worker health and safety

Protecting workers from thermal exposures

Assess high heat & burn threats

It’s easy to over-protect – or under-protect – your workers from thermal exposures.

May 8, 2019

Hot, bulky, too tight or too loose - what starts out as required personal protective equipment (PPE) can become oppressive after four, eight or even 12 hours at work. The temptation for an overheated worker to pull off a glove or hood, roll up sleeves or unzip a coverall for a moment of relief can be irresistible.

NFPA 70E is one of the most important safety documents

Compliance benefits include improved safety culture and savings increases for employers.

Patrick Liebe

May 1, 2019

Today more than ever, companies need to reduce employee injuries and incident rates and avoid the costs of downtime due to electrical equipment failures. Implementing comprehensive electrical safety programs that result in changing and improving a company’s safety culture can help make these goals a reality.

Editor's Letter

Out of the loop: Reasons to care about workers who feel alone

Dave Johnson

February 7, 2019

United Kingdom-based newspaper The Guardian recently ran this headline: “UK to tackle loneliness crisis with cash injection. More than 120 projects will receive funding to help those affected and reduce stigma.” This reminded me of a book written in 2000, “Bowling Alone,” by Robert D. Putnam.

toxic exposures, OSHA permissible exposure limits

Exposure effects explained

New terms & calculations require worker retraining

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

February 1, 2019

A basic understanding of the toxicological dose-response curve is a necessity for OHS pros. People fear most what they understand the least. New and vast toxicological information can trigger fear and irrational actions.

The constant pressure for construction workers to work in pain

It’s always been there - will it ever go away?

Dave Johnson

October 4, 2018

Perhaps you read about the NIOSH study published in late August that found construction workers die of drug overdoses (not while on the job) at a rate six times higher than the general work population. Heroin was the main killer, followed by prescription opioids.

How to best incorporate Behavior-Based Safety

Benefits: lower costs and better safety

Alexa Sussman

August 3, 2018

Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) is the application of behavioral psychology to improve safety in the workplace. The aim is to change behaviors that cause incidents and promote behaviors that are efficient and safe.

Add fun & creativity to your training program

Stop preaching & lecturing

M.B. Sutherland

July 24, 2018

Standard teaching techniques apply to all types of learning. But safety training exists on a level of its own given the life and death stakes involved. While safety professionals need to find teaching ideas that work, many find themselves falling back on the same tired slide presentations.

The Case for Daily Wear PPE Programs

The Intersection of Compliance and Protection

Scott Francis

June 21, 2018

Keeping workers safe is a top priority in the electrical industry. This white paper details the key changes to the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E, and how a daily wear personal protective equipment (PPE) program can help you achieve a high level of protection while staying compliant.

Causes of workplace depression, and steps to prevent

Gloria Kopp

May 4, 2018

If you find it difficult to motivate yourself to go to work, or you're finding yourself consistently feeling low on the job, you could be dealing with workplace depression. Let’s examine some causes.

New York City grassroots safety group gets new executive director

January 8, 2014

On January 2,Charlene Obernauer stepped into retiring executive director Joel Shufro's size large shoes at the New York Committee for Occupational Safety & Health. Obernauer spent the past four years running another coalition-based labor advocacy group, Long Island Jobs with Justice.