OSH Pros' Feedback Sought on Corporate Sustainability Standard

"The GRI 403 standard provides a lever for change in corporate reporting practices on OHS globally," said Kathy A. Seabrook, chair of the CSHS Board of Directors. "Safety and health professionals need to step up, participate, and influence the final standard through this public consultation period. It's a significant development in our profession."

ASSE's Center for Safety and Health Sustainability (CSHS) is asking safety and health professionals around the world to let their voices be heard about a key international standard connected to corporate sustainability. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is seeking feedback on proposed updates to GRI 403: Occupational Health and Safety, with a comment period open through Oct. 9.

GRI 403, part of the first global standards for sustainability reporting, details reporting practices related to occupational health and safety that any organization wanting to fully report its sustainability impacts can use. GRI reports the standard is being revised to reflect internationally supported best practices and to align it with recent developments in OHS management, including the upcoming ISO 45001 standard. "Improvements include greater emphasis on hazards and the application of the hierarchy of controls. Also proposed are better methodologies for calculating injury and illness data, and new leading indicators based on how workers are covered by management systems and have access to occupational health services," according to ASSE's announcement.

"The GRI 403 standard provides a lever for change in corporate reporting practices on OHS globally," said Kathy A. Seabrook, chair of the CSHS Board of Directors. "Safety and health professionals need to step up, participate, and influence the final standard through this public consultation period. It's a significant development in our profession."

CSHS, whose member organizations represent more than 100,000 OHS professionals around the world, was a key influence behind GRI's creation of a working group to examine OSH performance indicators. For more information, visit www.centershs.org.