The Phylmar Group Inc. Newsletter
June 2017, Issue #89
Hello,

Welcome to the Phylmar Newsletter.  In this edition, we begin with a report on corporate sustainability efforts, trends, and outlook.  It considers corporate sustainability being at a sort of crossroads, with on the one hand a continued steady increase in company participation and efforts, demonstrating proven strategies for valuable sustainable growth, while on the other hand a recent increase in populist anti-regulatory agendas may create short-term monetary incentives for companies to withdraw from sustainability efforts.

We then turn towards California, which has recently approved landmark regulatory protections for oil refinery safety.  We explore the main requirements for employers to what the Department of Industrial Relations Director Christine Baker calls, "[T]he most protective regulation in the nation for the safety and health of refinery workers and surrounding communities."
  
We hope that this information is valuable to you and feel free to let us know if there are any topics you would like to see covered.

Take care,

Mark Katchen, CIH
Managing Principal 
The Phylmar Group, Inc.

Sustainability at a Crossroads; Summary Findings from the Sustainability Global Executive Studies, 2009-2016
Summary of Report's Introduction, MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group, May 23, 2017

In the final annual report of an 8-year study, we see that corporate sustainability finds itself at a sort of crossroads. As companies continue to demonstrate workable and profitable sustainability strategies, current sociopolitical upheaval is a threat to reverse key gains made.

Today, companies demonstrate a much higher level of commitment to corporate sustainability than has existed in the past.  9,000 companies have joined the UN Global Compact committing to 10 sustainability principles since it was established in 2000.  74% of the world's largest companies now track and report their sustainability performance using the Global Reporting Initiative process.  Corporate sustainability is no longer a marginal or money-losing set of activities.

The report assesses the emergence of corporate sustainability across industries and identifies evidence-based strategies for accelerating a company's sustainability progress. To view these 8 strategies and a link to the complete report, click here.

Landmark Oil Refinery Workplace Safety and Health Regulation Approved in California
Summary of California Department of Industrial Relations News Release ,            May 18, 2017

On 18 May 2017, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved a regulation to strengthen workplace safety and health at oil refineries across the state, providing a framework for anticipating, preventing and responding to hazards at refineries.  The new refinery safety order will be enforced by Cal/OSHA's Process Safety Management (PSM) Unit, adding Section 5189.1 to Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.  The Office of Administrative Law now has 30 working days to review and approve the new regulation.

The elements outlined in the regulation require refinery employers to:
  • Conduct Damage Mechanism Reviews for processes that result in equipment or material degradation, such as corrosion and mechanical wear.
  • Conduct a Hierarchy of Hazard Controls Analysis to implement the most effective safety measures when considering competing demands and costs when correcting hazards.
  • Implement a Human Factors Program, analyzing human factors such as staffing levels, training, competency, fatigue, other effects of shift work, and human-machine interface.
  • Develop, implement and maintain written procedures for the Management of Organizational Change to ensure consistent plant safety during personnel changes.
  • Utilize Root Cause Analysis when investigating any incident that does result, or reasonably could have resulted, in a major incident.
  • Perform and document a Process Hazard Analysis on the effectiveness of particular processes safeguards and identify, evaluate, and control associated hazards.
For more information visit DIR and the Governor's Interagency Refinery Task Force webpage.
Upcoming Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability Events


Fleet Safety Conference , Schaumburg, IL, July 25-26, 2017

National Safety Council Congress and Expo , Indianapolis, IN, September 23-29, 2017

SPF Americas 2017 , Chicago, IL, September 26-27, 2017

  
Did You Know?
Did you know as a PRR, AFIRM or BioPharma EHS Forum member that your benefits included access to Phylmar's global consulting network that provides concierge level service? The Phylmar Academy provides continuing EHS education and employee training. You can save up to 20% on these services through your membership. Contact Mark Katchen ( mkatchen@phylmar.com ) for more information.
About The Phylmar Group, Inc.
The Phylmar GroupĀ® is an organization that partners with best-in-class companies on their most challenging environmental, health and safety, and social responsibility issues by anticipating clients' needs from strategy to implementation. Our expert client advisors deliver innovative, responsible, efficient solutions addressing client needs and creating added value. For more information, visit  www.phylmar.com or call +1 310.474.3937.

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