Once the workforce has been recruited for the challenge, your sustainability program is ready for the next step: building sustainability into your company’s brand! It is well documented that sustainability sells. 66% of all consumers indicate they would pay a premium for a product if it came from a sustainable brand, with 70% of millennials having a similar view. More significant, 90% of CEOs feel that sustainable brands are key to success in business.

Have you ever wondered why there’s an insignia of a trout stamped on the top of stormwater drains? If you’ve never noticed this, take a look the next time you happen to see one on a sidewalk or in a parking lot. It’s probably not hard to guess the reason when its printed directly on top, but most people are unaware that those drains lead directly to our streams and rivers.

Since the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Risk Management Program (RMP) rules were first promulgated, the efforts to revise, improve, or otherwise change these rules has been like a slow-motion tennis match. The latest volley was a significant forehand shot to the back corner of the opposing court.

This summer will mark 44 years I have been in the safety profession and as the end of my career quickly approaches, the question recently came up, “What lessons have been learned during a 43-year career in occupational safety and health?”

Engaging employee stakeholders is critical to galvanizing corporate sustainability culture and the key driver for a long-term successful sustainability program. Eliciting employees to own corporate sustainability transform them into sustainability advocates by leveraging the actions of the entire workforce, which provide them an avenue to contribute to the future well-being of the company/society and become part of the larger, global sustainability movement.

OSHA recently announced its Top 10 Violations for 2020, and all ten violations from 2019 remain on the list with subtle changes to the positions of a few safety topics.

Developing a comprehensive sustainability program from the “ground up” can be an overwhelming task, requiring long term planning and the establishment of major milestones. Why not begin with some obvious and easy wins, with an eye towards engaging employees?

If you had a release of a hazardous air pollutant, you would have to notify your authorizing environmental agency under various rules, Federal RMP (112(r)), Title V, or maybe a State Air Toxics regulation. You might even be required to notify the National Response Center (NRC). As of March 23, 2021, you can now add the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) to your “must call” list.