The NSC announced that Dr. Megan Tranter, global director of environment, health and safety at Amazon, is the recipient of its 2019 Marion Martin Award, presented annually to an outstanding female safety professional. Tranter was honored during the opening session of the annual NSC Congress and Expo in San Diego on Monday.
It was standing room only Monday afternoon as Lev Pobirsky, senior director of safety and security of Pepsi-Cola National Brand Beverages, spoke about active shooter training and workplace violence.
He tries to answer the question: What really happens during an act of workplace violence?
While arc flash is an increasingly well-known phenomena, workers are still suffering injuries on a regular basis. In June 2019, OSHA cited a metal smelting company for electrical hazards after an arc flash caused three workers to suffer severe burns at the ASARCO facility in Hayden, Arizona.
In a quick and energetic discussion Tuesday morning, Albert Roth of BSI EHS Services & Solutions offered tips on ergonomics programs. He discussed how to simplify ergonomic safety concepts, fun training techniques and problem solving.
He stressed the idea of “keeping it simple.”
Today’s changing workforce and regulations involving temporary workers was the topic Melanie Nykamp, a senior risk management consultant, and Greg Clone, a supervisor of regional risk management.
There are new and changing risks associated with the aging workforce, unskilled workers and issues such as opioid abuse and distracted driving, Nykamp said.
Speakers Carmen Julia Castellon of US Cellular and Jorge Otalora of Hoar Construction, LLC discussed Tuesday how storytelling can benefit safety training.
Storytelling is a great way to get the attention of trainees while getting important safety information across, they said. This session discussed what makes good stories and how to use them to convey lessons learned.
During a flash session Monday on the expo floor at Safety 2019, Don Leonard of the MARCOM Group discussed microlearning and how it can be used for training, using mobile devices, how it can improve productivity and how to involve employees in content creation.
Microlearning can be described at three- to five-minute online courses that are video-based with a test and are aimed at smartphone users.
Total Worker Health is an area of emerging importance for safety professionals in which ASSP has designated a task force. When done right, the benefits to business and to employees include lower risk, collaborative employee-employer engagements and fewer injuries, ASSP says. In short, TWH can lead to a more sustainable workforce.
What is keeping you from speaking up? Phillip Ragain of the RAD Group asked that very question Monday at Safety 2019. He said a surprising number of forces inhibit us when we should speak up to stop an unsafe activity.
Ragain discussed the various factors that suppress safety interventions and detailed the steps for overcoming these inhibitors.
The general session speakers over three days at Safety 2019 aim to motivate attendees to look beyond assumptions and seize opportunities.
The first on Monday morning is Nicole Malachowski speaking on “The Power of Challenging Assumptions.” She believes the best organizations and leaders create cultures that engage and harness the diverse ideas, talents and abilities of every person, and in which challenging assumptions and the status quo drives extraordinary success.