The value of EHS extends far beyond the workplace. Just ask Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which is facing $1.4 billion in proposed fines for a September 2010 pipeline blast that leveled parts of a residential neighborhood in San Bruno, Calif., and killed eight people.
The company, which has invested in safety training and pipeline improvements since the explosion, estimates that the true cost of the accident could approach $4.75 billion. That includes more than $500 million in payouts to the victims and their families, and $120 million to the city of San Bruno for its recovery efforts.
EHS is a holistic concept that encompasses the workplace and the community, as these images of the devastating accident remind us.