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.
Forklifts are the workhorses of many warehouses, and both employers and forklift operators must do their parts to ensure their safe operation. The forklift is one of a variety of industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines, and it is probably the most widely used in general industry. Requirements for both employers […]
Yesterday we looked at the case for using incentives to bolster safety in the workplace. Today we look at arguments against safety- incentive programs, and at the foundation of workplace safety—safety attitude. The OSHA Compliance Advisor, a twice-monthly newsletter produced by BLR, took a comprehensive look at the cases for and against safety incentive programs. […]
Are safety incentive programs right for your organization? Today we’ll look at the case for safety incentives; tomorrow we’ll look at the case against. The value of incentive programs has been hotly debated in the safety community. Advocates say they help employees stay focused on avoiding hazards. Opponents say such programs are a poor substitute […]
Yesterday’s Advisor examined some of the exceptions and loopholes in the seemingly simple “employer pays” rule for personal protective equipment (PPE). Today we look at some of the other gray areas of the recent rule. As of May 15, 2008, employers were required to comply with an OSHA final rule requiring them to provide—at no […]
On February 13, 2008, an OSHA rule took effect that requires employers to pay for personal protective equipment (PPE) for their employees. Sounds simple enough, right? Hah! As with any regulation covering such a broad and complex area, the “employer pays” PPE rule is rife with exceptions and clarifications. Our sister website, Safety.BLR.com, took a […]
Yesterday we explored the benefits and drawbacks of using carrots (rewards) or sticks (punishments) to motivate safe employee behavior. But sooner or later, discipline will be needed, so today we’ll look at the key elements of a disciplinary procedures policy. When an employee’s performance is below expectations or his or her conduct on the job […]
Today we look at the relative merits of rewards and punishments as motivators of safe workplace behavior, and at a third alternative that may trump both. We often hear about the significance of motivation in athletic endeavors, or weight loss, or even acting. But just what does that mean? Motivation is what induces a person […]
Yesterday we explored the leading role that safety professionals can play in helping their workplaces “go green.” Today, we’ll give you the ammunition you need to approach upper management—the environmental, health, and, more important to some, economic benefits of going green. Much like the unfortunate term “bailout package,” perhaps “going green” isn’t the greatest name […]
The ever-increasing attention given to environmental concerns coupled with high energy costs have made the subject of “green buildings” and “green workplaces” one of the hottest topics around. Here is how safety fits in. As a safety professional, you not only can take an active role in the workplace greening process, you also can—and undoubtedly […]
For most people in the United States, daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. this Sunday, November 2. And, according to several studies, the days following the return to standard time can be a particularly dangerous period for your employees, both at work and on their way home. Two professors at Carnegie Mellon University reported […]