It appears that environmental, safety, and health departments in corporations and government are a microcosm of what we need to do on our planet. This would enable us to be aware of the problems we face on our planet, so we don’t get affected by them. I did an internship at Lockheed Martin’s environmental, safety, and health department in the 1990s. I spent time developing a website for Lockheed Martin’s armament systems division. Part of that effort was to put together an MSDS (material safety data sheet) for the website. This information kept people aware of safety considerations regarding chemicals and other aspects of working at the plant. Industrial hygiene is also a part of environmental, safety, and health departments, which reminds me of natural earth’s striving. They assess workplace and ecological hazards in advance, rather than just reacting to them later. They also contribute to significant planning, which is a holistic, preventive approach rather than a reactive or reductionist one. They also use science and their everyday jobs to assess risk and develop holistic, prescriptive advice. They promote health and wellness, as well as ways to protect the community and the environment. In addition, they are also involved in sustainability. More roles that I found on Wikipedia include air emissions, energy, conservation, waste, water, quality, waste management, noise, contaminated land, occupational health, safety, physical hazards, chemical hazards, biological hazards, radiological hazards, personal protective equipment, communication and training, monitoring, and disease prevention. Therefore, if we expand many of these roles to the macrocosm of the earth, we would be better off in society, especially when it involves being aware of potential hazards and conditions as a holistic preventive measure.
It’s often tempting to view Environmental, Safety, and Health (EHS) departments within corporations and governmental bodies as a peripheral cost, a necessary regulatory hurdle. However, I’ve long believed this perspective fundamentally misunderstands their profound significance. These teams are not merely cost centers; they are foundational architects of resilience, foresight, and sustainable progress. Their primary mandate is to meticulously identify, assess, and mitigate risks before they escalate, thereby safeguarding human well-being, ecological integrity, and operational continuity.
My own experience during an internship with Lockheed Martin’s EHS department in the 1990s provided an early and vivid demonstration of this proactive ethos. I dedicated considerable effort to developing a pioneering website for their armament systems division, a key component of which was the digitization and accessibility of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). This initiative was groundbreaking for its time, ensuring critical information regarding chemical handling and workplace hazards was readily available, fostering an informed and safer environment for all personnel.
This proactive philosophy is perhaps best exemplified by the field of industrial hygiene – a critical facet of EHS. Industrial hygienists are the vanguard, scrutinizing workplaces and broader environments for potential hazards, not merely reacting to incidents. Their work is steeped in scientific rigor, translating complex data into actionable, preventative strategies. They embody a holistic approach, prioritizing anticipation and careful planning over crisis management, aligning perfectly with nature’s own mechanisms for self-preservation and adaptation.
Beyond immediate workplace safety, the scope of EHS extends into every dimension of sustainability and community welfare. Their expertise encompasses critical areas such as managing air emissions, promoting energy conservation, optimizing waste management, ensuring water quality, mitigating noise pollution, rehabilitating contaminated land, and comprehensively addressing occupational health across physical, chemical, biological, and radiological hazards. They are instrumental in developing robust communication protocols, providing essential training, establishing monitoring systems, and implementing disease prevention programs. Fundamentally, EHS professionals serve as crucial stewards of both human health and environmental prosperity.
Consider the transformative impact if this meticulous, science-driven, and preventative EHS philosophy were to be scaled beyond corporate walls and governmental agencies, embracing the entirety of our planetary ‘macrocosm.’ Investing in and prioritizing these disciplines globally would empower us to anticipate and avert monumental environmental and societal challenges, fostering a future built on awareness, sustainability, and collective well-being. It is a commitment to proactive stewardship, ensuring a healthier and more secure world for generations to come.
Sincerely,
Richard Thomas Simmons