Category: Blog

Trend towards occupational health compliance

Posted on by zone_admin

A large part of the health regulations issued in 2020 are focused on the protection of employees
during their working hours. Therefore, one of the aspects that became more relevant at the
beginning of this decade is the growing attention to compliance with health and safety
regulations in the company.
Since the beginning of 2020, authorities worldwide have been much more vigilant about
compliance with health regulations, which is why they have increased inspections of company
facilities to verify that employees are working under adequate health and safety conditions.
security. Although these inspections are intended to prevent the transmission of diseases, once
the officers are in inspection, they usually audit compliance with other standards that are equally
mandatory.
In Costa Rica, the regulations for the protection of the health and safety of employees place
special emphasis on companies being diligent in the prevention of risks at work. For this reason,
companies that manage to demonstrate the correct implementation of an occupational health
and safety compliance program, even when accidents occur, manage to avoid sanctions that
can go as far as the cancellation of permits and the closure of activities.
On the other hand, companies with processes that ensure the safety of their employees tend to
have a much better business image and experience fewer incidents that delay operations.
Among the main elements to have an effective occupational health and safety program, we find:
 The identification of the health and safety standards that regulate each of the processes and
the ways to comply with them.
 Communicate compliance duties so that they are accessible to all members of the
organization.
 Constant training on behaviors that ensure compliance with the rules.

 Establish communication mechanisms that favor the reporting of irregularities and
opportunities for improvement.
 The constant verification of compliance, through previously defined processes.
 Commitment to compliance by all levels of the organization.
 Periodic evaluation and updating of legal regulations and other applicable standards.
 The possibility of verifying the application of the program over time.

Environmental compliance A duty and an opportunity

Posted on by zone_admin

The environmental side of a compliance system :

Environmental protection and sustainable practices are now an essential standard that every company must have, being responsible with the environment has become yet another business product for companies, which generates tangible benefits such as increased sales, revaluation of the mark and reduction of sanctions.

Companies that apply policies, processes and actions to ensure compliance with regulations related to the environment have recognized that they not only strengthen their compliance programs in the face of a large number of risks; rather, this exercise has allowed them to discover opportunities to reduce operating costs, while reducing their environmental impact.

Benefits of an effective environmental compliance program :

  1. Reputational and sales : Consumers and business partners place greater value on brands that have demonstrated their commitment to complying with environmental laws and operating sustainably.

In Costa Rica, as in many other countries, environmental standards have been incorporated into public purchases, such as the prohibition of purchasing single-use plastic products and the favoring of recycled raw materials.

  • Cost reduction : Compliance with environmental regulations is usually linked to proper management of resources such as water, electricity, physical space and waste reduction, all of which contribute to a reduction in regular costs for companies.
  •  Legal defense against incidents : The successful application of procedures focused on respecting environmental regulations has been accepted by the authorities as proof to reduce the legal responsibility of companies in the event of environmental incidents.

In contrast, the authorities usually sanction more severely those companies that over time have shown themselves to be indifferent to complying with environmental regulations.

Risks of not having an effective environmental compliance program :

Internationally it has been understood that the responsibility for damage to the environment falls on the companies that caused it, including their owners, especially in Costa Rica, the ” Wildlife Conservation Law ” establishes that companies that are part of it are also responsible. conglomerate (economic interest group), so the parent company of a company domiciled in Costa Rica can be held responsible for the environmental breaches of its subsidiary.

Lastly, the growing international efforts to combat challenges such as climate change, water scarcity and marine pollution are increasingly increasing the interest of the authorities and society in general in ensuring that companies comply with the best environmental sustainability practices. Therefore, having environmental compliance programs will be an increasingly valuable resource.

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