New evidence sustainability efforts don’t focus enough on safety

I just returned from the 13th International IFAN Conference (International Federation of Standards Users). For those who wonder about the acronym, suffice to say that the organization was formed by a European group in the mid 70s and IFAN was the name given to the consortium of members that includes global companies, national members, standards developers and others who use voluntary standards.

The simple message about the value of the group and voluntary standards is the protection they provide for consumers and employees. Look at the certification symbols on any electrical device and you will have an appreciation for how much it takes to provide proper safeguards as well as assuring inter-operability. Ditto, the ISO, IEC, ASTM, NFPA, AIHA, ASSE and assortment of ANSI standards used to prevent hazards coming into the workplace on new machinery, equipment and facilities.

Safety professionals should be cognizant of the ever-increasing emphasis on sustainable growth (often referred to as the triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit) and social responsibility. Of concern is the lack of emphasis on occupational safety in both of these issues. In my keynote address, I noted that the 150 + pages of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines have less than 2% of the overall requirements devoted to safety. GRI is the basis for companies that report on sustainability efforts. If you concur with the notion that, “what gets measured – gets managed,” our profession should be concerned. If you handle environmental issues, never fear for environment is a major emphasis of sustainable growth.

This is just a “heads up” that the world of “silos” is still active. Those who work on sustainability may not recognize the need to emphasize the importance of occupational safety. If your company is working on the strategic issues of sustainable growth and/or social responsibility, make sure that the health and well-being of your own workforce is forefront in the effort.

For more about the connection between safety and sustainability view the article archives in the Safe, Lean, Sustainable section of our website.