2021 Mid-year EHS check-in
Date Posted: 06/28/2021
A large part of the EHS professional’s job is to set goals, work toward reductions, and track task completion. As June comes to an end and 2021 is halfway over, now is a perfect time to check progress toward the goals and tasks for the year. The following are examples of the types of things to check:
- Reduction objectives – These include a variety of both leading and lagging indicators that drive much of what EHS professionals do, ranging from injury and severity rates to waste disposal or energy consumption reductions. Use this mid-year check point to evaluate not only results for June, but the year-to-date and year-over-year trends.
- Compliance reporting and recordkeeping – For many facilities, this time of year also brings on the second wave of compliance reporting, especially in the environmental world. Take this opportunity to double check compliance deadlines and ensure those things coming due are completed or have been scheduled. This may include Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reports due on July 1, or semi-annual compliance air reports required by July 31 for many area source MACT standards. Also, double check that records for the first half of the year are in good shape. Make sure employees are keeping complete and accurate records; this will make later reporting much easier.
- Corrective action status – Run through any corrective actions that have been recommended to make sure each action is being completed and is effective. Far too often corrective actions are created and then implementation stalls out. Conducting this mid-year check will keep everyone accountable for progress.
Once done with the mid-year progress check, the next step is to adjust as necessary. For those things falling behind, determine if the objective needs to (and can) be modified. If making a target less aggressive isn’t an option, but progress is lagging, adjust the resources or approach being used. It may be time to call in more manpower, from other departments or the corporate office. With half the year left, act now to get back on course. For reductions that are ahead of the goal, consider adjusting them to be more challenging for the second half of 2021. And last, if your check-in finds items completed or performing well, share those successes with your management team and employees, and build off that momentum to finish 2021 strong.
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