HSE or safety department

[Niraj Kumar]

Why is HSE/SHE department in any operating company generally referred as Safety Depratment. Whether environment has still to bloom to match with safety?

[Hidam Tonsana]

Dear Sir,

Safety has been given the priority rather then the Environment in any industry because the employers are more concerned about their employees and equipment safety due to constrain laws & regulation, fear of loss due to accidents (such as heavy compensation, production loss, reputation loss etc.).

We know that the highest contributor to the environmental pollution are these fast growing industries but they are least bothered of the off-site environmental pollution unless some external agencies pressurize them, they took good care of their employees by providing PPEs, periodic Medical check-up etc. but what about the pollution to the environment ????

As far as HSE department is concerned, is this QHSE(Quality) or HSSE(Security) or simply HSE ????. Its a blend which is regarded to be none productive department but the toughest department to work at.

Environment has a long way to go in an industry.

Regards

H. Tonsana

[Amlan Dutta]

In the port where I am working,, I am in - charge of the Environment Dept and the HSE cell comes under me,, but yes normally that is how it is ,, there is only one dept the HSE Dept which does random cosmetic plantations,, showing their environment consciousness,

- Amlan Dutta
Env Manager
Dhamra Port Co. Ltd.

[Prof Dr V N Sivasankara Pillai]

It is a broader question of ethics. Safety is internal to the enterprise; environment is both internal and extenal. Value of external component is only translucent. It becomes tangible only when the enterprise lands in a situation inviting penalty.
V N S Pillai

[VINOD KUMAR AGARWAL]

Safety department is referrd by the employees of the industries because they are not more aware about the environment.

[Chandani]

hi,

as far as my interaction with other SHE official goes, it is more of focused on Safety; though recognized as Safety, Health and Environment. all the three areas are interlinked.
Their should have been different cell working on environment issues. As, In many cases, SHE officials are confined to compliance to Env. standards.

Regards,
Chandani

[Prof. L. Ramakrishnan]

Safety Officer and Safety Committee etc., are mandated by Factories Act and all the factories that meet the criteria for appointing a safety officer have a Certified (trained) Safety Officer. In most of the companies (whether you like it or not), even though the Safety Officer is supposed to report to the Factory Manager, the function of the Safety Officer comes under the H & R function. So is the case with the Occupational Health physician.

Environmental requirements (for most of the Indian companies, they are consent and authorization conditions) are normally taken care of by Plant Services department, who runs the ETPs and takes care of the maintenance of Chimney etc.

It all depends on who would like to build his empire, HR or Plant Services or other functions. If the company decides to merge OH & S and Environmental functions, if the focus is on compliance with law, it is more likely that the new merged entity is made a part of HR. (If you find SHE under HR, you know that this company is at the lowest level of maturity with respect to Sustainability).

Unless our companies realize that environmental management is a strategic issue, the traditionally strong HR department will have a hold on these "fringe" subjects. Safety will be equated to SHE, by those who are not qualified to handle these functions.

Whether you like it or not, for most of the Indian companies, Safety, Health and Environment are Cost Centres and hence do not have a great say in the functioning of the company. Unless this situation changes it does not matter whether it is HSE or Safety department - OH&S and Environment are one of those lowest of low priority areas for the company.

I don't deny that there are exceptions to the above observation; but the majority will fit into the above description.

[Prof Dr V N Sivasankara Pillai]

Our industries, in general, are low on maturity and sustainability scales. It remains a fact.

Prof. L. Ramakrishnan said:

Safety Officer and Safety Committee etc., are mandated by Factories Act and all the factories that meet the criteria for appointing a safety officer have a Certified (trained) Safety Officer. In most of the companies (whether you like it or not), even though the Safety Officer is supposed to report to the Factory Manager, the function of the Safety Officer comes under the H & R function. So is the case with the Occupational Health physician.

Environmental requirements (for most of the Indian companies, they are consent and authorization conditions) are normally taken care of by Plant Services department, who runs the ETPs and takes care of the maintenance of Chimney etc.

It all depends on who would like to build his empire, HR or Plant Services or other functions. If the company decides to merge OH & S and Environmental functions, if the focus is on compliance with law, it is more likely that the new merged entity is made a part of HR. (If you find SHE under HR, you know that this company is at the lowest level of maturity with respect to Sustainability).

Unless our companies realize that environmental management is a strategic issue, the traditionally strong HR department will have a hold on these "fringe" subjects. Safety will be equated to SHE, by those who are not qualified to handle these functions.

Whether you like it or not, for most of the Indian companies, Safety, Health and Environment are Cost Centres and hence do not have a great say in the functioning of the company. Unless this situation changes it does not matter whether it is HSE or Safety department - OH&S and Environment are one of those lowest of low priority areas for the company.

I don't deny that there are exceptions to the above observation; but the majority will fit into the above description.

[abdul fasi]

hse dept is must in ndustries, but unfortunately no aware of it to most of us

[Sheetal Nagare]

Thank you Prof. L. Ramakrishnan all well said. These days huge lot of people are going for diploma in HSE and working in the same direction. i was really confused with what exactly do they do. Because as u mentioned the HSE dept in same cases is even merged with HR. You very well mentioned that its level of maturity. On world environment day companies here were awarded in Pune for there Green initiatives in their own companies. If internal issues are the same as you mentioned then what can we say. One important point mentioned by one of the industrialist here was 'For a company to go green they initially required 8% of finance but now with the availability of materials it has come up to just 2%'. In this i thought they included many issues like optimum use of water, energy, architecture of the company etc. Are all these issues of a company be dealt by HSE officer ? or he just have to see activities like plantation.

[MOYUKH GHOSH]

There has to be an integration in SHE because when we gel them it forms a EHSMS i.e Environment Health and Safety Management System complying (EMS and OHSAS) and accordingly we take Management programs on Environment, Occupational Health and Safety issues. We are running this system very successfully. For implementation subject experts are required but the senior management has to take all the issues with equal seriousness.

[Niraj Kumar]

In pure environmental consultancy organizations or at corporate environment level, there is a chance to move up the ladder. Same is missing for environment professionals in operating companies where HSE/SHE refers more to safety than Health Safety & Environment.