EHS program development and fractional EHS management
EHS program development builds the written programs, training system, and metrics a facility needs to run safely and pass inspections — from scratch or from whatever binder you inherited. Meridian EHS Partners builds it, then can run it for you: fractional EHS management puts a certified professional on your team 2–8 days a month.
What goes into an EHS program build?
We start from your applicability matrix — which OSHA and environmental obligations actually attach to your operation — and build only what you need: written programs tailored to your equipment and chemicals (not find-and-replace templates), a role-based training matrix with refresher scheduling, inspection checklists your supervisors can complete in 15 minutes, an incident investigation workflow that produces corrective actions instead of blame, and a metrics pack (TRIR, DART, near-miss rate, training completion) reported the way leadership actually consumes information. A typical full build takes 90–120 days and runs $8,000–$25,000 as a fixed fee.
What is a fractional EHS manager?
A certified EHS professional — CSP, CIH, or equivalent — embedded with your team on a fixed monthly cadence, typically 2–8 days per month, who owns the program the way an employee would: runs the training calendar, leads inspections and investigations, files the environmental reports, prepares the quarterly scorecard, and answers the phone when OSHA calls. It is the model we recommend for most companies between 50 and 500 employees, at $2,500–$8,000 per month.
Fractional EHS vs. hiring a safety manager?
A fully-loaded mid-level EHS hire costs $110,000–$150,000 a year, and one generalist cannot be simultaneously expert in machine guarding, air permitting, and industrial hygiene. Fractional gets you a team — safety, environmental, and IH specialists behind your named consultant — for $30,000–$96,000 a year, with no recruiting risk. When you grow into needing the full-time hire, we help you recruit them and hand over a documented, running program.
The 90-day program build
Days 1–30: Baseline
Applicability matrix, full gap audit, risk-ranked findings list, and agreement on the 12-month plan with your leadership.
Days 31–75: Build
Written programs drafted and reviewed with the people who must live them. Training matrix loaded. Inspection and investigation workflows stood up.
Days 76–90: Launch
Supervisor training, first inspection cycle completed together, metrics baseline recorded, and the compliance calendar handed to its owner — you or us.
Related services and proof
Frequently asked questions
We have programs — they are just old. Rebuild or refresh?
The audit answers that. Programs referencing retired job titles, missing machine-specific LOTO procedures, or citing pre-GHS HazCom rules usually need rebuilds; recent programs with drift need targeted updates. Either way you pay for the gap, not for re-writing what works.
Is there a minimum commitment for fractional EHS?
Agreements run in 90-day terms after an initial onboarding quarter. No multi-year lock-ins — retention is our problem to earn, and our 97% client retention rate suggests the model holds up.
Who is our point of contact month to month?
One named consultant, on a fixed schedule, who knows your floor and your people. Specialists (IH sampling, permitting) rotate in behind them as needed without you managing the coordination.
What happens when we eventually hire in-house?
That is a success case, not a churn event. We help write the job description, screen candidates, hand over a documented program, and typically stay on for quarterly audits and specialist work the new hire cannot cover alone.