Category: Special Topics in Safety Management

If you have a safety committee or are thinking of starting one, you should watch out for some missteps that can derail your committee’s effectiveness. Here’s how to avoid a few of them. Don’t turn it into the safety police: While you may have a few employees who enjoy "bossing" people around when it comes […]

There is an inherent risk in many workplaces of injury or illness from respiratory hazards such as oxygen deficiency and the presence of toxic gases. Detection technology and products exist to minimize such risk. Properly verifying the accuracy of gas detection instruments before each day’s use will help to ensure that each worker finishes the […]

The U.S. Steel case about pay for doffing and donning PPE has attracted a lot of attention, now including that of the Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider Sandifer v. United States Steel Corporation,the case concerning pay for doffing and donning PPE. The case will be taken up during the October […]

Gas-monitoring instruments are designed to protect personnel from unseen hazards that may exist in workplace environments, including confined spaces. It is vital to worker safety that these instruments are maintained and calibrated properly. Instrument inaccuracy because of improper or irregular calibration can lead to serious accidents. Exposure to excessive levels of toxic gas or an […]

Yesterday, we provided tips for improving workplace lighting to boost safety and productivity. Today, we offer some tips from Facebook on indoor lighting as well as advice from DOE on outdoor lighting. Facebook, which is always a consistent innovator in technology and media, is now leading the way in energy efficiency, says BLR Legal Editor […]

Light is a force that has a powerful impact on the human body. Studies have shown that dedicated applications of lighting can have an effect on all aspects of a worker’s experience, including reduction in accidents, illness, eyestrain, and absenteeism. Lighting in the average workplace ranges from 50 to 500 lux (a measurement of illumination […]

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study finds that safety incentive programs may discourage reporting of injuries and illness, and suggests better OSHA guidance is needed. According to the GAO, little research exists on the effect of workplace safety incentive programs and other workplace safety policies on workers’ reporting of injuries and illnesses, but several experts […]

“While OSHA appreciates employers using safety as a key management metric, we cannot condone a program that encourages discrimination against workers who report injures,” says OSHA. In a memorandum for staff, OSHA has detailed its policies regarding employer practices that can discourage employee reports of injuries, which violates the OSH Act.   The memo was […]