What's an EHS Consultant Doing in this Forum?

[bigburtchino]

This is not the place to hand out the business card and expect the masses to be blowing ones door open with sign me ups now please!

[SeedToSequoia]

Scott,
Relax, I have only been on this site for six days and I made the following post: "Got Questions for the Environmental, Health & Safety Manager?" on my second day.

[SeedToSequoia]

That has not been my expectation. I know that my niche size is small.

[SeedToSequoia]

Thank you submarinepainter!

[junkfreak]

Appears I won't get an answer to my question.

[SeedToSequoia]

Good question junkfreak.
There is a good amount of free information out there. Unfortunately, in many cases, including OSHA and EPA regulations there are a lot more questions that you have after you read the legalese then when you first started. Which is good because that is the learning process. Many people find it easier to turn to someone who has expertise with understanding EHS requirements and has experience implementing them in different settings. A knowledgeable EHS consultant will have absorbed the best practices of other companies and industries that he/she can then implement at your facility. You may have an idea on how to implement a system or control, but a second pair of eyes will likely mean even more ideas and solutions to ensure you have a safe work place for yourself and the environment. I liken it to having the blueprints to build something complex. In some cases someone will be fine building it for the first time, but in other cases it will be a lot less frustrating if you have an expert help you. I hope that I have left you with some justification for my occupation. 

[SeedToSequoia]

No, just had to go pick up my daughter and the other posts were easy to answer quickly.

[NobleMetalWorks]

OK seed. Since my first post:
I talked to my insurance rep.(workman's comp.)
Researched OSHA
". Epa
My findings: they have" free" info in hard copy that they are sending me
Also my insurance company has a program that trains you in work place safety for free, so that you can train your employees.
So, my question is, why should I pay for this service?
Iam not being negative. To be honest I never knew companies that provide your services ever existed till you posted.

If you must deal with the EPA either to comply with laws in your region, or to obtain licensing, I would suggest seeking out a law firm that specifically deals with EPA law, regulations, licensing, etc. A EHA Consultant will most likely suggest the same. In my own business, because of the complexity of the work I do, and laws I must abide by being those of the city, county, state of California EPA, Federal EPA and Bay Area Air Quality, I hired the services of such a law firm, and glad I did so.

As well as the free information that your insurance company most happily will provide you, and do so because it lowers the risk of you requiring to make a claim of them. You can also contact your local power company, many times they will provide safety information free of charge that pertains to their systems. Where I live in California, it is PG&E, you can get their website here:

Energy Safety | PG&E

You can also obtain a lot of really good solid safety information, for free, from the "Safety Management Group" who are Safety consultants for industrial and construction compliance training and staffing here:

Safety consultants, industrial and construction consulting, OSHA compliance training and staffing

There is also the "Non Profit Risk Management Center" where you can also download and read a lot of good free information here:

https://www.nonprofitrisk.org/

There is "Wellness Proposals" here:

Free Workplace Safety Handouts

There is "SafetyInfo.com" which provides many free software programs, as well as information for download, here:

https://www.safetyinfo.com/

There is the "Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety" which provides a lot of really good information for access and download, here:

http://www.ccohs.ca/resources/

Of course there is also OSHA or "Occupational Safety & Health Administration" here:

https://www.osha.gov/workers/index.html

NFPA or "National Fire Protection Association" the authority on Fire, Electrical and Building safety, here:

http://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standa...=code&code=70e

There is also EHSO or "Environment, Health and Safety Online" which can be found here:

http://ehso.com/

And EXCELLENT resource for all types of recycling information including safety, the ISRI or Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc and can be found here:

http://www.isri.org/

If you want to know the skinny on EHS professionals, you can read the online journal "EHS Journal" here:

http://ehsjournal.org/http:/ehsjourn...uld-know/2013/

To give you an idea of what an EHS professional or consultant should be doing consider this. An experienced EHS Professional should provide leadership, direction, and rally involvement of key management and employees to institute compliance, reduce hazards and begin to transform company culture in this direction if it does not already exist. They should possess the ability to engage employees from every level within an organization. They should be proficient in EHS regulations; understand the delicate balance between compliance and profit; and have the ability to deliver effective compliance solutions.

