'CEP provides a platform for knowledge sharing to all EHS professionals'

Tapas Saha, president, Council of EHS Professionals talks about the work done by his organization for enhancing OSH awareness, key challenges related to implementing safety regulations in large organisations, pre-requisites for conducting a workplace safety audit and more…

Interviewed by Adeesh Sharma

• What are the key challenges related to implementing safety regulations within a large organisation?
  • There is very common concept across the organizations, irrespective of small, medium or large that “Safety is everybody’s responsibility” but, it become nobody’s responsibility except Safety Professionals. Probably we have to come out from old age concept to “Safety is not just everybody’s responsibility but everybody must think it is my responsibility”.
  • Moreover, adequate safety requirements in alienation with regulation has to be considered at the design stage & capex approval process. But, unfortunately it is not being followed in many cases which lead to regulatory non-compliances at conceptual step itself. Later on it is a big challenge for Safety Manager to satisfy regulatory body. Other one is mind set or apathy towards safety another big challenge. Many time adhering safety regulation take back seat to give more attention day to day safety.
• What are the pre-requisites for safety managers before they conduct a workplace safety audit?
  • Workplace safety audit probably, one of the major activities of a safety manager to ensure work place safe always at any given point time. It can be done effectively only if Safety Manger is well versed about the process rather to go follow stenotype audit by adhering prepared audit check list. Every industry & process are unique by design, criticality, employee and its geographical location etc. Audit has to be very interactive with shop floor people with congenial atmosphere & try to understand risk management system of each activity. Every Safety Manager should realize that audit is an art rather just technical matter.
• Please tell us about the Council for EHS Professionals and the work done by it in enhancing OSH awareness.
  • Council of EHS professionals (CEP) was formed in September’ 2015 by few EHS professionals based in Hyderabad. Today, CEP having more than 2500 EHS professionals across country & few are from outside India as well. Now, CEP is a registered non-profit & non-government organization & run by few EHS core committee members voluntarily. Basic objective of CEP is to provide a platform for knowledge sharing to all EHS professionals being very dynamic field & to meet high expectation either from regulatory bodies or from external / internal customers. No doubt, today, there is a gap between EHS expertise & expectation, being a global requirement for business sustainability. CEP is relentlessly working to bridge the gap by providing expertise comments on any EHS related quarries electronically irrespective of geographical presence . In addition to this, CEP is conducting bi monthly training programme (average participants 200 -250), fortnightly Value Drive Approach( VDA) program for young EHS professionals & quarterly EHS new letter etc. Recently CEP conducted more than 100 training sessions on “Static Electricity Hazard” in various industries ( in house) & covered more than 70 industries & 7500 participants( three hours each training sessions) in Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & Tamilnadu.
  • CEP is very happy to share that all the above initiatives are at completely free of cost.All interested EHS professionals are welcome in CEP without any participation/joining fees for lifetime.