Prevention through Design: Combining Risk Assessment, Productivity, and Sustainability View Digital Media

Workshop Presentation
Georgi Popov  

Prevention through Design (PtD) addresses occupational safety and health needs in the design and redesign processes to prevent or minimize the work-related hazards and risks associated with the construction, manufacture, use, maintenance, and disposal of facilities, materials, equipment, and the service sector. One of the many challenges environmental, health and safety (EHS) professionals are facing is developing skills to convince management to maximize the effectiveness of the safety and sustainability programs. EHS professionals have to help management transform EHS and Sustainability into an accepted business value for the organization. In order to be successful, the EHS students and professionals have to learn to use the PtD principles and incorporate them into standard business and sustainability practices. Therefore, the author developed a PtD model that incorporates risk assessment, hierarchy of controls, productivity, sustainability, financial analysis, and future state projections. To demonstrate the applicability of the model; the author selected a case study that was suitable for practical demonstration and for use as an educational module. A value-added project for refuse trucks improvements is presented. In the model PtD principles were combined with risk assessment tools, productivity evaluation and sustainability. This case study demonstrates how EHS professionals can play a significant role in the development of new sustainability projects, business plans and implementation of Lean Six Sigma practices, designed to minimize injuries and improve productivity. This workshop involves extensive interaction between presenter and participants around an idea of sustainability applications and hands-on experience using freely available peer EHS sustainability tools.