Why EHS Important?

EHS stands for “environment, health, and safety,” and for many companies, a crucial part of their processes is EHS management, meaning the codification and practice of procedures aimed at ensuring the safety of workers and their surroundings. Technology has transformed the way EHS is managed: It’s allowed management systems to become more finely tuned and efficient and defined the role of corporate culture in boosting EHS performance.

To better understand the EHS management meaning, we’ll break down each letter of the acronym. These are some of the areas EHS processes strive to protect and make safer.

  • Environment: This refers to the world around you and concerns preventing things like chemical spills and air pollution.
  • Health: This usually refers to things that can make people ill, like pathogens, radiation, and exposure to noise or bad smells.
  • Safety: The safety aspect of EHS is focused on preventing workplace accidents and injuries.

Why Is EHS Management Important?

Many businesses use an EHS management system and may never stop to wonder why. EHS management system protocols are important because they prevent a significant number of illnesses, injuries, and environmental hazards. Workplaces have come a long way since the horrific tragedies that used to occur fairly regularly, like the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, which killed 146 workers and prompted greater attention to and regulation of workplace safety.

Put simply, EHS management has saved lives. As consumer goods production has expanded exponentially, so has the consumption of energy and dangers to the environment and human residences. EHS has helped protect the planet from these threats while still allowing businesses to thrive. It has also helped drastically increase worker rights and safety. Not only is it the law to comply with EHS regulations, but it’s a responsibility owed to your workers and the planet. Thankfully, EHS managers and EHS management apps can make this task easier than it ever has been.