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.
Do your supervisors understand the early warning signs of a substance abuse problem? They should. If they don’t, it’s time for a training session. Surveys show substance abuse remains one of the most serious issues facing U.S. businesses, with more than 6 million active alcoholics employed and a price tag of $276 billion a year. […]
BLR regularly polls safety professionals like yourself to find out what people are thinking and doing about important safety and health issues. Here’s a sample of those polls, courtesy of Safety.BLR.com. If Mitt Romney is elected tomorrow, what direction will OSHA take? 39% No significant change in direction 35% Less compliance and enforcement driven 22% […]
scenario when a safety improvement yields an unintended productivity improvement as well! Safety expert Wayne Vanderhoof, CSP, president of RJR Safety, Inc. (www.rjsafety.com), offers a hypothetical example of how safety improvements can increase productivity: A worker has the task of keeping the feeder on a machine filled by dumping four 50-pound bags every 15 minutes […]
Are safety goals and business goals mutually exclusive? Your CEO may think so, but you know better. Safety goals and business goals may not always seem to be aligned. For example, safety goals might include: Reduce injuries by 10 percent annually Increase safety meeting attendance to 100 percent Near-miss reporting 2 reports per worker annually […]
Yesterday, we talked about the foundations of workplace safety. Today, we highlight the safety foundations of a special workplace—the construction site of the London Olympics. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), a global safety organization, says companies can learn a lot from the safety and health success of the Olympic building effort in […]
When constructing a building, a good foundation is essential for a safe and solid structure. It’s the same with workplace safety. You need good foundations on which to build effective safety programs. What are the foundations of safety in your workplace? This is a very important question, and your answer is even more important. Today, […]
Legal use of marijuana for medical purposes raises important and difficult questions for employers. Although only some states have legalized use, the issue is likely to become more widespread over time. In a recent Safety.BLR.com poll, safety professionals were asked, "Should medical marijuana use in the workplace be a concern for employers?" 80% said yes, […]
According to OSHA, 1 in 15 forklift-related accidents are caused by improper maintenance. A thorough preoperational inspection will identify maintenance problems before they cause an accident. Making sure a forklift is safe to operate is an important part of forklift safety training. Operators must be trained to inspect their lift trucks effectively to ensure safe […]
There are numerous hazards associated with forklift operations. Do your operators know about these four common forklift hazards and how to avoid them? If not, they are at risk for forklift accidents, which can result in injuries, damage, or even death. 4 Forklift Hazards Attachments Pedestrians Work environment Loads Attachments Forklift attachments such as carton […]
Yesterday, we presented the first 5 of 10 guiding principles for improving business value and EHS performance. Today, we conclude with the remaining 5 principles. 6. Involve Employees in a Bottom-Up Program Almost all process improvement programs are operated in a top-down mode. This is a result of the emphasis placed on a management technique […]