Enterprise-wide Environmental, Health and Safety Risk Ranking Tool

Client: Fortune 100 Company

Summary: Cardno ENTRIX has worked with a Fortune 100 client with over 500 facilities nationwide in 6 distinct business units, performing 65 different activities with some level of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) risk. Each facility had developed its own customized tool, which made it difficult for senior management to systematically evaluate which activities or facilities posed the highest risk. The client identified the need for an enterprise-wide tool that would systematically identify and compare different types of risks and mitigation opportunities, so the client could establish resource priorities. EHS staff had attempted to develop such a tool; however, it was not providing reasonable risk scores and it was difficult to achieve buy-in through out the company.

Cardno ENTRIX professionals developed a three step process for the development of an enterprise-wide tool. First, Cardno ENTRIX developed a conceptual approach for the model. This approach included a process where each facility answered objective questions about the risks and mitigation activities at the facility. Using this information, EHS experts developed a matrix showing the frequency and severity of injuries based on the feedback provided. This allowed senior corporate staff to provide rankings and weights for the different injuries, which would allow them to be compared on a standardized basis. Next, a databank of questions for the facilities to answer developed. Through a series of focus groups and structured meetings, Cardno ENTRIX developed a databank of over 650 questions for the risk assessment tool. These questions were carefully pre-tested with a sample of facilities throughout the country. The result was the development an access database that linked all the question and scoring metrics together. The client is currently using database as a prototype to develop an internal risk assessment tool.