Category: Special Topics in Safety Management

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.

Guns at Work: Keeping Employees Safe in Troubling Times

Every year, nearly two million American workers report being workplace violence victims, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact, homicide is the fifth-leading cause of workplace fatalities in the United States, accounting for eight percent of all fatal on-the-job injuries. Nearly half of all states, however, now have laws in some […]

Infographic: 5 Steps for Disaster Preparedness

In the workplace, one of the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) professional’s first priorities is ensuring daily on-the-job safety. However, another important aspect of an EHS leader’s job is to be prepared for what happens when external disasters strike. These could include anything from natural disasters like floods or earthquakes, cybersecurity issues or power outages, […]

Faces of EHS: Dr. Tim Ludwig on Redefining What it Means to Value Safety

This week on Faces of EHS, we sat down in a video interview with Dr. Tim Ludwig to discuss his thoughts on environmental, health, and safety (EHS) issues. Tim is the author of Safety-Doc.com, a professor at Appalachian State University, a behavioral psychologist, and an expert on behavioral safety. In this interview, we discussed Tim’s […]

OSHA Proposes Powered Industrial Truck Rule Updates

On February 15, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to update the agency’s powered industrial trucks regulations to reflect current industry practice and state-of-the-art technology (87 Federal Register (FR) 8755). The proposal would update design and manufacturing requirements for powered industrial trucks, including fork trucks, tractors, platform lift […]

A Closer Look at the Robotics Safety Process

Industrial robots can extend or enhance productivity at your facility, as well as perform dangerous or repetitive workplace tasks, thereby protecting the health and safety of your workers. Robotic systems are becoming more collaborative and mobile in nature. The future of robotics involves more collaborative robots, or “co-robots,” rather than fixed industrial robots isolated from […]

NAS IDs Regulatory Gaps in Respiratory Protection

The respiratory protection needs of many U.S. workers are not being met, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published February 10. Many independent contractors and self-employed and “gig” workers are not considered employees or employers and are not covered by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, […]

Study Finds Uptick in Physical Security Incidents Amid Lingering Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on, companies continued to experience a rise in physical security incidents in 2021, and they’re expecting these incidents to grow in 2022, according to a new survey report from Pro-Vigil. However, the report suggests the majority of companies have not made changes to their security strategies to mitigate these steadily […]

OSHA Cites Texas Sawmill, Seeks $389K in Penalties

On February 3, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it cited a northeast Texas sawmill and pallet manufacturer with 13 safety and health violations following a federal investigation into fatal injuries suffered by an 86-year-old worker. The agency is seeking $389,706 in proposed penalties. OSHA cited W.D. Townley and Son Lumber Company Inc. […]

NSC, Others Join AIHA’s Commit to C.A.R.E.

American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) President John R. Mulhausen announced the group had secured commitments from the National Safety Council (NSC), the Society for Critical Care Medicine, the Indoor Air Quality Association Australia, and other public health organizations in support of the AIHA’s Commit to C.A.R.E. (Community, Awareness, Responsibility, Equity) campaign to reduce the risk […]

Faces of EHS: Dr. Steve Roberts on Leadership and Learning

Steve Roberts, PhD., is truly an expert in the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) field. He specializes in the design, implementation, and evaluation of behavior and people-based safety processes, the assessment of organizational culture to guide safety interventions, and understanding and reducing human error in the workplace. He has written and contributed to many books […]