Systems Thinking

Machine risk assessments vs. safeguarding assessments

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 -0500

When it comes to accidents, manufacturing ranks second highest of all industries. That comes despite OSHA regulations and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. A key culprit is unguarded hazardous machinery.

Navigating OSHA recordkeeping & reporting

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0500

As OSHA continues to update its 2016 rule on recording and reporting workplace injuries and illnesses, organizations should be aware of new policies that affect how they treat – and reward – safety in the workplace.

Do you have a plan? Protect workers from lung cancer

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Crystalline silica is one of the most common elements on the planet, just behind oxygen. About 2.3 million workers are exposed to it in their workplace. It’s about 100 times smaller than sand and can be found on construction sites in building materials such as concrete, block, stone, sand, and mortar.

Humanistic behaviorism: The essence of effective behavior-based safety

safety@safetyperformance.com (E. Scott Geller) — Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

NFPA 70E’s focus on preventing human error

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0400

The 2018 print edition of NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® is 104 pages. Updated every three years by the 70E technical committee, this comprehensive standard covers the latest information about the effects of shock, arc flash, arc blast, dc hazards, and developments in electrical design, PPE.

High-Reliability Operations emphasize error management

jokello@davidson.edu (Dr. John Kello) — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 00:00:00 -0400

What is a High Reliability Organization? The work is highly technical and complex, operators require a high level of technical training and certification, and the consequences of error can be catastrophic. Hence, “it has to be done right every time.”

How do you assess risks? It hinges on leadership & culture

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Not many people walk around throughout their day with a risk assessment in hand. We should, however, always have an informal risk assessment tool in our mind that allows us to perform at least a cursory assessment until we can dig deeper or in a more formal way.

What are new view applications?

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 00:15:00 -0400

The New View is fundamentally the application of systems thinking to workplace health and safety. It considers safety an emergent property of the system. So what does that jargon mean? Instead of focusing on an individual thing, the organization steps back and takes a broader view.

It’s time for a New View of safety

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 00:37:00 -0400

It’s long overdue, according to Dr. Sidney Dekker, who in 2014 wrote an essay on “The ‘Failed State’ of Safety.” Yes, says Corrie Pitzer, who is giving a talk, “Safety at a Dead End” at the American Society of Safety Professionals’ annual conference this June.

Big Pharma company takes on the “new view”

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Allergan plc, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global pharmaceutical company. ISHN asked David Eherts, PhD, CIH, Vice President Global EHS, based in Madison, NJ, to explain how the company is implementing the “New View” of safety.

Worker engagement requires enabling workers to speak up

Fri, 24 May 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Most organizations, especially those that manage higher risks, have a “requirement” for the workforce to stop work and get help when they are “unsure.” When you talk to managers, they believe this empowerment is what is needed to get people to stop.

Use ISO 45001 to improve safety & process efficiency

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Released as the new safety and health standard in early 2018, ISO 45001 has a range of EHS benefits. But how do companies become ISO 45001 certified? Introduced in March 2018, ISO 45001 replaced OHSAS 18001 to become the new international ISO standard for Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems.

ISO 45001 safety and health management system standard

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 00:00:00 -0500

Experts say 45001 is not easy to apprehend when read as a normal book, especially if you are not familiar with the ISO framework of 9001 and 18001. You have to realize the interconnections between specific clauses. Experts advise finding a good training course to help realize the standard’s full potential. You may also want to consider employing consultancy services to assist.

Actively caring for people’s safety

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 00:00:00 -0500

What does it mean to actively care for people’s safety? Is this the mission of behavior-based safety (BBS)? Let’s understand the difference between “caring” and “acting.” No one wants to see an individual get injured on the job. This is caring. Yet, many workers admit they do not act on their caring by providing behavioral feedback.

Process safety management - the business case

Sun, 04 Nov 2018 00:00:00 -0400

Simply stated, process safety is a management system implemented to prevent major incidents involving hazardous materials. It is necessary for managing complex process operations. An effective process safety management system focuses on three important aspects of your business:

Ways to simplify safety & improve performance

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 00:00:00 -0400

If you have an accident, a failure, the easiest thing to do is look whose hand was on the lever. If that is where your root cause analysis stops, that’s a huge mistake,” says Brian Fielkow, JD, CEO of Jetco Delivery, a Houston-based trucking company with more than 100 flatbed and heavy haul trucks.

Social Sensemaking provides truly informative answers

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 00:00:00 -0500

Robert (Rob) Sams’ recent book, Social Sensemaking – A Reflective Journal; how we make sense of risk, provides new safety and risk thinking when it comes to considering risk in the context of individuals’ behaviors.

Help protect your company’s reputation

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 10:00:00 -0500

In recent years we have seen numerous companies suffer reputation and brand damage as a result of actions or inactions by company executives and employees.

Help protect your company’s reputation

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 00:00:00 -0500

In recent years we have seen numerous companies suffer reputation and brand damage as a result of actions or inactions by company executives and employees.

Correcting CEO safety flaws

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 00:00:00 -0400

On a recent vacation, I visited a U.S. Life Saving Service (USLSS) station at Indian River, DE and learned about these dedicated and brave, albeit crazy, “surfmen” who man these coastal stations along the east coast and Great Lakes.

There is root blame analysis

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0400

All of us who have been in the EHS business for any period of time have either led or participated in a root cause analysis (RCA).

Four trends that the EHS field must address

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 00:00:00 -0400

From a systemic view, anyone paying attention to numerous employment dynamics during the past decade would conclude the safety, industrial hygiene and environmental fields are bleeding from a thousand cuts.

OSHA's electronic recordkeeping rule could chill injury prevention

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” a final rule issued by OSHA on May 12, 2016, is precedent-setting.

Do you need “The Vision Thing”?

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Without debating which presidential candidate you support, which Vision Thing (also known as slogan) provides a sense of inspiration, originality, and excitement?

Better to understand your safety climate

Tue, 03 May 2016 00:00:00 -0400

What is a safety culture anyway? For most safety professionals, a safety culture is the value each employee has toward safety.

Why safety can be dangerous

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 00:00:00 -0400

Do you think the reason why there has been a surge in accidents involving the use of cell phones while driving in part stems from vehicles having more safety features requiring less attention by the driver?

Deadlines can erode safety and promote risk-taking

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 00:00:00 -0500

All of us have felt the pressure of a schedule. Pressures are imposed by people, equipment/materials, and the environment.

Are “Safety Saboteurs” in your midst?

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 12:00:00 -0500

Do you ever wonder if there are Safety Saboteurs in your midst?

Are “Safety Saboteurs” in your midst?

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Do you ever wonder if there are Safety Saboteurs in your midst?

Navy SEALS’ “extreme ownership”

Tue, 05 Jan 2016 00:00:00 -0500

Two retired Navy SEALs, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, recently published their book Extreme Ownership – How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead and Win1, which presents the application of their leadership skills in the battle of Ramadi, Iraq, and then turning these skills into leading in business and organizational situations.