We wish the world would be more like a kid’s show instead of a place of violence such we saw in the needless bombing during the Boston Marathon.  Wholesome, nurturing, recreational events shouldn’t be the stage for tragedies happening right in our neighborhoods.

The search for viable leading indicators to replace lagging injury statistics is a hot safety topic these days. I do not believe we will ever be rid of injury rates as a metric used to judge safety performance.

A few weeks ago, I heard a story on NPR about the factors that make video games so enjoyable, exciting and immersive.  In short, why playing video games makes people happy. Tony Hsieh’s book “Delivering Happiness” is the first I look to when I think about creating a great culture.

Putting the right people at the helm has launched many high-profile, highly successful turnarounds, from Jack Welch in his early days at GE to Meg Whitman at eBay.

Last Saturday and the Saturday before that I made no posts to my blog. It was an unfortunate result of my having been away on business. This is not an excuse mind you; I had every intention of writing and posting using the infernal timer that has vexed me every time I’ve tried using it. In hindsight I’m glad I waited. This week I’d like to talk a bit about an area of safety that I think goes largely ignored: safety while travelling.

To make a change in an industry’s safety performance, the first necessary element is a guiding coalition/steering team that will help work with the various idea/solution providers and the wide ranging customer base and its leadership. My team, Caterpillar Safety Services, has worked with similar guiding coalitions in: the wind industry; the electrical transmission and distribution industries, an OSHA strategic safety partnership; the North West Public Power Association (NWPPA); the National Mining Association, as well as large, decentralized industrial companies.