What the EHS department does
Safety work starts before a job begins: hazard identification and risk assessment for each activity, safe work procedures, the work permit system for hot work, confined spaces, work at height and electrical isolation, and checks on personal protective equipment. On the floor, safety officers and stewards carry out daily rounds and toolbox talks, and stop unsafe work. After an incident or near miss, EHS leads the investigation and tracks corrective actions. The environment side manages effluent and emission monitoring, hazardous waste records and renewals of consents from the state pollution control board. Occupational health covers pre-employment and periodic medical checks, the first aid team and the plant's health room.
EHS at 50, 500 and 5,000 employees
In a small unit of about 50 people, safety usually sits with the plant or works manager, helped by a trained first aider and a fire warden in each shift, with an outside consultant for pollution board paperwork. At about 500 employees, particularly in chemicals, pharma, steel or engineering, there is a full-time EHS manager or safety officer with a safety supervisor on each shift, an environment officer or chemist who runs the effluent treatment plant, and a visiting factory medical officer.
At 5,000 employees, with several plants or project sites, a corporate head of EHS sets the standards, audits sites and reports incidents to the board, while each plant has its own EHS manager, safety officers, environment engineers and an occupational health clinic. Construction and EPC companies place an HSE manager on every major site, with safety stewards for each subcontractor gang. Check the OSH Code rules notified by your state to see when a qualified safety officer or a safety committee is required for your establishment.
How EHS works with production, maintenance and HR
EHS depends on line managers, because safety is managed by the people who run the work. Production supervisors hold toolbox talks and stop jobs that lack permits; maintenance follows lockout and isolation for every repair. Purchase buys PPE to EHS specifications and checks that contractors bring trained staff and valid insurance. HR includes safety induction on day one, keeps training records, runs the medical checks with the occupational health team, and takes disciplinary action on repeated violations. Admin and security control the entry of contractors and visitors, who must receive a site safety briefing before they go onto the floor.
Stop-work authority and reporting lines
Safety stewards and safety officers report to the plant EHS manager, who reports to the plant head with a dotted line to the corporate head of EHS; the corporate head reports to the COO or managing director. Any employee can stop a job that looks unsafe, and a safety officer can suspend a permit until the risk is controlled. Permits for high-risk jobs are issued by the area in-charge and countersigned by safety. Serious incidents reach the plant head the same day and the managing director within 24 hours, followed by a formal investigation report. Many companies review EHS numbers first in the monthly management meeting, before production figures.
Typical environment, health and safety team structure
Environment, Health and Safety designation hierarchy
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does an EHS department do?
An EHS department prevents injuries and occupational illness and controls the company's environmental impact. It assesses risks, writes safe procedures, runs the work permit system, trains workers, investigates incidents, monitors effluent, emissions and waste, keeps pollution board consents current, and organizes medical checks and first aid. It also audits sites and reports safety performance to management.
What is the difference between EHS and HSE?
There is no real difference. EHS stands for environment, health and safety, and HSE for health, safety and environment. Manufacturing companies in India more often say EHS, while oil and gas, construction and EPC companies more often say HSE. Some companies add quality and call it QHSE when one head looks after both.
Who does a safety officer report to?
A safety officer usually reports to the plant EHS manager, or directly to the plant head where there is no EHS manager. The safety function should not report to the production manager, because the safety officer must be able to stop work without fear of production targets. A dotted line to a corporate EHS head keeps standards consistent across plants.
Is a safety officer mandatory for every factory?
Not for every factory. Whether a qualified safety officer or a safety committee is required depends on the number of workers, the kind of process and the rules your state has notified under the OSH Code, so check those rules for your establishment. Even where it is not required, a trained person who owns safety is a sensible step for any plant.