OSHA, OPA 90, EPA, USCG, DOT – The Maze of Regulatory Compliance
Posted on Tue, Aug 31, 2010
Corporate regulatory compliance can be a complex puzzle and challenging effort for industrial facilities that are subject to hundreds of constantly changing federal, state, and local requirements. Companies must track and document actions items required for compliance and maintain vigilance for new requirements.
Companies cannot afford to be out of compliance. The financial implications, negative public perception, and irrecoverable reputable damages can be significant. The use of Excel spreadsheets is a common way to manage these requirements and may be effective for small operations. However, larger operations must use an effective relational database to ensure that compliance can be managed on an enterprise level.
Key concepts for managing regulatory compliance:
- Utilize corporate resources or out source compliance expertise and leverage that expertise across the company
- Utilize a relational database to tie each regulatory requirement to all applicable facilities so that updating static and evolving regulatory information can be effectively managed across multiple facilities
- Identify mandatory submission requirements and tasks associated with each regulatory requirements
- Utilize database tools to assign compliance tasks, frequencies, due dates, and persons responsible. Document completion actions
- Track best practices procedures utilized across the company and the industry. Adopt these best practices when practical and beneficial
- Organize compliance information as to limit unnecessary duplication
- Create the ability to search this database for key words and phrases associated with regulations
With the use of technology, Corporations can get a handle on the continually evolving agency regulatory requirements and ensure compliance on an enterprise-wide basis.
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