EcoOnline & J.S. Held join forces on workplace safety

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

EcoOnline has formed a global partnership with risk advisory firm J.S. Held, combining software tools with advisory services for workplace safety and crisis response.

The agreement focuses on three areas: environmental, health and safety management; crisis management; and lone worker protection. Both groups say employers face widening operational risks and fragmented oversight.

New survey data from EcoOnline points to a sizeable gap between worker concerns and employer preparedness. Nearly half of workers surveyed said they had experienced a workplace accident or illness, while 74% said more digital tools would make them feel safer at work.

The findings also suggest crisis planning remains poorly understood in many organisations. Only 31% of respondents said their employer had a crisis management plan they fully understood.

Lone worker safety emerged as another concern. EcoOnline said 32% of workers identify as lone workers, but only 56% believe their employer takes responsibility for their safety. One in three also said they had an accident while working alone in the past year.

Shared offer

Under the partnership, EcoOnline will provide software for incident reporting, safety management, crisis planning and lone worker monitoring, while J.S. Held will add field-based advisory services in risk assessment, preparedness and response.

The arrangement is intended to give organisations a more joined-up way to manage safety and operational disruption, linking digital reporting and oversight with support for implementation and field response.

The initial focus will be on the three areas outlined in the agreement, with scope expected to expand across EcoOnline’s broader software portfolio over time.

The tie-up reflects a wider trend in corporate risk management as companies try to connect compliance systems, workforce communication and emergency planning. Employers in sectors with dispersed staff, hazardous environments or isolated roles have faced growing scrutiny over how they monitor risk and respond to incidents.

EcoOnline’s survey also suggests worker expectations are shifting. Some 77% of respondents said an unsafe workplace could prompt them to change employer, placing safety alongside pay and flexibility as a retention factor.

Risk pressure

For crisis readiness, the partnership aims to improve access to plans and co-ordination during disruption. For lone worker protection, it focuses on oversight, communication and escalation when an employee is operating alone in a higher-risk setting.

Both companies argue that risk has expanded faster than the systems many employers use to manage it, leaving some organisations reliant on disconnected processes for workplace safety, emergency response and employee protection.

Kris McKenzie, chief revenue officer at EcoOnline, linked the partnership to the survey findings. “Workers are already aware of how broad operational risk has become. What they’re less confident in is whether their employer has the plans, processes, and visibility to deal with it,” said McKenzie. “J.S. Held’s hands-on advisory expertise amplifies the impact of our intelligent automation, giving organisations a clearer path to future-proof their readiness and protect their people.”

J.S. Held said the partnership fits its approach to advising businesses on connected operational risks, particularly where safety, resilience and supply chain issues overlap.

Andrea Korney, vice president of sustainability and supply chain at J.S. Held, said businesses were dealing with increasingly intertwined threats across day-to-day operations.

“We work with businesses facing more complex, connected risks across safety and operations,” said Korney. “Our role is to help them understand that complexity in context and act with confidence. EcoOnline’s comprehensive suite of out-of-the-box safety and sustainability software gives customers a practical foundation to implement faster, strengthen oversight, and build a more unified operational picture.”

The partnership gives EcoOnline a way to pair its software with consultancy support at a time when employers are under pressure to show that safety systems are understood in practice, not just documented in policy. For J.S. Held, it adds a software layer to advisory work for clients seeking more consistent visibility over incidents, staff exposure and emergency procedures.

Both companies present the alliance as a response to a workplace risk landscape that no longer sits neatly within separate departments. The data they cite suggests many workers already see that shift, with accident rates, lone working concerns and weak understanding of crisis plans pointing to the same problem: employers may have tools or procedures in place, but staff do not always trust that they are connected or effective.