Factories regularly face audits, with HSE being an essential component that significantly impacts both audits and the well-being of factory employees. HSE therefore is a popular subject in the world of production. In this blog, we delve deeper into the how and why of HSE, as well as how EZ Factory can support the implementation of HSE policies.
What Does HSE, EHS, or SHE mean?
HSE stands for Health, Safety & Environment. The letters in the HSE acronym are often mixed in various ways. As a result, many people use the abbreviations EHS or SHE instead of HSE. However, all these abbreviations essentially pertain to the same theme of Health, Safety & Environment. HSE is entirely focused on protecting people and the environment by organizing production processes in a way that reduces or even prevents the risk of accidents, health issues, and environmental pollution. Therefore, Health, Safety & Environment is a strategic component of every organization to achieve growth while ensuring health and success.
Why is Health, Safety & Environment important?
Only employees who feel safe and healthy can perform their work optimally. Ensuring the well-being of employees is essential to maintain the company’s performance and, simultaneously, to improve the production process. An HSE policy always incorporates aspects that prioritize the well-being and safety of the personnel. Furthermore, the HSE policy significantly impacts the company’s positioning. Employees who feel comfortable are less likely to take leave, leading to fewer problems arising from a tight labor market, and the company becomes an attractive place for new employees. A company with few to no workplace accidents is also perceived as professional and well-organized by customers and other external parties.
In addition to Health and Safety, Environment is an incredibly important theme that is gaining popularity. We collectively share responsibility for the environment, and how a production environment interacts with the environment is becoming increasingly important when choosing a particular company. Customers, suppliers, and employees prefer to collaborate with a company that values the environment and sustainability.
Environment, Health & Safety management
An Environment, Health & Safety management system focuses on preventing illness, workplace accidents, and environmental damage. The Health, Safety & Environment strategy is transformed into a comprehensive management system that aims to protect people, the working place, and the environment from harm that can be caused by the production process. The EHS management implements the EHS strategy with Health, Safety & Environment guidelines in mind, including regulations established by the law or specific industry groups. For example, the food industry imposes strict requirements on hygiene and safety, while other production environments may require additional regulations regarding hazardous chemicals. HSE management must consider all these guidelines to prevent problems during audits.
EZ Factory HSE compliance
HSE compliance entails full adherence to the laws and regulations applicable to a specific company. To ensure that these laws and regulations are consistently and uniformly applied by everyone, an integrated approach is necessary. EZ Factory has developed the EZ-GO app to implement this standardization clearly and transparently throughout the entire factory. EZ-GO assists in registering task management, collecting data, and preparing for audits. With the help of digital checklists, evidence of actions is always readily available, providing insight into who performed which task at what time and how it was carried out.