As Kermit the Frog once said, “It ain’t easy being green.”

Believe it or not, we safety officer could add a couple words to the end of that sentence: It ain’t easy being green and safe.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. There has been a generally accepted connotation with “green” initiatives in business. It has basically been thought that those companies that go “green” – finding ways to reduce their carbon “footprint” through alternative energy sources and/or eco-friendly building materials, etc. – that the company or building would be safer to work in and work with than other competitors which are not so conscious of the environment. And it would be understandable in the sense that some buildings might have less carbon gas emissions, which make the air in the building healthier to breathe, as an example. But in reality, does “green” and safe really go hand in hand? And does going “green” add to the list of hazards and considerations when trying to run a productive and efficient business?

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Stuart Cole via a Creative Commons license]

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Stuart Cole via a Creative Commons license]

Even Greenness Has Riskiness

Green buildings and green energy have their inherent beliefs that what is good for the Earth and good for people in general will be risk-free, but that is not always the case. One of the things you have to consider when going “green” in your company is to weigh the investment in green technology and materials against the new risks that exist. After all, “green” products will be made of different materials, and those materials may have their own risks that might not have been considered with other materials. And do you have a handle on the existing risks that you could replace some of those risks with these new ones and not have it be burdensome to your safety protocols or to your workers?

EU-OSHA has recently put out a fact sheet that covers green building and the new or layered hazards and risks associated with new and alternative building materials, and what factors should be considered when constructing green buildings in the safety through design (STD) concept. The fact sheet also has a pretty comprehensive reference list for further investigation to help further understanding of greenness in buldings.

Risks to Productivity

There are examples that suggest that safety can equal productivity and profitability for a compay. And part of understanding that is understanding the threats to productivity. And if we, as safety officers, do not look at the big picture and focus only on the details of the safety protocols to keep individual workers safe, we will lose sight of some of the broader issues that can adversely impact our company’s productivity and profit success in the long run.

For example, are you consciously aware of the financial risks to a company that stem from work-related injuries and illnesses? Are you aware of the company’s reliance on temporary workers? Do you know how much job-related stress there is, and the impact that has on worker health? These broad-based but important questions are asked and answered in an infographic  put out by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The infographic takes a look at five major challenges to businesses, regardless of industry vertical, and looks at how those challenges impact a business’s overall financial health. It also explores some suggested steps that businesses can take to mitigate these various risks. If you are becoming more safety-conscious in your workplace, or if you are a startup looking to be safe from the get-go, looking at your business from this 30,000-foot view in regards to safety can be a valuable first step.