Ensuring compliance with environmental, health, and safety (EHS) legal requirements is crucial for organisations to prevent fines, legal action, and reputational damage. An EHS legal register is a comprehensive list that companies use to keep track of all the environmental, health, and safety rules and regulations they need to follow. It's like a checklist to make sure a company is doing everything the law requires to keep people and the environment safe.
Keeping an updated EHS legal register helps identify gaps, improves coordination for EHS compliance audits, and demonstrates a commitment to worker safety, sustainability, and adhering to legal requirements. This article explores the benefits of an effective EHS legal register, best practices for creating one, and tips to streamline the process.
Understanding Legal Requirements
An EHS legal register consolidates all relevant legislation in one place, making it easier to find and manage compared to trawling through numerous pieces of legislation. It helps organisations navigate the complex and divided legislative landscape across different jurisdictions to determine how the law applies to their operations.
Legal registers help organisations meet ISO standards, such as ISO 14001 for environmental management. They ensure compliance with laws and regulations, keeping the organisation informed about new and updated legislation to prevent non-compliance.
Benefits of EHS Legal Register
Having an EHS legal register demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to understanding and fulfilling its legal obligations. This proactive approach goes beyond mere compliance, enhancing the company’s reputation with customers and stakeholders.
Legal registers provide an evidence trail, enabling organisations to consistently demonstrate compliance and promptly identify and correct non-conformities. Some of the benefits of an EHS legal register include:
Mitigating Risks and Liabilities: A consolidated list of legal obligations allows organisations to identify and develop strategies to proactively reduce potential risks.
Building Trust and Credibility: Developing and maintaining an EHS legal register demonstrates good governance, transparency, and a commitment to regulatory compliance, fostering trust with clients, customers, and value chain partners.
Enhancing Operational Efficiency: The legal register serves as a roadmap to navigate the complexities of ever-changing regulations, especially for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions, practices, or industries.
Informed Decision-Making: Having detailed legal records is crucial for organisations to fully comprehend the legal implications of their business decisions at the local, regional, and corporate levels. This understanding enables them to make strategic decisions that are in line with their compliance obligations.
Building an Effective EHS Legal Register
Building an effective EHS legal register requires a structured approach to consolidate relevant laws and regulations. Whether you will use a software or an Excel spreadsheet, your legal register should contain essential information such as:
The specific name of the legal authority (this could be a statute, regulation, code, or ordinance) that is applicable to your business and country in which you operate.
A link to the source of relevant law or regulation.
A clear and concise summary of the legal requirements.
Information on the scope of jurisdiction (federal, state, or local law).
An explanation of how the legal requirements relate to the activities at your site.
A summary that provides details on the actions needed for compliance, including what needs to be done, how it should be done, and the timeline for these actions.
Key dates related to the legal requirements, such as when they come into effect, update or amendment dates, the dates and general finding of compliance audits, and the last time the register was updated.
Documentation of the individual responsible for updating the register to ensure there is accountability.
How ESC’s Dual Approach Can Help
ESC provides a pair of solutions to help businesses handle their EHS legal registers efficiently. These solutions are crafted to suit different needs and preferences.
Ready-to-Use Legal Register
Sign up for a service that keeps the EHS legal register current without your team having to lift a finger.
Get automatic updates and alerts when laws change.
A straightforward option that’s saves time and effort.
2. Custom-Made Legal Register
Work with an EHS expert to create a legal register that’s tailored just for your business’s unique needs.
Get personalised support and guidance from EHS professionals.
End up with a legal register that’s one of kind to your company’s specific legal duties.
Choose either the hassle-free subscription or the personalised custom register to keep your business legally compliant with EHS standards. ESC’s got your back either way.
Ready to Simplify Your Legal Obligations?
Don't let regulatory changes catch you by surprise. Subscribe now or contact ESC to discover how our EHS Legal Register Solution can keep you ahead in compliance management.
