Page 59 - OHS, November/December 2020

indicators at your company, it’s yet another reason to be concerned.
How Common Is Management Commitment?
Unfortunately, the truth is that strong management commitment when it comes to EHS support is relatively rare.
It’s much more common at large companies, much less prevalent at medium sized businesses and even less so at small businesses. The answer also depends on industry, with manufacturing, construction and energy being at the top of the list for strong management commitment, largely due to overall risk exposure, value and visibility issues.
When trying to understand the underlying drivers and motivations for establishing and maintaining strong management commitment you have to take company size into account.
Large Businesses
Let’s begin by discussing drivers at large companies where management commitment is often strong and prevalent. Primary motivations include:
■ Protection from harm. Large organizations understand that their employees are their greatest asset and that they have a fundamental duty to protect them from potential work-related harm. The same goes for protecting their local communities and the environment.
■ Exposure and Risk. Large organizations typically have major exposures in all areas of EHS, and therefore have little choice but to give strong support to programs which function to reduce their overall risk profile. The bigger the company, the more complex their operations.
■ Culture. Large companies clearly understand the value proposition behind EHS programs. As a result, their company culture reflects this by instilling values within the organization from top to bottom.
■ Education. Most senior executives at large companies are college and/ or management educated, which often includes training and curriculum on the importance of managing safety compliance and risk management.
Small to Medium Sized Businesses
For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll combine small and medium sized businesses. Here are common drivers:
■ Response to a specific negative event resulting from a lack of EHS compliance efforts. Unfortunately, management commitment only arises in reaction to a negative event which ends up causing serious financial or even emotional distress for the business and/or leadership. This is probably the number one driver for smaller companies.
■ Increased Workers Compensation premiums. High injury rates can result in up to three times higher premiums which can be devastating to a company.
The core value proposition or goal behind any EHS program should be to protect the company’s employees, local community and the environment from potential harm. Whereas large companies often understand this obligation, smaller companies often don’t. I’m not suggesting that smaller companies don’t care about these issues, but in my experience, most don’t fully recognize and respect the life and death risks that their operations
pose to their employees, etc. Many of these business executives often don’t really believe that it could ever happen to them. This lack of respect, awareness and understanding is arguably the biggest reason that management commitment is so rare and unsustainable at smaller companies.
If management commitment is lacking at your company, I strongly recommend that your company leadership seek resources to help educate and build awareness surrounding EHS regulations and laws, as well as the many benefits that companies can achieve by committing to implement and support their EHS programs.
Russell Carr founded Berg Compliance Solutions, LLC after struggling for years trying to manage EHS issues with three small contracting businesses he used to own and operate, and seeing other small companies suffer similar struggles and pay the price.
www.ohsonline.com
Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation
1. Publication Title: Occupational Health & Safety
2. Publication Number: 0362-4064
3. Filing Date: September 30, 2020
4. Frequency of Issue: Jan/Feb, March, April, May, June, Jul/Aug, September, October, Nov/Dec
5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 9
6. Annual Subscription Price: US $79, International $149
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 6300 Canoga Ave., Ste 1150, Woodland Hills CA 91367
8. Complete Mailing Address of the Headquarters of General Business Offices of the Publisher: Same as above.
9. Full Name and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor:
Kevin O’Grady, President/Group Publisher, 14901 Quorum Dr., Ste. 425, Dallas, TX 75254 Sydny Shepard, Editor, 14901 Quorum Dr., Ste. 425, Dallas, TX 75254
Nikki Johnson-Bolden, Associate Content Editor, 14901 Quorum Dr., Ste. 425, Dallas, TX 75254
10. Owner(s): Stevens Publishing Acquisition, Corp. (SPAC), 6300 Canoga Ave., Ste 1150, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Listing of shareholders in SPAC.
11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or more of the Total Amount of Bonds,
Mortgages or Other Securities:
Nautic Partners V, L.P., 50 Kennedy Plaza, 12th Flr., Providence, RI 02903
Kennedy Plaza Partners III, LLC, 50 Kennedy Plaza, 12th Flr., Providence, RI 02903
Alta Communications IX, L.P., 1000 Winter Street, South Entrance, Suite 3500, Waltham, MA 02451
Alta Communications IX, B-L.P., 1000 Winter Street, South Entrance, Suite 3500, Waltham, MA 02451
Alta Communications IX, Associates LLC, 1000 Winter Street, South Entrance, Suite 3500, Waltham, MA 02451
12. The tax status has not changed during the preceding 12 months.
13. Publication Title: Occupational Health & Safety
14. Issue date for Circulation Data Below: September 2020
15. Extent & Nature of Circulation:
a. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run)
b. Legitimate Paid/and or Requested Distribution
Average No. Copies Each Month During Preceding 12 Months
40,392
No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date
38,148 20,395 0 20
0 20,415 17,479 0 0
186 17,665 38,080 68 38,148 53.61%
1. Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 22,602 Stated on PS Form 3541
2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 0 Stated on PS Form 3541
3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, 26 Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested
Distribution Outside USPS®
4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail 0 Classes Through the USPS
c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 22,628
d. Nonrequested Distribution
1. Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated 17,495 on PS Form 3541
2. In-County Nonrequested Copies Distribution 0 Stated on PS Form 3541
3. Nonrequested Copies Distribution Through the 0 USPS by Other Classes of Mail
4. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail 202
e. Total Nonrequested Distribution 17,697
f. Total Distribution 40,325
g. Copies not Distributed 67
h. Total 40,392
i. Percent paid and/or Requested Circulation 56.11%
16. Electronic Copy Circulation
a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies
b. Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (Line 15c) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies
c. Total Requested Copy Distribution (Line15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic Copies (Line 16a)
d. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both print & Electronic Copies) (16b divided by 16c x 100)
R I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and paid print are legitimate request or paid copies
17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the Nov/Dec 2020 issue of this publication.
18. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete: Tillie Carlin, Manager, Print Production
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 | Occupational Health & Safety 53