Environmental Health and Safety – EHS – technologies for Lab and Production Safety, Efficiency and Compliance
By Tony Diamantidis, Senior Director, Chemical Safety Software
Safety first, Safety first, Safety first. Chemical Safety’s SEC initiative begins with S for safety.
In this busy world where most everything is measured by performance, sometimes safety takes the back seat. I was at a conference recently where the head of one of the top technologies in the world wore a t-shirt that simply said, “Safety Third!” Although innovation often requires sacrifices, sacrificing the health and safety of those who work with and around chemicals is not an acceptable option.
Our Chemical Safety Software EMS technology delivers safety information in real-time that is easily accessible at work and on the go using complimentary mobile apps that provide critical data in your fingertips. In this, the year of GHS implementation and enforcement, suppliers and users of chemicals have to retool their safety information access. Chemical Safety Software is building the world’s most comprehensive repository of GHS and SDS information that can be updated easily and regularly.
Innovation and performance requires Efficiency, and so does EHS management. This is the second element of the SEC initiative. The EMS Chemical Management and Waste Management software is designed so information can be entered, updated and reported without effort. Using smart phones and tables for recording chemical movement and waste pickup and disposal allows for real-time review and updating of information onsite.
Bar-code scanning makes the process even faster, reducing man-hours and costs. A robust and accurate chemical inventory reduces excess chemical purchasing and unnecessary waste disposal and provides critical data for improved safety. A cloud-based EHS chemical database creates measurable efficiencies within the organization which translate to savings in labor hours and chemical acquisition and disposal costs.
Compliance with local, regional, national and international regulations is the last element of the SEC initiative. Operating Chemical Safety’s EMS software simplifies regulatory compliance and improves corporate responsibility and image. This year’s deadline for compliance with GHS and SDS international rules makes this element of the initiative even more important: You must properly identify, store and label all hazardous materials based on GHS, and you must provide everyone with immediate access to Safety Data Sheets (SDS). The EMS S.E.C. initiative supports and improves compliance with GHS and other periodic reporting requirements.
I hope the SEC won’t be too upset with us for using their acronym, but Safety, Efficiency and Compliance are the cornerstones of EHS management, and our initiative will help every organization that handles hazardous materials improve safety, reduce operational costs, save time and be compliant with regulatory requirements.
I welcome your comments.