There is a absolute ton of totally free information that exists all over the internet. You seem to already have tapped your insurance company, which is probably the smartest source of information considering it's in their best interest for you to conduct your business in the most safe way possible. There is also your state EPA, and perhaps county and city resources. There are also groups on facebook, perhaps even in your region, set up to support individual business owners and large businesses alike. There are conferences you can attend if you are so inclined. You also have sources such as industrial supply companies, like Grangier that have sales people who are specifically trained to help you in deciding what you require in the way of safety equipment, they can be found here:

http://www.grainger.com/category/saf...gestConfigId=6

I have purchased most of my industrial safety equipment from Grainger such as chemical spill kits and safety mats, etc.

If you are looking for something specific, or require specific information, and I perhaps might be able to help you. Post your question here so that I can also answer here. In that way the information will be retained, and other members can benefit from it. Or perhaps another member will know better than I and post as well. Or even better, if you truly require specific information create a new thread and pose your question for the entire forum and open it up to be answered by one of the more than 18 thousand members that attend this website.

Scott

[junkfreak]

Thanks Noble,
Looks like I got some reading to do.lol
Much appreciated!

[NobleMetalWorks]

Thanks Noble,
Looks like I got some reading to do.lol
Much appreciated!

Anytime, no worries. I would encourage you to start your own thread if you have questions, like I said, it's a good thing to ask publicly so they can be answered in the same, and thus everyone ends up benefiting for it.

And to SeedToSequoia, perhaps you might want to chime in and fill in the gaps in suggestions I did not make or missed. Providing more information is always in the best interest of everyone that attends this forum, and since you have the experience you do in this particular industry, your input would have value I am sure.

Scott

[bigburtchino]

SeedToSequoia I hope you are getting the "drift", you have a thick skin and most of all I hope you stick around! As I'm sure you will find your way around this community. Most all of us have a desire to help one another and at the same time, most of us have been running our own "Rodeos" for awhile now!

[SeedToSequoia]

bigburtchino,

I get it. You all are not happy with advertising unless it is paid for. I just hope that some will be more open minded that consulting could be a gift, not a tax. Thanks for wanting me to stick around.

[mikeinreco]

bigburtchino,

I get it. You all are not happy with advertising unless it is paid for. I just hope that some will be more open minded that consulting could be a gift, not a tax. Thanks for wanting me to stick around.

might as well upgrade to a member....You get a buyers thread as well as some other perks and I don't think it's very expensive

[NobleMetalWorks]

bigburtchino,

I get it. You all are not happy with advertising unless it is paid for. I just hope that some will be more open minded that consulting could be a gift, not a tax.

Thanks for wanting me to stick around.

No, no I am afraid you do not yet get it. I have attempted in several different ways to express the same concept, yet it seems to be utterly lost on you.

You seem to think you are an expert, and in being so that there is not information here for you to enjoy and benefit from yourself. Let me enlighten. There is far more information on this forum, that you can learn than what you can impart, specifically to do with your chosen field of profession. Let me put this a different way. If you never gained any paid business by being on this forum, you still would benefit yourself, and your business greatly if you did nothing else but just simply read the posts and parts of this forum that can help you in your business, outside of this forum.

That is not to say that you might not gain business by being here, but in order to do so, you should be posting something of value, contributing something that is worthy of notice. You have yet to do so. In posting something useful, in case you do not already realize this, you will be promoting your business on the internet at large. You see, every post you create is also searchable on google. The more posts, the hirer you will rank on a google search, the more business you will be potentially creating.

If however, your posts consist of people begging you to post information, or to answer questions, HERE, and you are not doing so, your potential customers will only be seeing how you behave in that way, rather than in a capacity that is helpful and contributing. Allow me to expand on this concept by expressing something that recently happened with me.

