From the value of mistakes to how to increase safety staffing on the cheap, the top OSH thinkers shared their views and guidance with ISHN website visitors throughout 2015.
Banning Christmas - The power of safety myths
December 9, 2015
I am a big fan of PolitiFact and MythBusters. PolitiFact is an independent fact-checking journalism website. It is a division of my local newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times. MythBusters is a television program on the Discovery Channel. The show's hosts test the validity of rumors, myths, movie scenes, adages and Internet videos.
Taking safety too far
December 2, 2015
As a 71 year old retiree, now occupying myself writing books on various subjects, I occasionally question some of the present day attitudes towards health and safety, both in the workplace as well in everyday living. I accept the need for health and safety controls and regulations to minimise the risk of personal injury, but it some respects, I think things are going too far.
Factor-finding failures
November 27, 2015
When new safety programs or processes are rolled out unsuccessfully, there has almost always been a failure to determine either the factors necessary for success, the factors that can contribute to failure, or some combination of both.
Shortcuts are here to stay – go with the flow!
November 24, 2015
People are hard-wired to take shortcuts due to the balance between energy intake (i.e. food) and energy output (i.e. effort spent on an activity) which means we automatically take the “path of least resistance.”
7 habits of highly engaged companies
November 18, 2015
About 15 years ago, I read an important engagement story regarding a line worker with a major automotive manufacturer in the United States. The story evolved from an organizational push to gain more involvement from their workers at a time when it was critical.
Who lives, who dies
November 10, 2015
A week ago, an e-mail newsletter article published by Information Week in honor of Halloween caught my attention. The title was 14 Creepiest Ways to Use Big Data.
Most safety training is low quality stuff
November 2, 2015
When OSHA set quantity requirements for annual refresher training without setting stringent quality requirements, safety training began a never-ending downward spiral.
What’s new with mobile apps for safety?
October 22, 2015
Almost every worker is now issued a smart phone. Some may even be provided with tablet devices. We’ve come a long way from two-way radios and flip phones. Smart phones and tablets can be a distraction or a production tool. One way that these mobile devices can encourage safe production at the work site is through the use of mobile applications.
The jobsite of the future with wearable tech
October 15, 2015
Safety as an industry is somewhat slow to adopt new technology. Years after the release of a popular smartphone app that streamlines jobsite inspection, it is almost a given that a site safety manager uses the app today. After my initial chuckles about the Apple Watch release, I started to think about wearable tech’s application for safety. Specifically, how could a wearable device, like the Apple Watch, impact worker safety?
The jobsite of the future with wearable tech
October 12, 2015
Safety as an industry is somewhat slow to adopt new technology. Years after the release of a popular smartphone app that streamlines jobsite inspection, it is almost a given that a site safety manager uses the app today. After my initial chuckles about the Apple Watch release, I started to think about wearable tech’s application for safety. Specifically, how could a wearable device, like the Apple Watch, impact worker safety?
Watching out for the safety of other people
October 5, 2015
Are your employees watching out for the safety of other people? It’s time to actually start a movement where we take safety beyond just at work and just about the regulations and the rules -- taking it to a point where we constantly watch out for the safety of other people to become as natural as breathing.
Go to the corners of the jobsite that no one likes to go to
September 29, 2015
My heart hurts today. Safety statistics started to play out early this morning. Today in Minneapolis, a construction worker died when he fell 50 feet. Today in Franklin County, Virginia, two journalists were killed by a disgruntled former employee of their station.
Eight phrases that destroy your leadership credibility
September 23, 2015
According to best-selling author and executive coach Wendy Capland, leaders undermine themselves with what she refers to as minimizing language – words and phrases that imply uncertainty and self-effacement even when they’re trying to give the opposite impression.
Safety ain’t what it used to be
September 15, 2015
Safety is a relatively new function. When it was created in the mid 70s, it was typically an assignment tacked on to someone’s existing job. There were no instructions, or templates for doing a good job.
Teddy Roosevelt on safety influence
September 9, 2015
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Contemporary research suggests that we can better influence the safety-related opinions, attitudes, and actions of others when we have a large degree of expertise and trustworthiness.
Pura Vida – Your safety legacy
September 2, 2015
Recently, I was in the Central American country of Costa Rica. While there I kept hearing the phrase Pura Vida as people greeted one another. As I discussed this with our host he gave me two translations; the word by word meaning is the pure life.
