Although the need to
make sure you are
compliant with all of
those laws can seem
an annoyance, the
laws were of course,
adopted for a reason
and need to be
respected.
incident such as fines), but there
are also indirect costs including (1)
production interruptions, and (2)
diminished employee productivity
that can impact your organization’s
bottom line. There are numerous
examples (and still growing) of factories being completely shut down
or being forced by authorities temporarily shut down operations as
a result of repetitive non-c compliance findings. Finally, there are also
the costs of lost business opportunities, such as reputational and
market damage, that could arise
from non-compliance (i.e. 2010
Gulf of Mexico oil spill).
So the bad news is, non-compliance could, and probably will,
cost you a lot of money. The worse
news is that we are seeing growing evidence of enforcement cases around the
world. Both in developed economies, where
fines continue to rise, but also in the developing economies where enforcement bodies are
starting to assert their authority.
The good news is that investing in ensuring legal compliance is likely to be a lot less expensive when you look at the likely knock-on
effects.
Enhesa Flash May/June 2014
Increased focus on regulation
and enforcement in
the Middle East
In 2022 the football (soccer) World Cup
is scheduled to be hosted in Qatar. Qatar has
been in the news extensively with regards to
the extreme temperatures players are likely to
be faced with, and the hazards this will present.
Of course, this is an issue of great importance. Heat stress, hydration and working in
extreme temperatures are some of the main
concerns for EHS managers (in both hot and
cold climates) all around the world. Work
Heat stress, hydration, work in extreme
temperatures are some of the main issues of
concern for international EHS managers.
hours, protective clothing and machinery maintenance all take on a particular significance in
such situations. This too is a good example of
the different mindsets safety professionals have
to adopt, not only with different cultures and
languages, but climates as well.
In the context of Qatar, athlete safety hasn’t
been the only focus of the media. Stories have
emerged relating to construction workers’ rights
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