5-15. Designing EHS Dashboards and Providing Real-Time Reports to Senior Management

An EHS (Environment, Health, Safety) dashboard is a powerful tool that centralizes, visualizes, and reports key data to senior management, directly enhancing a company's value. By integrating and visualizing information related to the environment, health, and safety, these dashboards support strategic decision-making, strengthen compliance, and reduce risks. Here are key points for designing an EHS dashboard and best practices for real-time reporting to management.

1. Essential Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

To effectively measure EHS activities, it is crucial to select quantitative metrics such as Lost-Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR), number of near-misses, CO2​ emissions, energy consumption, waste recycling rates, and the percentage of medical checkup results with health concerns. Including metrics based on international standards like ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 ensures that your management aligns with global benchmarks. It's best to set these indicators to directly support the company's long-term goals, such as "zero accidents" or a specific "emission reduction rate."

2. Practical Dashboard Design

The dashboard must be intuitive, using charts and graphs so that senior management can grasp the information at a glance. Visualizing risk levels with color-coding and using drill-down functions to allow for detailed analysis at the site level is highly effective. Integrating the dashboard with IoT sensors and cloud-based EHS management systems can automate data collection and updates, significantly reducing manual effort. For companies with a global presence, multi-language support and regional comparison features are also important.

3. Real-Time Reporting to Senior Management

When reporting to senior management, it is crucial to go beyond simply presenting data and instead show its impact on the business. For instance, you should explain the effect of a rise in workplace accidents on productivity or how CO2​ reduction can improve investor ratings. It is essential to interpret risks and opportunities from a business perspective. Additionally, making the dashboard accessible on mobile devices allows management to stay informed in real-time, even when traveling or working remotely, which enables faster decision-making.

4. Implementation Challenges and Solutions

Challenges include ensuring data accuracy, managing system implementation costs, and promoting adoption within the company. Solutions include training on-site staff, standardizing data entry rules, and using AI to detect anomalous values. By establishing a system where the dashboard is regularly used in management and board meetings, a culture where EHS activities are seen as directly linked to business performance can be fostered.

Conclusion

An EHS dashboard is a powerful tool that integrates environmental, health, and safety data to provide real-time information to management. By carefully selecting KPIs, creating an intuitive design, and ensuring data accuracy, a company's EHS management can be significantly enhanced. Strategically using a dashboard will become increasingly important as a foundation for sustainable management.