Petting the tiger – normalizing safety dangers
August 19, 2015
For years, the Las Vegas tiger show wowed audiences as Siegfried and Roy petted the tigers. Slowly and lethally the new normal lulled the entertainers into complacency with their truly dangerous pets. And then one day…
Monsoon – Seasonal safety realities
August 11, 2015
Global and regional companies experience seasonal peculiarities that can have a definite impact on the employees and their families. Last month I received a warning notice from a facility cautioning their employees about “Monsoon June.”
The ethics of saying NO
August 5, 2015
Yesterday, I was contemplating my “to do” list trying to figure out how I was going to get everything done. I soon realized it was not possible – there simply were not enough hours available to do it all.
Apathy and safety - Don't lose them now
July 30, 2015
About 15 years ago, I read an important engagement story regarding a line worker with a major automotive manufacturer in the United States. The story evolved from an organizational push to gain more involvement from their workers at a time when it was critical.
Get set for ISO 14001, and ready for ISO 45001
July 21, 2015
The revised version of ISO 14001, the international standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS), will be published in September 2015. Greg Roberts, Manager of Sustainability and Mike Shaw, Senior Manager of Health & Safety (H&S) at Ramboll Environ, look at the changes and explore how it will align with the new ISO management system standard for occupational H&S, ISO 45001, being planned for publication in 2016.
Risk assessments present potential for bias
Professional conflicts of interest: Be a team player or a whistleblower?
July 15, 2015
Last week, Farid Fata, a Michigan doctor, was sentenced to 45 years in jail for subjecting more than 500 patients to cancer treatments they did not need so he could collect millions in insurance payments. According to CBS News, he told healthy patients they were sick, he told sick patients they were dying, and he told dying patients he was their only hope. All in order to file insurance claims.
Procedural justice in safety
July 7, 2015
From time-to-time, every organization struggles with procedural justice and safety. And I’ve begun to anticipate such challenges when various safety climate scores indicate such a concern which may be further highlighted through interviews and focus groups.
Safety pros can learn from kangaroos and emus
July 3, 2015
Two of Australia’s indigenous creatures, kangaroos and emus, have something in common – they seldom move backward. Kangaroos, because of the shape of their body and the length of their strong tail, can bounce along with forward movement, but they cannot easily shift into reverse.
How to add safety staff without spending a dime
July 1, 2015
When safety is a “line-function” and employees can answer some of their own questions, we increase our staff. In order to do this we need to: Provide tools to those in the field to help make solid safety decisions. "Teach them to fish, rather than fishing for them."
Sharing safety stories with your friends
June 24, 2015
As an international safety speaker, I have the privilege of sharing safety stories with people all around the world. How often do your friends and family hear you talk about safety? Whenever a situation occurs in your life that illustrates a hazard you avoided or how safety knowledge protected you there is a natural opportunity to share that story with the people you care about.
Making mistakes
June 19, 2015
Making mistakes is part of being human. There are many factors that contribute to making mistakes, including inattention, lack of experience and over-confidence. In recent years, the field of behavior-based safety has exploded. Much of its focus is on assessing why people make mistakes, and what to do about it.
Where is the safety at Safety Expos?
June 18, 2015
ISHM is proud and honored to be allowed to exhibit at several safety/trade shows/expos yearly. As with most vendors we arrive a day early and use most of the available time to set up our booth area.
Juice – How much safety effort is enough?
May 27, 2015
The technical detail available to members of our profession is incredible. It also has the potential to be suffocating as the voluminous regulations, ISO policies, procedures, local site requirements, paperwork, basic training, etc. become overwhelming commitments of our time and effort. With all this focus on reactive and condition-based issues, where is the time for a safety engineering focus that goes beyond traditional safety?
Dr. Perry answers OSHA reporting questions
May 26, 2015
Do I Report Heart Attacks? Do I have to report a work-related fatality or in-patient hospitalization caused by a heart attack? Yes, your local OSHA Area Office director will decide whether to investigate the event, depending on the circumstances of the heart attack.
Smile - You're on candid camera
NLRB: Employers prohibited from banning cell phone photography by employees
May 20, 2015
In the 1960s, there was a popular show called Candid Camera. It was one of the first reality TV shows. The premise of the show was that individuals were secretly filmed after being placed in unusual, ridiculous or embarrassing situations.
