NSC: Influencing Safety Culture
At the Oct. 4 opening session of the 2010 National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expo in San Diego, keynote speaker Michael Abrashoff, former navy commander and author, told attendees that when it comes to safety leadership, they need to forget about what they don’t have control over and instead focus on what they can influence – namely, the people and the culture...
How Can We Best Measure Worker Productivity?
Can investing in employee health improve the bottom line by making workers more productive? To answer that question, companies need new and better tools for measuring employee productivity, according to an article in the September Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine....
Hispanic Construction Workers Face Health Care Challenges
According to a new report from the CPWR (Center for Construction Research and Training) Data Center, construction workers of Hispanic origin lag behind other construction workers in terms of health insurance coverage and access and utilization of medical care...
ASSE Comments on 2009 Fatal Workplace Injuries, Stresses the Business Sense of Safety
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) offered condolences to the families of the 4,340 people who lost their lives last year due to on-the-job injuries, according to statistics http://ehstoday.com/safety/news/fatal-injuries-declined-8545/ just released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, yet noted that there still is much more to do in the arena of workplace safety....
Researchers Identify Incentives, Barriers to Best Practices in Ergonomics for Masonry Contractors
Researchers working with industry stakeholders found that while products, equipment and work practices already are in use by masonry contractors to reduce the rate of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among masonry workers, the decentralized nature of the industry and prevalence of small contractors has led to regional differences in their use and barriers to widespread adoption...
Developing a Workplace Team Where Everyone’s a Leader
As leaders struggle with growing pressures in today’s fast-paced workplace, the way leadership responsibilities are distributed within organizations is changing. According to a Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) leader, shared team leadership is the new approach in encouraging team members to reach their full potential...
New Approaches in MSDS Management
From its inception to present day, the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) has evolved, mostly for convenience, into a document that provides data in greater detail than the standard requires...
Transportation Secretary Announces Second National Distracted Driving Summit
On July 27, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that the second National Distracted Driving Summit will be held Sept. 21 in Washington, D.C. The summit will convene leading transportation officials, safety advocates, law enforcement, industry representatives, researchers and victims affected by distraction-related crashes to address challenges and identify opportunities for national anti-distracted driving efforts...
The Importance of Pipe Marking Safety
When people think of workplace safety, they typically think of fall protection, personal protective equipment, machine safety and so on. They often overlook another very important part of workplace safety – pipe marking...
ASSE 2010: Stop Chasing Ghosts in Accident and Fatality Prevention
Larry Wilson of SafeStart had a message for hundreds of attendees at ASSE Safety 2010: Stop chasing the erroneous belief that other aspects of the EHS program must be addressed before turning to the behavioral side of safety. Instead, he explained, we should all take a hard look at our behavior now and consider how it affects our personal safety, both on and off the job, in order to prevent accidents and fatalities...
ASSE 2010: Integrating EHS into the Business
David Steinbacher, MPH, CSP, of ZymoGenetics Inc., provided a strategic overview of EHS planning during a session at the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Safety 2010 conference and expo in Baltimore...
Workplace Safety is the Leading Edge of a Culture of Accountability
New research makes a compelling argument for the value of safety, indicating that once accountability for safety is reached, companies can leverage that learning to improve quality, production, cost control and customer service...
The 50 Most Influential EHS Leaders
Love them or despise them, these are the 50+ people we feel have the most influence on EHS...
OSHA Cites Shipbuilder $1.3 million for Confined Space Violations Following Fatalities
OSHA has fined shipbuilder VT Halter Marine Inc. (VTHM) $1,322,000 following a November 2009 explosion and fire that killed two workers and seriously injured two others. While OSHA contends that the employer “knowingly and willingly” put workers at risk, VTHM claims the safety issues have been addressed and hopes to partner with OSHA to improve safety within the industry...
May 2-8 is NAOSH Week
This year’s annual North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, “Mission NAOSH 2010: Safe Workplaces,” takes place May 2-8 to raise awareness about occupational safety, health and the environment. NAOSH Week kicked off with events May 2 and 3 in Washington, D.C., and Canada...
Electrical Maintenance Practices that Impact Safety
Improper or neglected maintenance of electrical wiring, mechanisms and equipment not only can lead to noncompliance with NFPA 70E, it significantly can increase the probability of workplace injury or death...
OSHA Agenda Includes Injury and Illness Prevention Program
In addition to familiar topics such as cranes and derricks, diacetyl, beryllium and crystalline silica, OSHA’s spring 2010 regulatory agenda contains some new, high-priority items – an Injury and Illness Prevention Program standard and a move to modernize the agency’s injury and illness reporting systems...
Space Research Sheds Light on Shift Work Scheduling
Researchers have developed software that uses mathematical models to help astronauts and ground support personnel better adjust to shifting work and sleep schedules. Outside the space program, the software could help people who do shift or night work or who experience jet lag due to travel across time zones...
Flip-Flops vs. Gray Hair: Managing Generation Clashes in the Workplace
In one corner of the office we have an experienced, competitive baby boomer. In the other, a confident, multi-tasking Generation Y employee who expects to shoot to the top and then move on – all while wearing flip-flops. When they meet, expect fireworks...
OSHA Listens: Panel Discusses OSHA Enforcement, Outreach
As part of its March 4 “OSHA Listens” public meeting, OSHA Administrator David Michaels and other agency personnel met with stakeholders from a wide range of groups to discuss key issues facing the agency...
Lighting the Workplace: A Perspective for Safety and Productivity
It seems most business owners are preoccupied with keeping the lights on these days, but maybe business owners should be looking at the lights themselves. After all, the lights just don't let us see and work, they let us work more productively and safely...
How Supervisors Can Promote and Manage Safety in Operations
By understanding two fundamental questions and leading by example, supervisors can encourage their employees to work safely, according to Paul D. Balmert, a consultant with years of experience as a line manager in the chemical industry. In an interview with EHS Today, Balmert discussed managing safety in operations and offered some practical tips for supervisors...
Cultivating an Actively Caring Culture: The Courage and Compassion of an Injury-Free Workplace
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “It may be that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition is not the blaring noisiness of the so-called bad people, but the appalling silence of the so-called good people.”...
Nurturing and Celebrating Our Future Leaders
It’s not enough to ensure that our workplaces are safe today. We have to ensure they will be safe in 10, 20 or 30 years, when we’re not around anymore...
Accidents Waiting to Happen: The Five Crucial Conversations that Drive Workplace Safety
Discussions about the true threats to safety at your workplace might be uncomfortable, but they are crucial if you truly want to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses...
