Active Role of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Professional: An Integrated Approach to Sustainability
Abstract: Sustainability is an important growth strategy in business today. Companies see Sustainability as a way to improve efficiencies; make decisions and represent their values to key stakeholders. Many individuals and companies today only want to buy goods or have business relationships with those who embrace excellence in Sustainability. The three pillars of environment, society, and economy are frequently used to model how Sustainability can be incorporated into an organization’s mission, goals, and practices. The presentation aims to outline the key points and lessons learned from OSHA’s white paper titled, “Sustainability in the Workplace”, and other resources on Sustainability for OSH professionals. Specifically, the presentation will discuss how a more integrated approach to Sustainability is the optimal way for companies moving forward to better include OSH within their Sustainability framework. Because of the presentation, OSH professionals will identify more collaborative and innovative ways they can have an active role in their company’s Sustainability efforts. This is particularly important for “Green Initiatives”, LEED Certification or Well Building projects.