I was contacted by someone who wanted to conduct business with me. In talking with this person, he stated that every search he conducted, in looking for specific information that had to do with something particular he was looking for my business name kept coming up. He read posts I made, read what other people had to say about me, and decided instead of attempting to do what he wanted to do himself, he would ask me to help him instead, and even offer to pay. I did help him. In helping him, he eventually decided that he would prefer someone doing it for him, and since I already had built up the relationship, asked me if I would. In the end, I purchased the material from him, and processed it myself. I even went so far as to tell him what the yields were, so that if he decided to sell to someone in the future he would be armed with good, solid information. In doing so, he even went so far as to offer me some of what I paid for the material back because he felt I should have made more off the material. I didn't accept for many reasons, but could appreciate his offer. I was able to build a very strong relationship with this person, and now whenever he has material he knows I will be interested in buying, he contacts me first. Not only that, but he is sensitive about dealing with me fairly, because I freely gave him information that empowered and helped him.

I know this seems like it's contradictory to the way most people conduct business, in that everyone is attempting to exact the most possible profit when dealing with others. However, if instead of using this mentality when dealing with others, we instead think in terms of profit sharing, everyone is left making money, and feeling good about the transaction.

If you give to this community, in the form of information that helps members. Who do you think they will suggest to people they do business with, if ever they are asked about an EHS consultant. Or better yet, if in dealing with all the scrap yards and recyclers, the people on this forum do, they have a conversation with someone complaining about safety issues, or the EPA, or OSHA or whatever other entity you might have expertise and knowledge about, who do you think will be the very first person or company that comes to mind.

The very sad thing in my having to explain all of this to you, is that I am having to explain all this to you. You are a consultant, you should already be aware of everything I am stating here. You were an operations manager, you should be aware of these things just on that note. You have started a consulting business, and wish to grow it, you should realize this just based on that as well. Yet you seem so intent on driving business in the way, and direction you have set your mind to that you seem unwilling to think in any other way that might be beneficial, but also is a different path.

I personally have spent a lot of time attempting to explain these concepts to you. I am attempting to help you, yet you seem to think that I am attacking you and are far more defensive than what would be healthy for your business. I will not get any of that time back, I am not going to be paid for my attempting to help you. But I will benefit. I will leave it up to you to figure out how exactly I will benefit from helping you, in this thread, so that in that way you will own the idea and perhaps not be resistant to the concept. Once you realize this, then apply that same reasoning to yourself and your own business and ask yourself the question "how can I help other people so that I derive the same residual benefit".

I have helped many business become successful, and have owned a few myself. I am sharing with you information and knowledge that I could ask payment for, and have been paid for in the past when I used to consult for people who wanted to get into the grocery business, or wanted to purchase a POS system, or install a computer network, etc. I do not share this information to make you look bad, but rather to help you. If you do not see that, or understand this, specially being that you have chosen to be a consultant, you perhaps might want to re-think what you are doing.

In any case, I have spent far too much time attempting to help you, and unless I see some glimmer of understanding or hope in whatever responses you may make on this thread, I don't think I will involve myself further. I do wish you the very best of luck, and regardless of what you might think I do believe your being here, so long as you interact and post good solid information that is useful to the type of businesses and people who frequent this forum, could potentially be very valuable to not only members here, but yourself and your business as well. I want to see you do very well, as I would want to see any small business owner do well. I believe this is the only way we are going to wrestle this country back, that being the United States, from the huge corporations that seem to be able to do at whim, whatever it is they please.

I hope you choose to take what I have said in the spirit it is meant, and not react defensively. I hope you become an important member of this forum, as I do anyone who has valuable information to impart that everyone can benefit from. I am far from being perfect, and my way might not be the best, or even good in regards to your own business, but I do offer it to you, free of charge in the hopes that it will help you. Please consider doing the same for the members here on this forum.

Scott

[bigburtchino]

As always Scott you put it about every way it could be said. Sometimes a person fixates on his/her thought and they are stuck there until out of no where, they get it! We can only hope.