Dave Johnson Articles

NFPA 70E 2018 breaks new boundaries

Assessing risks, preventing errors, building a culture

August 3, 2018

The 2018 edition of NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®, addresses issues that should be put into practice at any workplace. New voluntary requirements and guidance cover risk assessment, the hierarchy of controls, human error, job safety planning, management systems, work performance and workplace culture.

Is OSHA at its nadir?

The agency has been silent for far too long

Dave Johnson

August 3, 2018

Is OSHA more irrelevant than ever? Many top OSHA officials, careerists, are working in an “acting” or interim basis: the agency’s career deputy assistant secretary position; the head of whistleblower protection; the director of training; and four of the ten agency regional administrators.

OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping standard

Going public with your injury rates

Pros debate whether transparency helps or harms reputations

Dave Johnson

August 1, 2018

If you work in safety in a high-hazard industry, would you be worried if your company injury and illness data sat on OSHA’s website to be accessed by the public? Would you fear publicizing the data could damage your company’s reputation?

Q&A with new ASSE/ASSP president

Rixio Medina oversees transition to the organization’s new name

Dave Johnson

June 26, 2018

ISHN editor Dave Johnson sat down with Rixio Medina, new president of ASSE/ASSP who is overseeing the transition of the organization's new name.

ways to simplify safety and improve performance

Ways to simplify safety & improve performance

Stop blaming & keep learning

Dave Johnson

June 25, 2018

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.

Distracted driving: awareness isn’t enough

Many drivers know the dangers and take risks anyway

Dave Johnson

June 1, 2018

Most fear that distracted driving is getting worse. Drivers who report using a cellphone behind the wheel has jumped 46 percent since 2013, and almost half (49 percent) of all drivers report recently talking on a hand-held phone while driving, and nearly 35 percent have sent a text or email.

Sexism raises workplace risk levels

It’s not solely a human resources problem

Dave Johnson

June 1, 2018

For years now many safety and health professionals have been preoccupied with building and sustaining cultures of trust and engagement. That’s key to raising safety levels. A hostile work environment under-cuts all of that work. It’s the last thing professionals want to deal with.

National Electrical Safety Code changes coming

July 2018 is the deadline for submissions

Dave Johnson

May 1, 2018

The 2022 NESC Revision Submission period opened April 2, 2018, with a deadline of July 16, 2018. Stakeholders are invited to submit edits, changes, and additions for the NESC in order to be considered for inclusion in the 2022 edition, which will be released in August 2021.

Learning a lesson about pedestrian safety

A walk on the wild side

Dave Johnson

April 16, 2018

I’ve never given much thought to pedestrian safety because I’ve never been in harm’s way or seen pedestrians at risk. That’s until two months ago. In February I attended a conference in Houston.

Confined Space Entry Errors: Why do the errors keep reoccurring?

Dave Johnson

April 9, 2018

Why are we still talking and writing about confined space training a quarter century after OSHA issued its confined space standard for general industry in 1993?