A Dedicated Website Makes a More Effective EHS Department

McCarrick, Hank
(Blue i Systems Corporation)

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Overview:

By employing the same technologies that allow the Internet to be an effective information resource, Environmental Health and Safety Departments can increase their operational effectiveness and create a positive company presence by implementing an EHS website. A dedicated EHS website, with its associated services, establishes an excellent platform for organizing, managing and distributing information relevant to EHS operations.

The primary value in using web-based services to manage information, is the ease by which these services can be accessed. Anyone with a web browser (and the appropriate authorization) can make use of web-based services available at the EHS website. In addition, web-based services can be designed so that each visitor is provided a customized profile that tailors the service to his or her needs.

Our presentation will cover:

The benefits derived from using a website, and its associated services to assist in EHS operations
A tool for improving overall efficiency and reducing labor costs
Simplifies communication between the EHS Dept. and plant employees
Makes EHS more visible to the company, and gives it a ?Business? presence
Automates the dissemination of information, providing on-line access to:
EHS employee contacts, roles/responsibilities
FAQs related to EHS
Bulletins, announcements, news worthy items, schedule of events
Accidents and incidents reports
MSDS
Forms and checklists
Training programs
EHS practices, policies and procedures
Job specific ?Need to Know? information
Evacuation plans
Emergency Response Plans and Procedures
Hazardous Material inventory levels and use rates
Provides the opportunity to integrate disparate systems, equipment, data bases and departmental functions together as one
Can Provide the infrastructure to gain wireless (mobile) connection capability for EHS personnel
Automates data collection for:
Batch data capture from legacy systems
Real time data streams from toxic detectors and environmental monitors
Manual data entry processes
Improves the communication of errant conditions:
Hazardous Material incidents
Critical Monitoring Equipment failures, maintenance and diagnostics
Automates report generation and distribution for:
Regulatory agencies
Inter-Company departments
The ?Needs Assessment? process
The Planning and Design process
The Infrastructure requirements
Hardware
Software
Interface Technologies
Database Structures
Website Design and Functionality
Web Hosting Services
Implementation Strategies
Considerations for the future

Summary:

The rapid growth of electronic commerce and the establishment of Internet architectures and infrastructure are changing the way business is conducted. The anticipated positive impact that new web-based business operation strategies can have on individual company departments affords a great opportunity for EHS departments to make use of current technologies to substantially improve the way they manage their day-to-day operations.

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