Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Safety is a process, and as such, needs to be managed. This section offers resources to create a viable safety program, sell it to senior management, train supervisors and employees in using it, and then track and report your progress. Look also for ways to advance your own skills in these areas, both for your current job, and those that follow.
Temporary workers offer many advantages, enabling employers to identify promising workers before offering them permanent positions and alleviating short-term staffing shortages—but they can also pose a significant safety risk.
When you can’t eliminate a hazard any other way, it’s your duty under the law to provide apparel or gear to protect the worker from that hazard.
Here’s one employer that takes personal protective equipment (PPE) very seriously and does everything possible to encourage employees to do likewise. CSX is one of the nation’s leading transportation suppliers. Its transportation network encompasses about 21,000 miles of track in 23 states, the District of Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. Barry Morton is the former head […]
Yesterday, we talked about mobile apps for safety professionals. Today, we focus on potential benefits of social media. Pam Walaski, certified safety professional and regional manager for EHS services at Compliance Management International, says that social media have had a significant impact on the safety profession. She cites three main impacts: 1. Professional development and […]
Is your substance abuse policy effective? If the policy isn’t doing the job, you could be in for trouble. According to Attorney Mark A. de Bernardo, Esq., of Jackson Lewis LLP, employers often make mistakes in their substance abuse policies that render the policies ineffective and leave their organizations vulnerable to litigation. He cites two […]
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to think about substance abuse in the workplace. According to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, more than 18 million individuals (8.5% of Americans) suffer from alcohol-use disorders. Millions more abuse drugs—both street and prescription drugs. Because many substance abusers are also […]
Organizations with strong safety cultures tend to experience low levels of risky behavior and low accident rates, turnover, and absenteeism as well as high productivity. To strengthen your safety culture, here’s a list of suggestions: Give away ownership. In the strongest safety cultures, everyone feels responsible for safety. A worker who notices another worker without […]
Does your safety management program meet all of the following criteria? It should.
How many jobs in your facility could be performed by someone wearing a blindfold? Even a relatively minor eye injury can send a worker home for the day, so it makes not only safety sense but also business sense to protect workers’ eyes. March is Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month, which makes this an […]
When a worker gets hazardous substances in the eyes or on the skin, seconds count. Make sure your workers can get to an eyewash station or safety shower quickly and know how to use it properly. A worker mixes chemicals incorrectly, and they explode in his face. Another drops a bottle, and the chemical splashes […]