Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and injuries are common in many workplaces, but none more so than on a construction site. These injuries, which impact muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints of the body, come from many different tasks annd jobs performed by people in the various construction trades. When you consider many of these workers are doing [...]
There is a good reason why it seems that I am now spending a lot of time with my blog focusing on safety on construction sites. When you look at all the various trades that are or can be used on construction sites - from metal workers to carpenters, to plumbers to electricians to flooring [...]
OK, we know that occupational health and safety is not always one of the nicest or more interesting things to talk about at a dinner party. And no, I am not here to suggest that it become a dinner party topic. But what I am suggesting is a quick follow-up to an article published in the [...]
There has been much discussion in this space, and elsewhere, about the concept of safety culture. And in many ways, rightfully so. After all, it is a culture of safety that generates overall safety numbers that are the envy of many companies. It is going above and beyond the protocols, procedures and measurements. It is [...]
I know. It seems that this blog and all of the information you get about occupational health and safety give all you safety officers even more work to do than you already do every day. I know you work extremely hard every day making sure that everyone stays safe in their work areas. And I [...]
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 [...]
