Sneak Preview Of Speaker Insights From EHS Summit North America

Sneak Preview Of Speaker Insights From EHS Summit North America

Ahead of the Verdantix EHS Summit North America – taking place on the 6^th and 7^th of November – we gathered insights from one of the speakers at the summit, Gordana Djurdjevic, to provide a sneak peek at the kind of expertise to expect in Atlanta. Gordana is Director of Environmental Health and Safety for the Americas at management services provider Leadec, and will be participating in a panel on "how to develop a world-class safety culture” at the event.

In this interview we discuss culture, the role of technology and the future of the EHS role:

Who are you and what does your role involve?
My name is Gordana Djurdjevic and I am EHS Director for Leadec, responsible for overseeing safety in the US, Canada, Mexico and Brazil. My role involves creating cohesion within the Americas, ensuring that safety practices are adhered to and that they are at the forefront of our working lives. Beyond policies and procedures, I believe that my team plays a vital role in motivating and inspiring others to prioritize safety in everything that they do.

What is the importance of culture?
I strongly believe that the importance of safety culture is to create an environment where safety is prioritized at all levels of the organization. It is crucial in many aspects, namely the prevention of accidents and incidents; employee wellbeing; productivity and efficiency; reputation and trust, both within the organization and in external perceptions; and finally, continuous improvement. All of these things contribute to a firm’s overall sustainability.

How can technologies assist with improving EHS performance?
Technologies can assist with – or even enhance – EHS performance in many ways, from data collection and analysis to ensuring that we stay on top of trends and compliance reporting. What I’m currently most interested in are wearable devices. They can monitor an employee's vitals, detect fatigue and alert them to various hazards around them, and even facilitate virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) training. This is a great way to make training more relatable and relevant to the employee's actual workplace. AR and VR allow us to simulate hazardous situations while keeping the employee safe, enabling a team to train and practice safety procedures in a controlled and risk-free environment. I believe that this also makes the training itself more interesting and engaging to the employee.

How do you see the role of EHS practitioners changing over the next five years?
I believe that over the next five years the role of EHS professionals will change due to technological advancements, evolving regulations and an even greater emphasis on sustainability and employee wellbeing. We are in a time where we are competing with a shortened attention span, cell phones, and more. This means that we need to make training more relevant and engaging. Crucially, we also need to break the stigma and incorporate things like Mental Health First Aid into ‘business as usual’ in safety.

How are you participating in the EHS Summit North America? What are you most looking forward to at the event?
I will be a panellist/speaker on how to develop a world-class safety culture. Attending this summit offers a wealth of opportunities including networking, learning about the latest advancements in EHS technologies, collaborative discussions, and expert-led workshops and speaker sessions.

Gordana Djurdjevic will be attending the Verdantix EHS Summit North America, which is taking place in Atlanta, Georgia on the 6^th and 7^th of November. Book your pass here to join Gordana Djurdjevic, the Verdantix research team, and leading environment, health and safety vendors at the event. See the full speaker line up and event agenda here.