The Role and Responsibility of the Environmental, Health & Safety Manager in establishing an organization's commitment towards environmental stewardship and workplace safety [as elements of social responsibility]

Background: Effective and leading Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Management is a topic of interest and necessity for many organizations and EHS professionals. The role and responsibility of the EHS Manager in establishing an organization's commitment towards environmental stewardship and workplace safety [as elements of social responsibility] evolves continuously. Objective: The purpose of this thesis is to identify the roles and responsibilities of an effective EHS Manager, and those roles and responsibilities that support an organization achieving environmental stewardship and workplace safety. Method: Salient elements, actions, and characteristics identified as a role or responsibility of the EHS manager within the initial literature review were researched using a three step approach: attendance and participation at EHS conferences and expositions, review of professional literature, and in-depth analysis of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) full interviews conducted by the National Safety Council (NSC) for their annual article "CEOs who Get It." Results: An organization's commitment towards environmental stewardship and workplace safety requires the EHS Manager not only to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, but to provide effective leadership with voluntary EHS management systems and programs. The depth of this voluntary commitment to EHS is based on the organization's top manager/ executive, and the organization's vision and mission. Significance to EHS Management: The significance of this topic to EHS management is that it presents fundamental requirements of top line management, industry standards, and best practices not required under current regulation to ensure environmental stewardship and a safe workplace.