Fly Swatter – Fixing Safety Problems
May 11, 2015
A heavy manufacturing organization commonly used Total Quality Manufacturing (TQM) and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) techniques. They had some small Continuous Improvement (CI) Teams that engaged in solving the front line day-to-day difficulties which commonly occur in operations of organizations worldwide.
Water safety tip - Summer is around the corner
May 7, 2015
Two years ago, I published an article about water safety. The response was very dramatic. I have decided to republish this article every year to help everyone enjoy the water with no loss of life. This article is dedicated to Zachary, a young grandson of a fellow safety professional who left this life June 1st a couple of years ago. Below is the original article, the response and my follow-up article.
Evaporative Acts – Addressing front line safety culture weaknesses
May 6, 2015
Recently, one of our safety pro acquaintances made a disturbing discovery --his responsibility for improving safety was being hampered by a culture of evaporative acts in the work groups with whom he was to meet. His approach of engaging in open-ended safety conversations with front line employees had developed trust among many of the people at each of the work sites.
Eight critical elements of your vehicle/driver safety program
April 30, 2015
Is driver safety seen and acted on by senior management as a critical safety issue? Frequently we see lip service paid to driver safety, with strong statements of corporate commitment but an absence of meaningful action.
Wearable technology for safety’s sake --- Mothers’ Day gifts
April 28, 2015
With the advent of wearable technology, it may be a low cost bodyguard to bring you home safe and sound. Below are a few options: Cuff --A small device that fits into pieced of jewelry. Billed as “smart jewelry.” Cuff has benign features, like phone notification and activity tracking.
Safety – Let’s get rigorous and tenacious
April 24, 2015
Earlier in my career, I was fortunate enough to have worked for a few organizational giants like NASA, TRW, and United Airlines. Within these organizations, I was exposed to the rigors of systems thinking, Total Quality Management (TQM), and the Baldrige Award efforts of the 1990s.
Safety is a skill -- not a habit
April 22, 2015
How many times do you hear someone say safety needs to be a habit? I think people who are great at something display more than outstanding habits; they demonstrate outstanding skill. It is easy to mistake a skill for a habit.
Can you talk about business & safety economics?
April 16, 2015
As a safety team member, leader or manager you should understand the basic principle, vision and values of why your company was created. It either provides a needed product to a consumer base or valuable service to an industry or community.
Human traits and safety, the good, bad and the ugly
April 14, 2015
Working with people is always fun for me because everyone is different. Different in how they think and behave. Also, people have different traits, values and beliefs that shape who they are. Some traits are good, some traits are bad and some traits are ugly.
The nerd factor and safety
April 8, 2015
In the National Football League (NFL), there’s a term bantered about by owners, management, coaches, and scouts - it’s “the nerd factor.” In the NFL, it’s a positive term because it often translates into success.
Are you ready for a safety stand-down?
April 6, 2015
What is a Safety Stand-Down? A Safety Stand-Down is an event for employers to talk directly to employees about safety. In 2015 OSHA is focusing on "Fall Hazards" and to reinforce the importance of "Fall Prevention."
Safety managers and their roles
April 1, 2015
As a frontline worker I understand my safety role and responsibilities, along with federal, state and local regulations and what is expected of my employer. What I have concern about is... how many businesses don't utilize the safety expertise of a safety professional if "safety is their overriding priority" or "safety is their value."
Three essential hard skills that safety pros need to succeed
March 30, 2015
The term hard skills are defined as "specific, teachable abilities that can be defined and measured. By contrast, soft skills are less tangible and harder to quantify.
What attitudes can turn a normally good driver into a risk-taking one
March 26, 2015
Answers: A feeling that everyone is out to get me or hold me up; Judgments about other driver's actions 'everyone else is a lousy driver' that leads to frustration.
Thank people for watching out for their own safety
March 25, 2015
Yesterday, I was buying gas and as I was getting out of my car I noticed a couple standing over on the grass next to the sidewalk. They were both smoking and having what appeared to be a pleasant conversation.
Your window of opportunity
March 19, 2015
I was in Atlanta last week for a conference and was having breakfast off the lobby area. The omelet man who was nearby was doing what he does nearly every morning.
Making safety personal – it starts with you
March 13, 2015
If you want your managers and front-line leaders to have more influence and impact with your workers, they need to get more personal and transparent. Getting personal allows leaders to deliver a message that will have impact and help workers align their actions with their personal values.
