Featured Articles

Lessons Learned on International Assignments

Dec 27th, 2012 | By
Lessons Learned on International Assignments

At the September 2012 Auditing Roundtable national meeting in Baltimore I heard Terri Morrison, author of Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More Than Sixty Countries (Adams Media, 2006) captivate the audience for two hours on the tricks and traps of working internationally. It made me reflect on my
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Diesel Engine Exhaust Declared a Carcinogen by IARC

Jul 8th, 2012 | By
Diesel Engine Exhaust Declared a Carcinogen by IARC

Diesel engine exhaust was classified on June 12, 2012 as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The reclassification of diesel engine exhaust from probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A) to carcinogenic to humans was based on evidence showing that exposure to diesel exhaust is associated with an
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Demystifying Environmental Sustainability

Jul 7th, 2012 | By
Demystifying Environmental Sustainability

There has been a lot of talk over the past few years about environmental sustainability. Conferences are held on environmental sustainability, and everyone is talking about it. There are hundreds of definitions of sustainability and yet no one seems to understand what it really means. So-called experts are coming up with “metrics” and “indices” as
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E-Waste: A Growing Problem

May 7th, 2012 | By
E-Waste: A Growing Problem

My cell phone is 5 years old. It has a tiny screen, an awkward keyboard, and no applications at all, but I stubbornly refuse to trade it in for a new one. It still functions, and for the work I do, it’s really all I need. Also, I know that if I exchange it, my
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The World’s Largest Environmental Consulting Firms (2009 - 2010)

Dec 30th, 2011 | By

Editor’s Note: This article, published in December 2011, provides information on company performance from 2009 and 2010. For an updated list of the world’s largest environmental consulting companies, click here.   Although the environmental consulting market remains highly fragmented, a dozen large firms are spearheading the globalization of the environmental consulting industry to meet the demands
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Growing Shortage of Health & Safety Staff in the U.S.

Nov 23rd, 2011 | By

The United States could be heading for a significant shortfall in occupational safety and health (OS&H) professionals, according to the National Assessment of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce report issued by the U.S. National Insitute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in October 2011. America’s colleges and universities are expected to graduate 13,000 OS&H
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How Big Is a Confined Space?

Jun 5th, 2011 | By
How Big Is a Confined Space?

During a recent audit, I discovered that many of my colleagues and I had been taught to apply the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) confined space standard (29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.146) incorrectly. The question that came up was related to identifying “what is a confined space,” which I find to be
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India: Environmental Management and Environmental Regulation

Jan 7th, 2011 | By
India: Environmental Management and Environmental Regulation

This article is the first in a series of articles about environmental management in India. In this installment, authors Sanjay Sampath and Raakhee Kulkarni provide an overview of the social and environmental challenges facing India now and in the next 20 years. Subsequent articles will focus on India’s environmental laws and regulations. […]



Employee Wellness: GE’s HealthAhead Program

Dec 8th, 2010 | By
Employee Wellness: GE’s HealthAhead Program

Last year, General Electric (GE) launched Healthymagination, an initiative aimed at driving healthcare innovation globally. An important component of Healthymagination is HealthAhead, GE’s internal effort to proactively improve the health of GE employees and their families and to contain healthcare costs. HealthAhead’s goal is to create a healthy and engaged workforce and promote a culture of wellness. This article reviews the components of GE’s HealthAhead program. […]



Geographic Mismatch: Coping with Dislocation in the Global Economy

Sep 19th, 2010 | By
Geographic Mismatch: Coping with Dislocation in the Global Economy

Fortunately, your company has great market opportunities. Unfortunately, your opportunities are not where you have the environmental, health and safety (EHS) resources, people and knowledge. This creates a huge geographic mismatch. You and your company have spent years (even decades) building up your EHS infrastructure to fit your historic footprint. In developed markets where you’ve
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