About the Authors
Nuris Ismail is a research analyst in Aberdeen Group's Manufacturing practice, where she studies how manufacturing enterprises manage processes, people and technologies to address continually changing market pressures. Her research helps assist industrial organizations to more effectively manage energy, environment and safety.
Reid Paquin is a research associate in Aberdeen Group's Manufacturing, Product Engineering and Engineering research practice, where he focuses on development and execution of research initiatives to identify and report on industry best practices for technology implementations that drive product development from concept through creation.
This article was originally published by our sister site SustainablePlant.com
Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) issues are becoming a significant business concern. In follow up conversations with executives, it is impossible to have a conversation about EH&S without the discussion revolving around the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Even though it has been two years, manufacturers have not forgotten the impact an adverse event can have to not only your organization's bottom line, but also brand image. It truly was a tipping point, raising the profile of the EH&S role in the organization and creating an environment where manufactures have become laser focused on ensuring compliance in EH&S.
In addition, EH&S regulations are constantly changing, and as a result, companies are focusing on means to comply and reduce adverse events. Aberdeen Group's 2012 research, "Environment, Health and Safety: Going Beyond Compliance," shows that 80% of surveyed organizations (down from 85% in 2011) chose compliance as a top market pressure, with the risk of an adverse event coming at a distant second (See Figure 1).