{"id":85657,"date":"2025-01-31T14:34:31","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T14:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoonline.com\/?p=85657"},"modified":"2025-04-14T10:34:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T10:34:35","slug":"prepare-for-2025-the-future-of-safety-and-sustainability-webinar-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoonline.com\/en-us\/blog\/prepare-for025-the-future-of-safety-webinar-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepare for 2025: The Future of Safety and Sustainability Webinar Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
\n\n

Want to prepare your organization for the future of safety and sustainability? Start by understanding the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this may sound like a simple enough task, the reality isn\u2019t always so straightforward. With the fast pace of regulatory changes, the complexities of reporting, and the emergence of new and unfamiliar technologies, staying on top of your responsibilities may feel overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how can you navigate this shifting landscape and maintain a leading edge? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what we explored in our recent webinar Prepare for 2025: The Future of Safety and Sustainability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event began with a workshop led by Karen Buttigieg, EcoOnline’s Group Manager of Product Marketing and John Maynard, Sales Engineer at EcoOnline. Karen took us through the key regulatory updates from 2024 and provided insights on the current attitudes of EHS leaders. She also highlighted critical changes expected in 2025 that will shape the future of health, safety, and sustainability management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John covered ways to help organizations improve their EHS, ESG, and Chemical Safety programs and provided useful tips for those looking to optimize these in 2025. One of the main subjects John covered (which was a hot topic throughout the event) was the use of AI and other advanced technologies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the workshop, an expert panel discussion took place. Panelists included David Picton, SVP of ESG & Sustainability, as host and moderator, Gary Morgan, VP of Product for Chemicals, and John Maynard. The panelists shared valuable insights they\u2019ve gleaned from their time in the industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below, we\u2019ll explore the key takeaways from the webinar:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the challenges facing EHS, ESG, and Chemical Safety leaders in 2025?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can I prepare for expanding regulations in ESG and chemical management?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can digital solutions\/AI simplify my organization’s safety and sustainability processes and help us to prepare for compliance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are trending EHS, ESG, Chemical topics for 2025?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the challenges facing EHS, ESG, and Chemical Safety leaders in 2025?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first topic covered in our workshop was regulations around health and safety, chemical, and sustainability. \u201cThe health and safety landscape is increasingly becoming more complex to manage,\u201d said Karen Buttigieg before touching on the four key OSHA updates of 2024 that have had a significant impact on businesses. These included electronic submission requirements for illness and injury for high hazard industries, a 3.2% increase in OSHA penalties, updates to the Hazards Communications Standard, and a restructuring of regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the chemical sphere, expected updates for 2025 focus on improving chemical safety. These consist of measures such as stricter TSCA enforcement, updates to the Hazard Communication Standards, PFAS regulations, state-led initiatives (such as California\u2019s Safer Consumer Products Program and New York\u2019s Toxic Chemicals in Children\u2019s Products Act), and emerging chemical categories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Prepare<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Karen noted that sustainability is becoming a greater priority, with reporting compliance in particular receiving a 150% increase in legislation. Measures are being taken at a global, federal, and local\/state-wide scale to make business practices more environmentally sound. \u201cWith these changes present challenges and opportunities to innovate and adopt greener, safer practices,\u201d noted Karen, \u201c…Organizations are continuing to move forward with a focus on sustainability to lay down the foundation for better business.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, 74% of EHS leaders expect a positive impact on revenue growth from sustainability initiatives and 93% dedicated budgets for sustainability reporting and compliance. Not surprisingly, 0% of EHS leaders surveyed will be waiting for climate and sustainability laws to be enacted before building a sustainability program or team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all this in mind, businesses must be proactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you prepare for expanding regulations in ESG and Chemical Management?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you\u2019re aware of just how much things are changing, it\u2019s time to learn what you can do about it. For this, we turned to John Maynard, who took us through some useful tips for tangible improvements within your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are four key steps that businesses should be taking in order to prepare for what the next year has in store:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Stay up-to-date: <\/strong>Government changes around the world will lead to new rules and regulations. There are also state and local guidelines your business must follow. Aim to not only meet, but to exceed, your obligations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Standardize procedures: <\/strong>Work to make sure that everyone within your organization is on the same page. Standardizing will make things much clearer. It will be easier to understand risks and mitigate them because your team will be aligned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Increase efficiencies:<\/strong> Cut down on the things you don\u2019t need. Ask yourself what is really necessary and also what can be done faster and more efficiently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Utilize available tools: <\/strong>Use tools to find efficiencies and automate data collection, data reporting, data delivery and alerting capabilities. Aim to cut down on excel time so that you can focus on more important tasks such as improving processes and streamlining them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Prepare<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a health and safety professional, not an excel professional,\u201d John reminded attendees, \u201cSo try to cut down on the cutting and pasting and making your own graphs and charts and emailing that out, sending it out to people. Really try to work within an ecosystem that does all that work for you and really cuts down and frees up your time to do what lines up with your job title, which is working in health and safety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worried that the above steps might cost you excess time and money? There\u2019s no need to fear. \u201cIf you already have a robust and effective health and safety process in place,\u201d said John, \u201cIt\u2019s more about working those new requirements into your workflow as opposed to having to start from scratch or scrap what you\u2019re already doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can digital solutions\/ AI simplify my organization\u2019s safety and sustainability processes and help us to prepare for compliance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the main themes of our webinar was the use of AI,  its possibilities and its limitations. \u2018Things like AI and machine learning and neural networks – we\u2019re really starting to see those be active tools that will help you on your safety journey,\u2019 John expressed. .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He emphasized the opportunity that companies have to embark on what he called a data led-transformation with these emerging technologies. Companies have traditionally operated in a descriptive mode of thinking, but part of the beauty of machine learning is that it enables users to shift toward predictive insights and prescriptive recommendations, anticipating future outcomes and suggesting real-time actions.This is a powerful use of AI, and one that will have a major impact on those who adopt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Prepare<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What can you expect from EcoOnline\u2019s AI and Machine learning tools?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SDS sourcing and indexing:<\/strong>  Streamline SDS management<\/a> by building a constantly updated global library, automating SDS indexing, and retrieving supplier SDSs through AI-driven sourcing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chat bots: <\/strong>Accessible via any \u2018chat\u2019 based software Guides users through processes and submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Template sourcing:<\/strong> Simplify the creation of accurate, standardized EHS checklists, saving time while ensuring regulatory compliance and promoting a safer work environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inform, prescribe, delight:<\/strong> With an augmented analytics solution, you can automatically and dynamically analyze the relationships between inspections, training, and incidents, offering a single, easy-to-understand score. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facilitate and connect: <\/strong>A generative AI-powered virtual assistant enhances efficiency, ensures consistency, and improves compliance by offering insights, suggestions, automation, and context-aware guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI was also heavily discussed during the panel discussion between David Picton, Gary Morgan, and John Maynard. While it was acknowledged that AI is a relatively new technology, the panel was enthusiastic about what its future holds. The panelists addressed the benefits of AI as well as some of the barriers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the main benefits of AI discussed by the panel were:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n