How Media and Entertainment Companies Can Streamline EHS Programs

Despite its fun-and-games persona, the media and entertainment industries are serious business. On the outside, their goal is obvious: to provide a welcoming escape from the typical day to their audience. On the inside, however, twists a complex network of behind-the-spotlight tasks and a full suite of helpers. In short, it’s a scene that simply can’t be executed without the strong backing of an optimized EHS program.

The Role of EHS in the Entertainment Field

Cruise ships, theme parks, sporting events, casinos, concerts, movie studios, and live television broadcasts all share one common element: people enjoying these activities expect to be entertained. Unfortunately, cold hard data tells a slightly different story:

• 15 cruise vessels have sunk from 2010 to 2013

• 448 cruise ship incidents have been reported since 2005

• There have been 101 on-ship fires and 79 cruise ship collisions since 2005

• Hundreds of actors and crew have been injured on-set, with an estimated five deaths resulting from every 2000 injuries

• In 2015, there were 1,058 ride-related accidents at theme parks

• There were 30,000 ER visits in 2016 linked to amusement parks

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s more than enough to illustrate that every amusement has a price, and that price isn’t just paid by the customer.

It’s up to every entertainment company to ensure their behind-the-scenes actions are providing the safest experience possible, both to those responsible for your audience’s experience and to your paying audience members.

Special effects in film and television are becoming more sophisticated. Cruise lines are getting larger and more luxurious. Concerts are often filled with pyrotechnics and other monstrosities. Roller coasters are reaching new heights and unprecedented speeds.

And with these changes should be an evolving, scalable EHS program to accommodate the industry’s demands.

How to Streamline Your EHS Operations

It’s no secret that a solid EHS program can be the difference between business as usual or becoming one of the statistics above. The problem for most media and entertainment companies lies in creating such a program that covers each area of your operations. The media and entertainment industry is unlike any other, with daily tasks spanning seemingly unlimited possibilities, not to mention the fact that entertainment niches often rely on direct contact with the public.

Successful implementation and streamlining starts with having the right tools to help you. Because of the variety of activities any entertainment company may experience, regardless of your niche market, manual management simply isn’t an option.

Amusement parks, broadcasting companies, television and film companies, sports facilities, and other niche markets have found success in leveraging EHS management software to facilitate their programs. Having a centralized management system to monitor things like incidents, compliance, hazards, waste management, repairs, employee safety training, and other activities has made it possible not only to create a comprehensive program, but also to streamline it.

Here’s how:

Faster Response Time

Every entertainment niche is susceptible to incidents, both internally and externally. In either case, how quickly you respond to an incident largely impacts the outcome. Using a single tool to manage your EHS system gives you instant access to crucial information on how to handle an incident, including data collection processes, contact person(s), best practices, and follow up procedures. It can also help minimize human error, especially when compared to the traditional paper-form approach.

Optimized Training

Whether you’re a cruise line or a casino, EHS training is non-negotiable. You can use your training tracking software and ensure everyone is doing their fair share. In addition, having an ever-ready resource of information puts self-guided training in the hands of each user.

Team Collaboration

By using a centralized management system, your EHS software serves as an anchor point for all users. It’s the one common resource your team members rely on. It encourages knowledge sharing to help you improve processes while also broadening your knowledge base to further streamline your EHS practices.

Clearly, the media and entertainment industry isn’t all fun and games its exterior might present. You have the responsibility to provide your guests and employees alike a safe experience that puts their well-being at the top of your priority list while also ensuring your company’s profitability, and it’s no easy feat.

Once you do create a comprehensive EHS strategy, know that your work is never finished. Good EHS programs take ongoing diligence to maintain, and that maintenance is much easier and more reliable when you can take a hands-off approach.

Click here to learn more about EHS Insight's Media & Entertainment Industry EHS Software.