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.
Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) can reveal job-related dangers not immediately apparent to the untrained eye. Here are some tips for implementing an effective JHA program. Some workplace hazards, such as a grease spot on the floor or a piece of pipe protruding from a shelf at eye level, are so obvious that even an inexperienced […]
Yesterday we explored employers’ legal and moral obligations to minimize workplace violence. Today we’ll look at ways to prevent violence that can occur as employees arrive at or leave work, and at other ways to safeguard employees during the riskiest parts of their workday—the trips from home and back. BLR’s 7-Minute Safety Trainer recommends that […]
Everyone knows that violence in the workplace is a serious safety and health issue. The most extreme manifestation of workplace violence—homicide—was the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injury in this country last year. Today we look at what OSHA and others say you should do to safeguard your workers. There are no specific OSHA standards […]
Forklifts certainly look safe enough, with those sturdy rollover cages surrounding the driver’s area. But those same cages can prove deadly if drivers don’t follow safety procedures; in particular, wearing their seat belts. The National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance system found that of the 1,021 forklift-related deaths between 1980 and 1994, 22 percent were […]
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 […]