Best Practices

Best Practices

Does an abundance of titles hurt the OHS practice?

Quality varies in an unregulated credentials market

March 18, 2021

If the CIH and CSP are high-water marks for quality, what are the lowest quality OHS credentials? The constant flux of the unregulated OHS credential market along with hazy transparency and other issues e.g., no standard benchmark makes this an impossible question to answer.

Why is there OHS malaise in the U.S.?

Voluntary best practices implementation is risk management

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

February 8, 2021

Federal OSHA is stagnant and ill-prepared to regulate future risks. OSHA has only 1,850 inspectors to cover 8 million U.S. workplaces. OSHA has no regulations for rising concerns such as infectious disease, EMFs, psychosocial hazards, or ergonomics.

Best Practices

An interpretation of PWFA laws

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

January 17, 2021

Workplace hazards today are broad and complex. Where specificity of law is absent or ambiguous, such as workplace safety for Covid-19, OSHA’s “General Duty” clause, section (5)(a)(1) of the OSH Act, becomes an enforcement incentive.

Consider moving beyond OSHA in OHS annual plans

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

December 9, 2020

Covid-19 has a silver lining. This is an opportune time to demonstrate your skills to move “beyond OSHA” for those that see advantages in this direction.

Best Practices

House passes Pregnant Workers Act

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

November 6, 2020

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) H.R. 2694 passed the U.S. House of Representatives in September by a vote of 329 to 73. At the time of this writing it is uncertain if the Senate, followed by President Trump’s signature, has passed the PWFA into law.

Best Practices

Despite benefits in testing and observation, there are many risks to smoke tubes

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

October 14, 2020

Beneficial uses of smoke tubes include respirator fit tests and air flow observations and measurements. Users of smoke tubes must be aware, however, of the significant risks if the tool is misused. Proper use of smoke tubes, therefore, is essential.

Check your OHS legal requirements

Workplace health and safety concerns extend beyond OSHA

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

July 20, 2020

Whether there is an overpopulation of lawyers in the U.S. is debatable. The more complex, diverse, and open a society is, the greater number of lawyers are necessary to help resolve disputes.

Rise of the OHS entrepreneur

Those willing to take risks can succeed during the pandemic

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

July 14, 2020

COVID-19 offers great opportunity to consider OHS entrepreneurship. If your OHS job has not been subject to lay off, furloughed, or elimination – or some other drastic change – it likely will be in the coming months.

ASSP’s Deb Roy discusses her EHS career, offers advice for safety professionals

June 25, 2020

ISHN interviews ASSP President-Elect Deb Roy in this episode of Dave Johnson’s Wide World of Safety.

Prevent the spread of COVID-19 with cough and sneeze shields

Carrie Halle

June 7, 2020

A cough can travel as fast as 50 mph and expel almost 3,000 droplets in just one go. Sneezes are even more forceful —they can travel up to 100 mph and create upwards of 100,000 droplets.