-protective properties that need to be considered during the protective clothing selection process.
- By James P. Zeigler, Susan Lovasic
This article originally appeared in the 04/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
All environmental, heath, and safety (EHS) professionals at some point in their careers will be directly responsible for a segment or all of a large group meeting, conference, workshop, or forum. Indeed, corporations spend enormous resources getting people together for or sending staff off to these networking and learning experiences.
This article originally appeared in the 03/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Environmental, health and safety IT (information technology) systems span the spectrum from simple, home-grown spreadsheets to complex, enterprise systems that promise to do just about anything and everything.
This article originally appeared in the 01/01/2005 issue of Environmental Protection.
Environmental professionals, civil engineers, and most other professionals are legally obligated to meet the standard of care, i.e., to apply the care and skill ordinarily applied by local peers performing similar services at the same time.
- By Scott Vierke, John P. Bachner
This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.
In 1999, when former Vice President Al Gore stated during an interview on a CNN television program that he "took the initiative in creating the Internet," neither political party had any idea of the significance his invention would have on American politics.
This article originally appeared in the 11/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.
Environmental, health and safety (EHS) managers are keenly aware that their careers and longevity within their organizations are dependent upon their ability to demonstrate that they bring something of value to the table beyond just the donuts for a meeting. It's a subject in need of considerable attention, especially in today's tight economy. This month we examine how to identify the communication barriers that impede real progress.
This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.
It is no secret that the financial scandals of recent years have had a dramatic impact not just on the business world itself, but also on individual investors and government regulators. Enron, WorldComm, Tyco, MCI and others have entered the popular lexicon as words that will forever be associated with rampant greed and seemingly non-existent oversight. Whether we've seen the last of the fall of the giants, involving nearly incomprehensible loss of capital, is anyone's guess.
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.
U.S. industry faces the daunting task of managing investigations and clean-ups at thousands of contaminated properties. In staying abreast of new technology and ever-evolving regulatory programs, companies must address many challenges involving regulations, technologies, and costs.
- By David H. Simpson, Rusty B. Norris, PE, PLS, RSM
This article originally appeared in the 09/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.
Benchmarking is an important tool for evaluating one's practices relative to best-in-class. If done properly, it can even inspire innovation. The majority of these studies, however, are designed and executed poorly and yield dubious or even counterproductive conclusions. Environmental, health and safety (EHS) studies, in particular, are prone to these problems.
This article originally appeared in the 07/01/2004 issue of Environmental Protection.