The hypocrisy of some “socially responsible” companies
March 11, 2015
I got an e-mail recently from a colleague in which he expressed his displeasure with a business partner who was very late in paying him. What was particularly troubling to him was the fact that the partner’s business was based on selling integrity.
Inspiring quotes for safety committees
March 4, 2015
Use these quotes one at a time with your committee. As an ice-breaker, ask team members what they think the quote means. That short exercise will open their minds to success. Those who say it cannot be done, should not interrupt those doing it. -Chinese Proverb
Listen to your internal moral compass
March 2, 2015
As we all become caught up in the business of life and perceived need to hurry, accomplish, arrive on time; and as we find ourselves powerless at times and disrespected at others, it is useful to stop and think, what might the Buddha do?
Let’s get out of the blame and shame business
February 27, 2015
Just Culture is a management philosophy designed to hold people appropriately accountable. According to one of the current thought leaders in Just Culture, there are three basic kinds of behavior: human error, at risk behavior, and recklessness.
You get back what you send out
February 25, 2015
Years ago, around the campfire, I heard this story and have told it to every troop of which I have been a Scoutmaster. Two brothers were leaving the town they had lived in for several years. They were both moving to a new town many miles away.
Fear of "What if..."
February 19, 2015
The fear of “what if” is a significant driver in making ethical decisions. This fear can lead to positive results • Fear of getting in an accident – can prevent drinking and driving • Fear of getting caught – can prevent falsifying information • Fear of hurting someone else – can prevent unsafe behavior.
Safety as a value
February 17, 2015
When safety is a personal value people naturally choose to make the safe choice. They don't need a no-texting or seat belt law. They even use hearing protection and safety glasses at home.
Outstanding example of a safety briefing
February 12, 2015
Recent I joined the BNSF Road Way Equipment Safety Leadership Team in Dallas, Texas. They began their meeting, as many companies do, with a safety briefing. For most meetings, I hear someone give a quick safety minute talk about a general hazard. At many meetings, the emergency exits are pointed out and actions to take are shared. BNSF went way beyond that in just about the same amount of time.
Avoid this safety “litter”
February 10, 2015
In every profession there is reality and the perception of the reality thrust upon us on a daily basis. Our Oil and Gas industry is littered with statements, idioms and ideas about how we should discuss and market health and safety to our personnel.
Lone gunman-based safety
February 5, 2015
Ever since Jack Ruby gunned down Lee Harvey Oswald while being transferred from a Dallas police station to county jail debate has raged as to whether or not Oswald acted alone or if he was part of a larger conspiracy.
Basic steps to build a safety strategic plan
February 3, 2015
Strategy is a high level plan to achieve one or more goals. Strategy is important because the resources available to achieve these goals are usually limited. Strategy generally involves setting goals, determining actions to achieve the goals, and mobilizing resources to execute the actions.
Influence above and beyond authority
January 29, 2015
More and more of safety and health professionals want to talk about influence rather than authority. You see, they understand that relying primarily on position or rank will simply lead to compliance -- not to individual commitment.
Taking a new look at safety
January 27, 2015
Let me begin by thanking all of you who voiced your support for me during the past week. As you may have surmised, I get frustrated from time to time, mostly because so many safety practitioners still don’t get it.
How to succeed with your safety strategic plan
January 23, 2015
Some of the most common strategic planning mistakes can be very costly. Any one of them can turn the process upside down. Below are some methods to ensure success:
How big is your safety vision?
January 21, 2015
In the past 25 years, I have watched the safety profession grow. I remember listening to leaders speak of achieving zero disabling injuries. It seemed as impossible to some people then as achieving zero recordable injuries seems to many people today.
When employer and employee expectations conflict…
January 14, 2015
One of the more difficult situations in which to make an ethical decision is when more than one person is potentially impacted by your action and their expectations of how you should proceed are in conflict.
Four roadblocks to strategic safety planning success
January 12, 2015
Strategic planning is a process that provides structure to move an organization toward higher levels of achievement in safety or other areas of interest. The most common challenges to strategic planning are:
New Year’s resolutions for safety pros
January 6, 2015
This time of year makes the best of us reflective and after doing some soul searching and reflecting I came up with a short list of things I think we as professionals can do to be even more effective:
