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Defining EHS

Environmental health and safety (EHS) is a term that refers to interrelated disciplines. Depending on the company, the department could have any number of responsibilities, and is often referred to alternatively as safety services, occupational health and safety, occupational hygiene, and many other titles. According to Peter Crosby, president of Exposure Assessment Strategies, Inc., of Montclair, New Jersey, EHS contains three elements: safety, industrial hygiene, and environmental compliance.

Safety. In a typical EHS department, most staff are assigned to safety matters, Crosby says. They deal with compliance issues related to fall protection, electrical safety, machine guarding, lockout/tagout (measures designed to protect workers from unexpected release of energy by or startup of equipment), confined spaces, and fire/life safety. The skill set required has significant overlap with security’s duties. For example, safety staff must have expertise in fire prevention, such as storage of flammables and combustibles, and fire protection, such as evacuation plans and extinguishing systems. They should also have mastered relevant building codes for such specifics as life-safety issues and building design and protection, says Crosby. Finally, they are often responsible for accident investigations.

Industrial hygiene. Industrial hygiene refers generally to health issues related to the workforce. Specialists in this field evaluate and monitor exposures to chemical, biological, and physical agents. In addition, industrial hygienists oversee hazardous materials, approve or reject incoming materials, and respond to employee concerns about health in the workplace, says Crosby.

Their skill sets overlap with those of security staff as well, particularly in terrorism/incident prevention and response. They must know how to handle and clean up hazardous materials such as chemical agents, master chemical handling and transport, and understand how to choose and use personal-protective equipment, says Crosby. They are also responsible for hazard assessments, as when they perform inventories of chemicals.

Environmental affairs. The third prong of EHS is environmental affairs, which relates to governmental and community health issues. This group deals with regulations on air and water discharges, obtains appropriate permits, and coordinates hazardous waste disposal, says Crosby. Skill requirements shared with security staff include consequence analysis and scenario modeling.