For many of us, health and safety are two words that have just gone together. We don't talk about workplace health without talking about safety, and vice versa. But for some of our bosses or supervisors who may not be as versed in the language of workplace safety, it can be hard for them to [...]
No one can question Robert Pater's commitment to safety leadership and safety culture. He goes from advocate to a champion when it comes to establishing not just a safety program in workplaces, but instilling a culture of safety that flows through the blood of everyone who works at a company. A culture goes beyond the [...]
Safety is a performance, or at least should be. I don't mean a performance like a theatrical production, where workers and supervisors are merely "actors" while on a worksite. In this context, I mean performance as in activity and action. Most times, we act on what we think and feel. The best safety culture exists [...]
It's time to put on our briefs! Let's hope that is the raciest I will ever get here. Every month, our friends at Professional Safety magazine post some handy safety briefs that are informative and useful for many safety officers in North America. Some are reminders, some are advisories, and some are just specific little tidbits [...]
Communication is always the secret to effective safety in any worksite. While words themselves - written or spoken - do not necessarily cause incidents or injuries directly, a lack of effective communication can certainly lead to such problems if not handled and addressed in an effective manner. Communication is so important, there is an OSHA [...]
Many of us learned how to read when we were little. We were able to practice with our parents the concept of sounding out letters, syllables and words to be able to read whole sentences. And then whole paragraphs. We smile at the accomplishment of getting through a Dr. Seuss book reading flawlessly. But as [...]
Water can be a vital tool or cause of issues in safety. It is as prevalent in our world as the air we breathe. It has tremendous versatility in terms of the many ways that it can be used to benefit us and to harm us if mishandled. It is considered one of the four [...]
Safety should always be permanent in workplaces, even those with temporary or contract workers. While temps might not be part of your regular payroll, they are not less human than your staff, and safety can be every bit as important (and should be) for everyone on a job site, regardless of a worker's employment status. [...]
So when is an accident not an accident? It is a matter of semantics and understanding the definition. For those who read this blog loyally, you know that I tend to use the word "incident" far more than I use the word "accident." There are some in the public or among safey professionals who can [...]
Now, we are grinding to a halt. So to speak. Over the last week, I have been going over a recent article in the November 2015 issue of Professional Safety magazine that discussed best safety practices when operating and working around an abrasive wheel grinder, which is so common in certain worksites where repairs and manufacturing [...]
