What the Heck is a SHEMQS? A Busy EHS Manager–and More
Mark Heaney and Erika Erikson, CIH/CSP
(AlterEcho)
It doesn’t fit on his business card, but one manufacturing plant manager is known informally at his company as the SHEMQS: Safety, Health, Environment, Maintenance, Quality and Sustainability manager. It’s a lot—and it’s a reflection of how multi-tasking is becoming an increasing part of the manufacturing business environment, especially for those with EHS responsibilities. Maintaining a safe workplace in compliance with OSHA regulations is a critical business function, but one that is often just a part of an ESH manager’s daily activities. Emerging chemistries, regularly changing regulatory focus points and a wave of plant modernizations and capital upgrades present constant challenges to plant health and safety programs. For EHS managers with many responsibilities, this highlights a need to identify and address potential gaps in plant health and safety compliance that can occur, while also ensuring all routine training and recordkeeping is maintained. AlterEcho will present recent case studies from two manufacturing plants that highlight different approaches and management methods for EHS managers on maintaining an effective and compliant Health & Safety program and a responsive Environmental program, while also managing multiple roles and responsibilities. Mock inspections, gap analysis, integration with plant MIS tools and delegation techniques will be covered as approaches to managing efficiently managing compliance in a complex and evolving work environment.