Daily Archives: May 21, 2009

The U.S. healthcare industry has only barely noticed ISO or similar internationally recognized EHS management approaches.  Reports are that only a handful of these facilities are accredited to the ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) or the OHSAS 18001 (occupational safety and health) standards.  This is an industry that would benefit greatly from what the rest of us already know — that good environmental, health and safety management systems work, and much better than traditional “catch and release” compliance audits and inspections.

On page 11 of this ASSE Newsletter, (healthbeat-newsletter-20091) there is an excellent article (“An Ever-Changing Environment”) comparing the “management system versus inspection” approach.  The author, who sits on the ASSE Healthcare Practice Speciality Committee, makes a strong case for the use of a reliable EMS.