Why Blog About HSE Issues in Asia?

Why This Blog?

I considered starting this blog several times over the last few years. I hesitated, not only because of the time commitment, but also because it seemed somewhat egotistical to believe that I have insights into the HSE industry that I should share with others. Hopefully, I do have something worthwhile to say and that there is an interested audience. Ultimately, it will be you, the reader, to decide if the information in the blog is of value.

Who Am I?

I am a Canadian expat and serve as Managing Director of Redlog Environmental Ltd.

I have a doctorate in hydrogeology/limnology from the University of Alberta and 35 years of HSE consulting experience. I have completed HSE projects in 35 countries across North America, Asia and Europe.

My HSE experience includes work in most industries/sectors, including oil and gas, mining, power, manufacturing, petrochemicals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, irrigation, transport, utilities, water management, stormwater management, wastewater management, solid waste and hazardous waste management, air emissions control, contaminated sites, oil spill cleanup, hospitality, retail and services sectors.

My gray hairs are well earned!

In addition to the HSE field, I have a broad background in business - tendering, project management, project financing, business development, corporate strategic planning and corporate management. I thus recognize business realities and obstacles that HSE managers can face within their own organization when trying to implement their HSE programs.

I thus try to understand HSE problems from both the HSE professional and the business management/owner perspective. Solutions to HSE problems need to be both practical and achievable - that is they may require corporate buy-in at a senior level for the budget to be approved so they can be implemented. I will try to provide ideas as to how to accomplish this in my blogs.

Over the last 20 years I have lived and worked in Thailand, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar. I currently split my time between our offices in Thailand and Abu Dhabi and traveling across the region.

Who is the Audience?

It is written for you - the HSE professional, corporate manager, director, government regulator, and/or anyone else interested in HSE issues. I will focus on issues that are relevant to a broad audience, ranging from those working in: government of private industry, small or large companies, local or multi-national firms, and extraction, manufacturing or services industries. While the focus is directed towards nationals and expats across Asia, I also expect that much of what is written will be equally useful to others in the profession.

Blog Goals?

The HSE profession is one that cannot be simply learned from studying at a university, technical school or by taking a multitude of courses. It is very much a profession that is based on hands-on learning and experience.

The education of circumstances is superior to that of tuition. William Wordsworth

It is my hope that this blog will provide an additional resource for HSE professionals. We will discuss current and emerging HSE issues, how these may impact your business and we will offer suggestions and practicable solutions for your HSE problems.

What Topics?

Time and time again, regardless of geography or industry, the same types of issues are asked by our clients:

• What HSE laws and regulations affect my business?
• What environmental liability do we face in operating our business?
• Are we liable for impacts from past operations at our site?
• What can I do to improve our HSE performance?
• What emerging HSE regulatory trends may affect our business?
• What do I need to do to solve this particular HSE problem?
• How can I perform my HSE job responsibilities most effectively?
• My head office does not understand local realities of working in this country – what can I do?
• How can I implement this HSE strategy when there is no local infrastructure?
• Etc., etc., etc.

These are the types of topics I will address in this blog – some general, some very specific. My hope is that  HSE professional and interested corporate mangers will benefit in some small manner from this information.

Why Asia?

Simple. This is my adopted home. It offers an extremely diverse and challenging business environment with a rapidly evolving HSE regulatory environment. Without exception, the HSE professionals I have met over the last 20 years are committed to their profession and have a thirst for knowledge. It is my goal to help quench this thirst.

Finally, we hope that you will bookmark the blog, share it with your colleagues and visit the blog frequently because you find it informative and helpful.  Your feedback on the blog and suggestions for future topics are always welcome.