|
Join Our List
|
|
|
|
Dear Subscriber,
Greetings from Shanghai! We are excited to report that we are in Shanghai directing a course on the measurement of hazardous substances in partnership with the AIHA and GE. The course is part of a new international certification program to train more EHS professionals throughout the world and build global EHS capacity. In this issue we will also explore lessons from the BP oil spill in the context of sustainability and shareholder implications, share a radio interview Mark Katchen did with CBS from the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo in Denver, and provide information on the Shanghai course and its significance. We've also provided more information on The Phylmar Regulatory Roundtable Environment and Sustainability Forum in a video by our partner Gary Lucks, principal of Beyond Compliance, LLC, and provided relevant news articles of interest. Thank you for your continued interest and we look forward to your feedback. |
New Shanghai Course Underway
| | Mark Katchen Directs AIHA Course in Shanghai June 28-July 2, 2010
 The need to build global capacity through education and training is vitally important to the EHS field, which is why GE has partnered with the AIHA to pilot the first of seven training modules as part of an international program to quickly train EHS personnel in industrial hygiene. Mark Katchen, Managing Principal of The Phylmar Group, was the course director in Shanghai this week for "The Measurement of Hazardous Substances" course as part of the new international program.
On the first day of class, Yu Jie, vice secretary general of the China Occupational Safety and Health Association flew from Beijing to attend the inaugural course. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/9OvCnW |
| The BP Oil Spill: Implications for Shareholder Investment | | | By Mark Katchen, CIH
Asking questions is a vital part of learning from mistakes and preventing them. With the worst oil spill in U.S. history dominating headlines for months, it seems there are more questions than answers surrounding the catastrophe. How could BP let this happen? How much oil is really gushing into the Gulf daily? When, and more importantly, how, will the damage be stopped? In the field of sustainability, asking questions is often where we start. The lessons from the BP oil spill transcend any one industry and include the need for shareholders to question a corporation's commitment to sustainability as part of their due diligence.
Shareholders should consider the following points when evaluating a corporation's commitment to sustainability:
RISK MITIGATION
In order for a company to operate on a sustainable basis, it must mitigate risk across its operations. Within the context of sustainability, that means taking responsibility for the entire supply chain, such as Wal-Mart's ambitious supply chain initiatives. Whether mitigating risk in low-probability, high-consequence events such as the Deepwater Horizon explosion or integrating sustainability into the core values of the company, a true safety culture must be in place in which sustainability is embedded into every policy and procedure.
SAFETY/SUSTAINABILITY CULTURE
Are the employees knowledgeable and empowered to encourage safety and report unsafe practices or incidents? Are professionals throughout the organization trained on safety policies and procedures? An organization that truly encourages sustainable practices invests in training and education for its employees so that everyone acts as checks and balances and the burden does not just fall on one individual or set of individuals.
ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
More companies are going to greater lengths to quantify and report their environmental metrics and publish meaningful corporate social responsibility reports. Baxter Healthcare, for example, has an excellent sustainability report providing its environmental financial statement. Shareholders should question how much a corporation has invested in corporate environmental reporting as well as dollars per employee invested in EHS professionals. Integrated reporting provides for greater transparency for investors to see the steps an organization is taking to reduce its environmental impact and manage risk.
These are just a few lessons from the BP oil spill from a shareholder's perspective. For more information, please see the news articles section of this newsletter. |
| CBS Radio Interviews Mark Katchen from AIHce 2010 | | |
Frank Mottek, host of CBS Radio's KNX 1070 Business Report, interviewed Mark Katchen from the American Industrial Hygiene Conference to discuss the business impact of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and other environmental hazards. In the interview, Katchen emphasizes the importance of sustainability making economic sense.
Lessons from the oil spill include bringing resources to bear as quickly as possible to preserve plant, animal and human life, as well as the need to gather the best minds to take a proactive approach to minimizing the long-term effects. Katchen said that people who embrace sustainability as a core competency within their organization stand to benefit no matter what the current market conditions may be. The interview aired throughout Southern California May 29-31, 2010. To listen to it, click here. |
| Gary Lucks on The Phylmar Regulatory Roundtable E&S Forum | |
In this video, Gary Lucks, principal of Beyond Compliance, LLC, discusses The Phylmar Regulatory Roundtable Environment and Sustainability Forum. The E&S Forum helps EHS and sustainability professionals to stay current with the myriad of regulatory and policy developments in the EHS field.
For details, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juHNwuoWgVQ |
| News Articles of Interest | | |
|
|
|
|
|
