EPU2: OEHS Engagement Roadmap for Navigating Stewardship and Sustainability

Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center 

Occupational health and safety (OEHS) professionals serve a critical but often underutilized role in advancing corporate product stewardship and sustainability initiatives. As regulatory, stakeholder, and investor expectations on sustainability topics increasingly influence the ways organizations operate, measure performance, and disclose risks and opportunities, OEHS practitioners have an opportunity to lend their expertise. This interactive pop-up session provides clear examples of where OEHS practitioners can uniquely influence and support their organization's sustainability and stewardship programs. Attendees will be provided with specific examples of methods to integrate a worker-focused perspective into their organization's existing stewardship and sustainability programs and processes (e.g., safer substitution decisions, product hazard communication and disclosures, exposure prevention during process changes, waste/pollution prevention, and provision of EHS metrics for sustainability reporting).

Attendees will receive a concise "roadmap to engagement" worksheet that identifies entry points for OEHS professionals looking to engage with stewardship and sustainability initiatives and offers resources and collaborative pathways within and external to AIHA (e.g., Stewardship and Sustainability Committee, Human Capitals Working Group, Product Stewardship Society). This session will include an audience poll to benchmark the current level of individual and/or team engagement in stewardship and sustainability initiatives; discussion surrounding barriers, and a question-and-answer session following introduction of the "roadmap to engagement" worksheet.

Upon completion, the participant will be able to:
• Identify three high-impact stewardship/sustainability integration points in their organization where OEHS methods can contribute to or strengthen sustainability and stewardship efforts. 

IH/OH Program Management

Risk Communication

Consulting

Emergency preparedness and response

Hazard Communication

OHS Management systems, auditing, and compliance

Risk assessment and management

In-person

OnDemand

Professional