S&E: Workers' Health & Safety (Health Risk and Impact Assessments)
For HSE managers, there is a tremendous focus on keeping the workforce safe and healthy. Most are well aware of the challenges of operating in remote and underdeveloped and areas and routinely conduct health risk assessments and implement mitigation measures to ensure they can address the health needs of the workforce under these difficult circumstances. This talk will ask the audience to shift their focus and consider how the projects we bring to these areas can impact the health of communities where we are working. This is a standard practice in the environmental area where EIAs are mandatory for most projects. Health Impact Assessments are just beginning to be incorporated into project planning. Though we may not always be aware of it, our activities can potentially have a significant impact, both positive and negative on those living near the project and sometimes the impact can be even further reaching. We may impact the food sources available and change the nutritional status of the population. We worry about the infectious disease risks we face when operating in new areas but projects can introduce disease to the populations as well, examples include malaria, chicken pox, dengue and HIV. It is important to consider these impacts early and plan how best to mitigate them. Conversely, the project can bring economic development which can result in improvements in local medical resources and we should look at how these positive impacts can be harnessed and maximized.
Location:
Houston Petroleum Club
800 Bell Street, 43rd Floor
Houston
,
Texas 77002