Is matter sustainable? The debate rages on.

With some people, perception is that yes, matter is firm and solid and grounded. No one thinks of a rock as being temporary, or a steel bridge. We all think that those items will last more than our lifetime, so they must be forever and permanent.

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Jean L. via a Creative Commons license]

[Image courtesy of Flickr user Jean L. via a Creative Commons license]

But those of us who know that roads and bridges do deteriorate and homes crumble when not cared for, matter truly is a temporary substance. We always have to maintain matter to keep it in good condition and try to lengthen its lifespan. All matter falls apart sooner or later, so it’s hard to imagine, if not impossible, something that is truly sustainable while being material.

When it come to occupational health and safety, the concept of sustainable materiality is located in keeping a business running and profitable for the long term while also maintaining a positive safety culture and keeping workers safe.

Educating companies as to this kind of merger that can lead to maximum corporate efficiency and thus long-term sustainability is a key component iwith the development of the Center for Safety and Health Sustainability.

Recently, Kathy Seabrook and Dr. Darryl Hill presented a webinar that discussed the confluence of human capital (workforce), occupational health and safety and the concept of materiality in the context of business. While it is true that good occupational safety involves heavy investment, especially in the success of human capital, Seabrook and Hill present the ways in which this investment can, over time, provide a more efficient and productive workforce that increase profit and make for a business that is more sustainable and successful over a longer period of time.

The concept is not easy to achieve, that marriage between sustainability and materiality, but Seabrook and Hill explain that it is not only possible but is practical with several case studies of companies that have inegrated safety into their long-term sustainability models. What the webinar focuses on is the added importance of what are called ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues and how safety and human capital play a significant role in them and have brought those issues to the fore in many business verticals.

If you are interested in learning more, you can see the webinar slides at this link, and you can access the 2015 report, “The Accounting Revolution and the New Sustainability” here.